This past April, my wife and teenage kids and I were back in Los Angeles for a three day family getaway. Day One highlights included: visiting the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History, top of the Wilshire Grand, the La Brea Tar Pits.
Day Two, after an early morning hike to the top of the Hollywood Sign, we drove from the AirBnB we were staying at to the Armand Hammer Museum in Westwood Village, adjacent to UCLA.
Driving down Wilshire Blvd through Beverly Hills to Westwood.
My daughter - now a senior in High School - outside the Hammer Museum.
Entrance to the Hammer Museum, located at 10899 Wilshire Blvd, on the corner of Wilshire and Westwood Blvds in Westwood Village.
According to their website, admission is "free for good." Meaning, permanently and with a progressive array of exhibitions and public programs (that's according to wikipedia).
We didn't focus much on the political agenda, and instead enjoyed the (free) artwork.
The very colorful and creative staircase walking in. This is the work of artist Yunhee Min, and apparently is only temporary - opening March 28 2019, and around only until October 27, 2019.
Obligatory family photo. It had only been open a few days before we were there. Glad we were able to catch it. Really beautiful work.
My son looking at glasswork sculpture.
The "Richard Nixon Museum" - consisting of political buttons during the 37th Presidents' colorful and controversial political career.
Nixon served as Vice President under Eisenhower from 1953-1961. He ran for President, narrowing loosing to John Kennedy, in 1960. He ran for governor of California in 1962, and lost. In perhaps one of the most remarkable political comebacks of all time, six years later he ran for President again, winning in 1968.
To avoid impeachment to his involvement in the Watergate break-in, Nixon resigned from office in April 1974. He remains the only President in US history to have done so.
Nixon served in Congress, the Senate, as Vice President, and as President from 1947-1974. He - along with Ronald Reagan - are the only two US Presidents from California. Ironically, perhaps, both Republicans.
I was unfamiliar with The Hammer, and assumed it was entirely contemporary artwork.
Wrong. The Hammer also features a small collection of incredible classic works. To the left, Rembrandt's Portrait of a Man Holding a Black Hat (1637), to the right Titian's Portrait of a Man in Armor (1530).
The museum has two works by Vincent van Gogh. Above, The Sower Outskirts of Arles in the Background (1888).
Claude Monet's View of Bordighera (1894).
My kid's admiring the Rembrandt.
The Hammer is located at the corner of Wilshire & Westwood Blvd, consider the busiest intersection in Los Angeles. How many people drive or walk by this museum every day - having never been inside. Did I mention admission is free? And two hours of free parking in the city owned garage a couple blocks away?
Outside in the courtyard. My daughter giving the thumbs up at the building to the left, my dad (her grandfather's) old office building.
A slightly better view of 1962 Claud Beelman and Edward Larrabee Barness' office building. My dad's advertising firm was located here when we moved to Los Angeles in 1968.
Formerly the Headquarters of Occidental Petroleum, the building was purchased by UCLA in 2015 for over $92 million and is being used as offices by the university. The ajacent Hammer Museum was formerly a parking garage and was opened in 1989.
There was an temporary (Feb 10-May 12, 2019) exhibit of works by artist Allen Ruppersberg. Above: The Singing Posters: Allen Ginsberg’s Howl by Allen Ruppersberg (Parts I-III).
Allen Ruppersberg, Cover Art (Space Adventures) 1985.
More Allen Ruppersberg
Allen Ruppersberg, The Singing Posters: Allen Ginsberg's Howl by Allen Ruppersberg
Allen Ruppersberg's Reading Standing Up.
Allen Ruppersberg's Big Trouble (2010) - featuring Disney's Scrooge McDuck.
The Hammer is unique with collection of both classical and modern works.
Gift shop near the exit.
There's an outdoor cafe towards the exit. And - of course - I liked seeing my dad's 1962 era office building.
Heres' a link to The Hammer museum website. As mentioned, admission is free. And there's also two hours of free parking (practically unheard of in Los Angeles) in the public garage a couple of block at 1036 Broxton Avenue.
Walking around Westwood Village afterwards. The building on the left on the corner is the 1929 Janns Investment Company Building.
The University Professional Building, located on the corner of Kinross and and Broxton. This 1929 era building is an excellent example of "Mediterranean Revival" style, and is typical of the historic architecture found in the Village.
Back in the early/mid 1980's, when I was a student at UCLA, Westwood Village was THE place to go and experience, touting the tagline: "all roads lead to Westwood." It really felt that way.
With the largest concentration of movie theaters in the world, the Village was absolutely packed Friday and Saturday nights. The decline of move theaters in general, and competition from other outdoor venues like The Grove and Third Street Promenade have made Westwood much less of a regional destination.
We opted for lunch at Northern Cafe in Westwood Village - which was outstanding. Great food, good price. Highly recommend!
The Hammer Museum is located at 10899 Wilshire Blvd.
We lived in Los Angeles for five years. We've have made numerous family visits as well. For some reason, we've never been to Beverly Hills. So that was next on our agenda.
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