I’ve been on a museum kick lately. Museums are the antidote to the slop that poisons our daily lives. These institutions present art and history with the information and context necessary to understand what we see and hear. They’re curated – the actual definition of the word, not the watered-down marketing department version of it – by people who have done real research to present the materials in the most accurate way possible. I can trust what I see in a museum and that’s comforting when I can’t get through a single scroll without asking truly absurd questions like, “Is that Golden Trump for real?”
My favorite thing about museums, though, is that the exhibitions are designed to be seen in person. You can take as many photos as you want, but none of them are going to do justice to the art or exhibits. That’s why, instead of my regular recommendations this week, I wanted to encourage people to go out and see what is in your local museums. If you’re reading this in Los Angeles, which I am assuming you are, then I have two specific institutions to shout out. Both are in locations that are easy to visit whether you have a car or use public transit and admission for both is free.
Vincent Price Art Museum
I think people hear the name Vincent Price Art Museum and assume it’s horror movie art. It is not. VPAM, which is on the campus of East Los Angeles College, was founded with a significant donation of pieces from Price and wife Mary Grant’s own art collection back in the early 1950s. If you want to know more about that history, I’ll refer you to one of the best episodes of Visiting with Huell Howser.
Right now, VPAM is in the final days of Ofelia Esparza: A Retrospective, which opened back in October and closes on Saturday. I finally got a chance to see the exhibition on Saturday and it’s beautiful. Esparza, who attended ELAC, is one of the artists who was involved in L.A.’s Dia de los Muertos celebrations back in the 1970s. She’s best known for her large, elaborate altars (she even made a permanent altar for Natural History Museum) and several of them, as well as a nativity scene, are part of the exhibition. These are displayed alongside Esparza’s early drawings and more recent paintings to essentially tell her life story.
Also at VPAM is Always Running: Photography by Luis J. Rodriguez, which marks the 30th anniversary of his memoir Always Running: La Vida Loca, Gang Days in L.A. and includes rare photos taken between the 1960s and 1980s. The show is on view until June 13 and, if you’re interested in documentary photography and anything pertaining to late 20th century Los Angeles, you should definitely catch it. The museum’s student exhibition, New Voices, is worth seeing too and features plenty of beautiful, thought-provoking works that won’t pop up on your Instagram feed.
If you visit VPAM, though, do not miss the permanent collection, which is up on the third floor of the museum. Its focus is on ancient art from Mexico and Peru and, for the Vincent Price fans, this is where you’ll see some of the pieces that he donated.
VPAM is walking distance from the E Line stop at Atlantic Blvd. There’s also a 70 bus stop right outside the museum, so that might be a more convenient option. If you’re driving, check VPAM’s website for parking info. VPAM is open Tuesdays through Saturdays.
California African American Museum
Part of Exposition Park, California African American Museum is the first fully state-supported museum dedicated to African American art and history. It opened in 1981, has a permanent collection of about 5000 objects and regularly features multiple exhibitions, as well as events like film screenings and workshops.
I stopped by last week for the opening of Willie Birch: Stories to Tell. Birch, who is from New Orleans, has been active since the 1960s, but this is his first career retrospective and it’s on view until October 21. It’s a large exhibition, comprised of pieces made over the course of decades. As you walk through it, you’ll see both the story of the artist and of the U.S. in the late 20th and early 21st century emerge through paintings, papier-mâché sculpture and large drawings.
Also at CAAM right now is Free and Queer: Black Californian Roots of Gay Liberation. There’s a significant music and nightlife component to this exhibition that is so interesting and relevant to anyone involved in dance music and nightlife. Jewel Thais-Williams, who opened Jewel’s Catch One in the early 1970s, is featured in the exhibition, as are singers like Sylvester and Carl Bean.
TBH, I spent so much time with these two shows that I didn’t have the chance to check out what else is in the museum right now, so I definitely need to head back soon. CAAM is open Tuesdays through Sundays and admission is free. If you’re taking Metro, the E Line stop at Expo Park/USC is your exit. There are also multiple buses with stops in the vicinity, including the 81. If you’re driving, refer to CAAM’s website for parking info.
Liz O. is an L.A.-based writer and DJ. Follow on Instagram or sign up for the weekly, Beatique newsletter for updates on new stories and gigs.
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