Just doesn't seem like art to me. I'm pretty sure I have something similar inside my refrigerator. But someone, somewhere, declared it artistic, so it hangs in the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C.
Every once in awhile, however, I'll get this idea in my brain that I should venture out into the art world, and so I feel the need to migrate towards a museum.
As luck would have it, there is a new art museum in downtown LA that opened a few months back, and this past weekend, I just happened to be in the mood for a little culture.
Welcome to The Broad.
Pronunciated "broʊd", by the way - rhymes with road (hence the title...cute, huh?). It's named for Eli Broad, a philanthropist who financed the museum. I was walking around for months calling it The Broad - as in broad-minded. Whoops, sorry 'bout that, Mr. Broad. No disrespect intended.
Anyway, first thing's first - if you are planning to take a trip to The Broad, reserve your tickets on their website NOW (don't wait - go HERE)!!! Not for this weekend, mind you - you'll have to plan for a few months ahead - but do yourself a huge favor and plan now to go later. You'll have to pick not only a date, but also a time that you plan to visit the museum - so choose wisely. I chose tickets for 11:30, which allowed for a little bit of sleep-in on a Saturday, a leisurely drive up the 110, and a few minutes for a bite to eat at a nearby cafe. I also ordered tickets back in December for a visit in February. It seems extreme, but having that much time to wait before going added to the excitement of the visit. It was like having concert or theater tickets - the anticipation seemed to make the visit more meaningful.
By the way, on the day we went, the wait time for the stand-by line was 4 hours long. 4 HOURS!!! Don't get me wrong, I'm all about the museum experience - but I could be halfway to a Carne Colorado burrito Enchilada Style at El Charro in Tucson in that amount of time. Just sayin'.
The Broad is located across the street from the MOCA in LA and next door to the Walt Disney Concert Hall. We parked at the Disney parking garage (with an entranced located underneath Grand Avenue). This actually worked out extremely well, because it also gave us a chance to explore the grounds at the concert hall building (totally worth it, by the way).
Plus parking was a few dollars cheaper, so there's that.
If you arrive before your scheduled entry time, there are a few restaurants nearby that you can snag a cup of coffee or a bite to eat at. There were also a few food trucks set up outside when we went, so there was a nice variety of cuisines to sample from. There is also outdoor seating under the trees or in the grass - so you can hang out and just savor the day.
Anyway...once you're finally inside the museum, it's really quite interesting.
Did I mention it's a contemporary art museum? This was the first piece we saw as we walked in the door, and I was totally enamored by it. It was just so real and lifelike; I really thought the Jolly Green Giant dropped a plate of dishes right there in the museum.
By the way - the big long line you may see once you enter the museum is for the Infinity Mirrored Room. I didn't get a chance to go inside (the wait time was way too long for me) - but people coming out of the exhibit seemed impressed, so sign up to see it if you can. The exhibit is scheduled to run through September of 2016.
The architecture is almost cave-like on the ground floor, which helps fuel the idea that you're not in the same-old, usual, stuffy art museum you may be used to.
As you ascend to the main floor - where most of the artwork is displayed - suddenly you're out of the cave and into this amazingly bright room surrounded by rooms of awesome, strange, interesting, intriguing, weird, love-it, hate-it, variety of contemporary pieces.
Walk further into the museum and you'll find yourself surrounded by a wide variety of contemporary art in a range of mediums - from canvas, to sculpture, to...well...furniture:
(I told Nick I wanted a larger dining room set....this is not exactly what I had in mind)
You'll see artists you're familiar with and discover a whole lot of new.
OK - quick break - I have to tell you just how much I love this piece by Lichtenstein:
It's a 3-D sculpture of what appears to be a paint can on a book on an easel mount - but no matter which angle I photographed it at, it kept looking 2-dimensional-ish. Coolest thing. Loved it.
Pieces range in style and shape, and there really seemed to be something for everyone. There were a few pieces that were more adult-oriented...but there were also pieces that the younger audience seemed to get a real kick out of:
Hmmm...this piece also reminds me of a joke. How did that one about the mushroom go again...?
I saw people of all ages enjoying, discussing, and disagreeing with what they saw. Parents spent time explaining art to their kids. Couples meandered and pointed out their favorites. People took pictures of themselves in front of pieces. And then there were people busy creating their own art....
I'm predicting The Museum of Selfie Art popping up somewhere within the next 10-20 years.
Just remember I said it first.
On your way out, be sure to sneak a peek into the storage area:
The Broad really has so much to offer, and for as much art as there was on the floor - it looks like there's even MORE to see tucked away in storage. So who knows...perhaps there's another visit to The Broad in my future. If I reserve tickets now, I could be there in May.
With any luck - I'll see you there.
