Best Outdoor Art In Los Angeles
With the great weather Los Angelenos enjoy most of the year, it's always fun to dine al fresco, so why not take in outdoor art, too? From museum exhibits to university installations, street art, and folk art, here are some great choices for exploring great outdoor art.
Urban Light
Los Angeles County Museum of Art
5905 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90026
(323) 857-6000
www.lacma.org
Located just off Wilshire Boulevard at the front entrance to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art is Chris Burden's Urban Light. This sculpture has become synonymous with LA itself, consisting of 202 restored street lamps circa 1920-1930. Painted to a solid grey, the piece is stunning by day or by night, when the street lamps are lit and the romance of a city that always is and never was takes center stage for tourists and art-lovers alike.
Levitated Mass
Los Angeles County Museum of Art
5905 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90026
(323) 857-6000
www.lacma.org
Walk around to the back of LACMA and find a 340 ton - yes, ton - hunk of granite perched over a long, low concrete trench by artist Michael Heizer. 'Levitated Mass,' as this awe-inspiring sculpture is called, is a stunning piece to walk under and along, as well as a popular site for picture taking. The rock itself was quarried in Riverside and transported to LACMA through the streets of the city.
UCLA Franklin D. Murphy Sculpture Garden
UCLA
Charles E Young Dr E.
Los Angeles, CA 90095
(310) 443-7000
hammer.ucla.edu
Seventy outdoor sculptures are on display at the Franklin D. Murphy Sculpture Garden, located under the jacaranda trees in the heart of the UCLA campus in Westwood. Taking in the blissful, five green acres, is a perfect way to take in some great outdoor art. One of the garden's highlights is sculptor Richard Serra's Torqued Ellipse, a two part steel sculpture.
Getty Center
1200 Getty Center Drive.
Los Angeles, CA 90049
(310)440-7300
www.getty.edu
At the Getty Center everyone talks about the stellar views. But, it's not just the expansive cityscape that impresses at this modern museum's outdoor space. Gardens, fountains, and 28 modern outdoor sculptures donated to the museum dot the campus. Additionally, contributions from film producer Ray Stark and wife Fran's personal collection fill the beautiful space. Blending into the environment, the sculptures look stunning day or night, featuring pieces such as Joan Miro's Figure and Henry Moore's Bronze Form.
Watts Towers
1761-1765 East 107th Street
Los Angeles, CA
(213)473-8343
www.wattstowers.us
Watts Towers are the creation of Italian-born immigrant Simon Rodia, who built seventeen sculptures made of steel, mortar, and a mosaic of glass, shells, pottery, tile, and ceramics, all created entirely on his own without any equipment, scaffolding, or designs. An amazing folk art assemblage, Watts Towers are delicate and ethereal as they reach up into the sky. Tours of the towers are offered by the adjacent Watts Towers Art Center.
The Alley Project/The Gabba Gallery
3126 Beverly Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90057
(310)498-2697
www.thegabbagallery.com
Jason Ostro and Phil Santos co-curate The Gabba Gallery in Filipinotown, and also oversee the Alley Project, which has created over 75 murals from 50 plus artists in neighborhood alleys. Located off Beverly Boulevard between Virgil and Occidental, with a new "Animal Alley" project taking shape near 160 Glendale Boulevard, this wonderful conversion of varied styles covers everything from garage doors to dumpsters, transforming a community into a vibrant living work of art.
