L Museums Opening 2017
There’s no shortage of impressive L.A. museums showcasing everything from contemporary art to historical artifacts. Yet to keep things exciting, there are several new spaces opening up this year for you to enjoy.
Here are a few places to keep an eye on:
Marciano Art Foundation
The opening of Marciano Art Foundation’s (MAF) contemporary art spaces is one of the most highly anticipated L.A. museums to open this year. Located in what was originally a Scottish Rite Masonic Temple, the building has been repurposed by wHY Architecture to create a several traditional and unconventional gallery spaces.
MAF promises to showcase a compelling and diverse collection of over 1,500 works curated by a family who’s passion for the arts is unrivaled. In addition to the interior exhibition spaces, there will be a bookstore, café and outdoor sculpture garden for guests to enjoy.
Opening May 25th 2017
4357 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles
ICA LA
Located in L.A.’s downtown Arts District, the Institute of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (ICA LA) is set to open this fall. ICA LA is run by some of the team from the no-closed Santa Monica Museum of Art and they’re curating a non-permanent collection from scratch. The gallery spaces will be filled with loans from other museums to allow ICA LA to stay ahead of the contemporary art scene.
According to ICA LA, the new museum space will bring together “architecture, urban design, and sustainability to create cutting-edge environments for exhibitions, education, dialogue, and collaboration”.
Opening fall 2017
1717 E 7th Street, Los Angeles
Wende Museum
The Wende Museum’s extraordinarily diverse collection of cultural artifacts of the Cold War-era is set to increase in size this fall in a move to the former Culver City Armory. This move will see the interior of the museum triple in size and the introduction of a community outdoor gathering space and sculpture garden.
The eco-friendly restoration aims to realise Wende’s vision of “open access and innovative exhibitions that fuse art, history and contemporary interests”.
Opening fall 2017
10808 Culver Blvd., Los Angeles
The Main Museum
While the Main Museum is not scheduled to be complete until 2018, Beta Main has now opened as a space for testing and refining the institution’s vision until construction is complete. You can consider it a sneak peak of what the Main Museum will offer downtown L.A. Beta Main will showcase live performances, artists, residencies and rotating exhibits.
Once complete, Main Museum designed by Tom Wiscombe Architecture will comprise of gallery spaces, an amphitheater, and studios for artists to work live. There will also be restaurants which become destinations in their own right.
Beta Main open now
Main Museum opening 2018
114 W. 4th Street, Los Angeles