Called the new California gold rush, gallerists from around the globe are flocking to Los Angeles to set up West Coast outposts. Mega art dealers like Sean Kelly, Vito Schnabel Gallery, David Zwirner and Hauser & Wirth have all expanded with LA locations. And in 2019, Frieze launched an annual contemporary art fair in LA (the next one runs from February 20–23, 2025, at Santa Monica Airport).
The reason for all the attention? Some have pointed to the fresh energy of LA artists, a scene that’s eager to embrace underrepresented groups and the sheer space available in the sprawling city. Others admit that the year-round sunshine doesn’t hurt either. All these reasons also make LA an excellent city to be an art spectator. If you’d like to get in on the gold rush, this is the best art to see in LA right now.
ED RUSCHA / NOW THEN by Ed Ruscha at LACMA
Ruscha’s cross-media retrospective, which runs through October 6, 2024, is an ideal LA art exhibit as the artist has lived and worked here for decades and drawn much of his inspiration from the city. Explore Ruscha’s love for landscapes and typography through paintings, drawings, photographs and printmaking.
Score tickets: Adult admission for non-LA County residents to LACMA is $28 ($23 for residents). Walk-up tickets are available, though buying timed-entry tickets online in advance is recommended because time slots can sell out.
How to get there: The museum is located in LA’s Miracle Mile neighborhood, near the 10 and 101 freeways.
Make a day of it: Hit up multiple museums — the La Brea Tar Pits, Craft Contemporary, Petersen Automotive Museum, and Academy Museum of Motion Pictures are all within walking distance.
Top tip: While you’re at LACMA, be sure to swing by Zev Yaroslavsky Plaza to see Chinese artist Ai Weiwei’s 12 zodiac head sculptures.
Homage to Nature by Mineo Mizuno at the Huntington
The California-based artist Mineo Mizuno created a site-specific sculpture at the Huntington from fallen timber gathered from the forests of the Sierra Nevada, where the artist lives. Homage to Nature, which is on display through May 25, 2029, explores both the forest’s susceptibility to destruction and potential for new growth. Situated in an outdoor garden, the sculpture fits right in at the Huntington, which is itself an homage to nature, with about 130 acres of botanical gardens, plus a massive research library and art museum.
Score tickets: Admission to the Huntington is $29 for adults.
How to get there: The Huntington is off the 110 Freeway in San Marino, near Pasadena and about 12 miles northeast of downtown LA.
Make a day of it: Snag a reservation at the Huntington’s Rose Garden Tea Room and feast on house-made scones and lobster rolls. Then, head to Vroman’s Bookstore in Pasadena, one of LA’s most impressive booksellers, and grab a literary-inspired cocktail at the onsite bar, the 1894.
Top tip: Save time for the gift shop, which stocks everything from origami paper to prickly pear cocktail syrup to guaculeles (ukuleles made to look like avocados).
Best in Low, by various artists at Petersen Automotive Museum
Celebrate the craft and culture of cruising with this ode to lowriders that runs through spring 2025. Best in Low is especially timely as LA just lifted a 1988 ban on lowrider cruising earlier this year. You’ll get an eyeful of elaborately tricked out Impalas, Monte Carlos and Cutlass Supremes, and leave with a greater appreciation not only for the vibrantly painted exteriors, but the souped up interiors and hydraulics, too.
Score tickets: Buy tickets online or in person — adult admission is $21.
How to get there: Take the 10 or 101 Freeways to LA’s Miracle Mile neighborhood.
Make a day of it: Cruise over to Canter’s (about a mile away) for lunch or dinner after taking in the exhibit. This 24-hour deli is an LA institution that’s been kicking since 1931.
Top tip: If you buy tickets in advance online and then your plans change, your tickets are still good for a year.
Mickalene Thomas: All About Love, by Mickalene Thomas at the Broad
LA is the first stop on Mickalene Thomas’s first international touring exhibition, Mickalene Thomas: All About Love. Fully immersive, the exhibit doesn’t just invite you in with what’s hanging on the museum’s walls, it plunges you into the New Jersey neighborhood, living room interiors and party environments that have inspired the artist to create boundary-pushing, thought-provoking representations of Black women. Catch her acrylic paint and rhinestone-covered works through September 29, 2024.
Score tickets: Exhibit tickets are $22 for adults and can be purchased online in advance. Same-day, in-person tickets are available, but may require a wait time.
How to get there: The Broad is located in downtown LA. There is a Metro stop nearby — the Grand Avenue Arts/Bunker Hill Station, accessed via the A and E Metro Lines.
Make a day of it: Grand Central Market — the food emporium packed with pizza, ramen, sandwich and seafood tostada stands — is a 10-minute stroll away.
Top tip: Get free entry to the exhibit on Thursday nights from 5–8pm.
Sculpted Portraits from Ancient Egypt, by various artists at the Getty Villa Museum
Here are two things you probably wouldn’t put together: Soaking up the sun on the California coast and checking out ancient Egyptian sculptures. But they’re both possible at the Getty Villa, LA’s most picturesque museum with its gardens, colonnaded walkways and Pacific Ocean views. Sculpted Portraits from Ancient Egypt is on view through January 25, 2027, and includes statues, reliefs and sarcophagi from as far back as 664 BCE.
Score tickets: Admission is free, but requires a timed-entry reservation.
How to get there: Take Pacific Coast Highway. For public transportation, Metro bus line 134 stops at Pacific Coast Highway and Coastline Drive, right across from the villa.
Make a day of it: If the villa’s reflecting pool has you craving a dip, head to Gladstones after your visit. The casual seafood spot sits on a public beach, so you can go for a swim and grab a bite.
Top tip: Plan your museum visit for late afternoon, then grab dinner in Pacific Palisades or Malibu to avoid traffic.
