The Broad Museum Reopens
At the end of Spring, I received an announcement that The Broad Museum would be reopening to the public. I was excited to hear that one of Los Angeles’ largest art spaces would soon be welcoming visitors again. It marked over a year of lockdown and although I didn’t particularly miss people, I was starved for art. I had survived the past 14 months on my monthly Artforum delivered to my door, Cultured Magazine’s daily blasts and rare studio hangs with friends. I was missing the gallery and museum experience terribly.
Although major modern art stars like Murakami, Kruger, and Warhol don’t excite me as they did in my teens and early twenties, I was thrilled at the chance to be in a museum space again. New works on display by Kara Walker and an all-time favorite, Jenny Holzer, did light me up with anticipation. Holzer’s “Under a Rock” (1986) is incredible by the way. Simply seeing this Holzer was worth the trip to Downtown L.A. If you’ve been in the vicinity then you likely spotted the bold architecture of The Broad, which is my favorite element about the museum. Smooth concrete on the ground floor creates a tunnel into the second. A tubular plexiglass elevator is reminiscent of Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory. A white geometric casing on the exterior looks like a plastic toy from a foreign land.
While arriving at The Broad I was stopped by Channel 4 News and gave a brief interview to anchorwoman Kim Baldonado. Interestingly while doing some research I discovered that Kim is also from San Gabriel, which made me smile. In our interview, I discussed the new Kara Walker, the passing of Eli Broad, and the importance of access to free art in the city. I was edited down to 5 seconds but had a nice laugh nonetheless. Do you think this was the first time Jacquemus was seen on local TV?
I was fully masked and felt at ease entering the space. Fortunately, I had the luxury of previewing the new works in a private setting which only allowed for a few people at a time. Although this is not standard procedure for the public, I learned The Broad is taking precautions to keep the public as safe as possible during the pandemic. Face masks are required on all guests and they’ve minimized the number of people allowed at the museum at one time, no longer allowing for max capacity. There are numerous hand sanitizers across the museum floor and clean bathrooms at your disposal. Although standby tickets are not currently available, tickets arestill free and open to the public. I cannot stress the importance of public access and free programming enough.
Why The Broad: What I appreciate most about The Broad is that tickets are free and available to anyone. The environment isn’t stuffy – how many rightfully view museum spaces – and it’s a great place to take kids, out-of-towners, or that friend who is curious about art but doesn’t know where to start. The permanent collection pops with color, style, and explores many themes like patriarchy, racism, and capitalism. For those interested in capturing their own photo moments, the design of the space is ripe, and it’s encouraged. The lighting is superb. This is a museum where fun and exploration are welcomed and it’s a great entry point to discover your relationship to art.