Los Angeles Arts & Culture Dazzles

By Laura Goldstein

When you think of Los Angeles two things come to mind: celebrities and beaches. But the “City of Angels,” the 2^nd biggest city in the United States boasts so much more – a high-profile art scene and jaw-dropping architecture. Yes, a car or using public transportation to get around is a must, however, once there, intriguing cultural enclaves and neighborhoods throughout this vast metropolis await your exploration.

There are over 200 museums and art galleries as well as private galleries throughout a revitalized downtown Los Angeles and various districts. (A Guide to Los Angeles Art Galleries)

But first check into the elegant Fairmont Century Plaza where former Presidents dined and the Emmy and Grammy Awards once broadcast from its ballroom. A multi-million dollar interior refresh by Yabu Pushelburg in 2021 included the lobby’s high-tech floor -to -ceiling glass windows that retract into the floor. Another highlight are the curvaceous balconies from 400 luxury rooms from which you can glimpse the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

The New Academy Museum of Motion Pictures Where the Oscar Goes to…. YOU!
Close to the Fairmont Century Plaza is the monumental new 1000-seat David Geffen Theater inside a glass sphere resembling a set out of a sci-fi movie. Designed by Renzo Piano, it’s an homage to the Hollywood film industry linked by catwalks to three floors of galleries featuring costuming, lighting, music and over 50,000 movie posters throughout the adjoining Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. 

If you’ve ever imagined accepting an Oscar (hasn’t everyone?) here’s your opportunity. Standing on the Dolby Theater stage, hear your name called in an Oscar night simulation then receive a video of the experience. 

The Griffith Observatory Where Stars Shine Day and Night
In one of the most memorable dance scenes in the film, “La La Land,” actors Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone trip the light fantastic at the Griffith Observatory. Overlooking the sprawling City of Los Angeles and its 4,210 acres of parkland, you can venture through space during immersive digital shows in the 290-seat Samuel Oschin Planetarium. The spectacular Zeiss Star Projector System with theatrical lighting and comfy seating in the aluminum dome, boasts live narrated presentations. 

The celestial stars aren’t the only ones that shine at The Griffith Observatory: outdoor concerts like pop singer Adele’s “One Night Only” with its aerial drone footage, was fêted as “a love letter to Los Angeles.” And of course the futuristic architectural setting has played an atmospheric lead in hundreds of films including the 1955 classic, “Rebel Without A Cause,” “The Terminator” (1984,) and “Back To the Future,” (1985.) 

Hooray For Hollywood
While you’re visiting The Griffith Observatory, view the most recognizable cultural monument in Los Angeles: the iconic Hollywood Sign perched on the Mt. Lee Hillside in southwestern Griffin Park. Did you know the sign was originally erected in 1923 to advertise a new housing subdivision? It reigns over a multitude of family activities in Griffith Park from the 1926 Merry-Go-Round to bike rentals and pony rides. 

Get to the Getty Then Walk Like An Emperor (Toga Optional)
If European paintings, sculpture and decorative arts amid modern architecture galvanize your soul, don’t miss the Getty Center and Getty Museum and Villa housed on two different campuses. Designed by Pritzker Award-winning architect, Richard Meier, it’s located in the Brentwood neighborhood. 

Make a pilgrimage to Getty Museum and Villa in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood, showcasing 44,000 works of art and antiquities of ancient Rome and Greece. Recreated in the style of a Roman Villa, the garden setting  surrounds a magnificent marble-lined pool.

Walt Disney Concert Hall “A Living Room For the City” (Frank Gehry)
Like a gigantic origami puzzle composed of 165,000-feet of steel-clad metal panels, the Walt Disney Concert Hall in downtown Los Angeles designed by architect Frank Gehry, is a cultural highlight for everyone who enjoys music. Home to the LA Philharmonic directed by Maestro Gustavo Dudamel, take a guided tour or attend a concert while you’re in town.

Mural Mile: A Not So Hidden Street Art Gem 
Over 50 vibrantly painted murals depicting Latino culture, fantastical flora and fauna, and religious icons decorate buildings up to three-storeys -tall along Van Nuys Blvd.’s Mural Mile. Begun in 2012 as an art movement to improve downtown Los Angeles, it traverses a walkable 3-mile radius. From an eyesore of dilapidated walls to public art, you can’t miss (literally) ‘A Valley In Time’ by Erica Friend. It’s 300 feet tall and took three weeks to create!