For those seeking art and culture, one doesn’t have to go very far to find it Los Angeles. It is the land of icons, from the Hollywood sign to Disneyland, and doesn’t stop there. Los Angeles is already known as the mecca for movies. However, its art scene and cultural stops sprinkled throughout the city usually takes visitors by surprise.
The number of official art museums in Los Angeles is well over a hundred, and as for the unofficial… it could well reach into the thousands. Swap meets and craft fairs abound in this metropolis. Additionally, Los Angeles itself is a canvas of hidden treasures. Murals hang all over the city, ranging from simple storefront Graffiti art to four-and-six-story tall murals of the most iconic and visually-stunning images you’ll ever lay eyes on.
Museum Row on Wilshire is your best for an art walk brimming with visionary delights. They even have a Van Goth and couple Picassos in there. For the absolute best in what Los Angeles has to offer in the museum realm, the Getty Center or the Getty Villa are in themselves true works of art.
The Getty Center is modern architecture at its finest. It looks very much like the campus of a college designed for art. Inside are some of the greatest historical works, and on the balcony, visitors can view the marvel that is Los Angeles.
The Getty Villa is just that. The grounds were designed as an Italian Villa, and have been the location of many films and televisions shows. It houses wonderful sculptures and murals that make you feel like learning a new language, or at the very least, visiting the real thing. Personally, if the Zombie apocalypse comes to LA, I’m moving to the Getty Villa, putting on a toga and living the rest of my days like a king.
Museums are all well and good for standard fair, but for the true connoisseur of art and culture, nothing beats The Venice Beach Boardwalk, especially on Saturdays and Sundays. The boardwalk features a hive of arts and crafts, from the horribly amazing to the freakishly cool. People watchers will delight in the population. Local artists of all levels and types can be spotted selling their wares and/or creating personalized signature pieces on the spot. Venice Beach is also a familiar hot spot for filming. Many of its locations and even some of the people are recognizable from numerous scenes in television and film.
Finally, I must talk about the Art Walk at the Brewery. It only happens twice a year, and if you go, plan for the entire day. Local artists at the Brewery Artists’ Colony open their studios to the public. It is the absolute best in local art from dozens of amazing up and comers in the community.
