CITY & ITS PEOPLE
LACMA's New Era · David Geffen Galleries
LACMA is more than Urban Light. I went on the new building's opening day: no chronological order, no fixed route, everyone finds their own way through.
Translated from Jasmine’s original Chinese. The illustrated slides are on the interactive reader.
Key points
- Urban Light's 202 streetlamps are just the opening act
- The art isn't arranged by era or country, so different civilizations talk to each other
- Spend a whole day on Museum Row: the Tar Pits and Petersen are walkable
- After the galleries, grab a Coconut Cloud at Erewhon at LACMA
- Laki's matcha ramen is limited to ten bowls a day, and the matcha is milder than expected
- Art, architecture and wellness all show up naturally in one afternoon
Full text
LACMA's New Era · David Geffen Galleries (cover)
LA's most important new cultural landmark. Art. Architecture. Matcha. A perfect Los Angeles afternoon.
LACMA is more than Urban Light
The 202 vintage streetlamps have long been one of LA's most iconic pieces of public art, but what's really worth your time is going inside. There's so much more beyond Urban Light.
I was there on opening day
There was a special reason for this LACMA visit: I happened to come on opening day of the David Geffen Galleries. After years of planning and building, the new building is officially the heart of LACMA.
David Geffen Galleries · a completely different way of curating
The biggest difference isn't more art: it's not arranged by era or country, so works from different civilizations and centuries talk to each other. There's no fixed route; everyone walks out with their own experience. Art in conversation, not in chronological order.
Museum Row · worth a whole day on its own
Right next door are the La Brea Tar Pits, an Ice Age fossil site, and the Petersen, LA's classic car museum: art, history and design, all within walking distance.
Museum Row · One neighborhood, endless inspiration
The Tar Pits' lake, the Petersen's red-and-silver streamlined facade, LACMA's sculpture lawn: one block, all walkable.
Erewhon at LACMA + Laki's matcha ramen
After the galleries, hit the new Erewhon at LACMA for my every-time Coconut Cloud Smoothie; in the evening, try the signature matcha ramen at nearby Laki's (ten bowls a day). Honestly, the matcha was milder than I expected. Museum. Smoothie. Matcha ramen. Very LA.
The LA I love
The magic of LA isn't how many sights there are; it's that art, architecture, wellness, food and design all show up naturally in the same afternoon. You don't have to chase culture; it's already part of life. Art quietly becomes part of everyday life.
Some cities teach you to keep moving forward
LA, every now and then, reminds you to stop and look. Save this for your next LA museum day.
Places in this story
Read it with the slides →The illustrated version on the LA Guide →
An original JSLALALAND field guide by Jasmine Chang (@jslalaland).