Use your day off for Martin Luther King Jr. Day to immerse yourself and your family in art — all for free at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. LACMA admission is free for all on Monday, Jan. 16 as part of a Target Free Holiday Monday sponsorship. The L.A. art museum opens at Noon and closes at 8PM.
The free admission day includes a host of special free activities including bilingual tours. Be sure to check out LACMA’s exhibition Contested Visions in the Spanish Colonial World, where you’ll discover the importance of indigenous art forms from the Aztec and Inca during the colonial period. On Monday, the Peruvian Ensemble, representing the Inca, performs live music from the Andes on the museum’s plaza at 12:30PM and 2:45PM.
While admission is free, you must reserve a general admission ticket. Call 323-857-6010 or reserve the ticket online.
On free admission days, LACMA’s Boone Children’s Gallery is one of the most popular and therefore congested parts of the museum. So tickets to the gallery are separate, timed and distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. Pick up your free timed ticket in the Boone Children’s Gallery on Monday. Timed tickets only allow for a 30-minute minute visit.
Thank you to Twitter follower @elisebee for reminding us of this free fun opportunity!
Joy to the free!
*Disclosure: No compensation was received in exchange for this post. The post may contain affiliate links.
This Sunday and Monday, January 15 – 16, 2012, celebrate the Martin Luther King, Jr. national holiday with free birthday cake and more at the California African American Museum (CAAM) in Los Angeles.
Located in Exposition Park, museum admission is always free but during this 2-day celebration there are extra fun and family-friendly free workshops, film screenings and birthday cake!
The free fun begins at 1PM Sunday Jan. 15 (museum opens at 11AM) with a Target Sunday sponsored progam. View screenings of MLK’s famous speeches and watch diverse performances on the main stage. Meet Chandra Wilson and Jeffrey Anderson Gunter of the TV show Grey’s Anatomy, listen to the inNate Praise Choir, and watch the moves of the Jung Im Lee Korean Dance Academy.
Kids and adults can participate in several free workshops focused on the museum’s African American historical and cultural exhibits, thanks to the Target Sunday sponsorship.
On Monday, Jan. 16, the official national holiday honoring Dr. King, join CAAM at the annual Kingdom Day Parade, kicking off at 9AM in Leimert Park. Afterwards, head to the museum of a free slice of birthday cake while they last, courtesy of the Nooks and Grannies bakery. Free program activities include a screening of the documentary, King: Man of Peace in a Time of War and storytelling in the Gallery.
The only hitch to the free is that museum parking at 39th & Figueroa costs $10. So carpool, or try to nab metered street parking or take the bus.
*Disclosure: No compensation was received in exchange for this post. The post may contain affiliate links.
Gypsy Rose, c. 1970 Collection of Jesse Valadez Jr. Image courtesy of Estevan Oriol
Hola! MOLAA, the Museum of Latin American Art in Long Beach, is free admission on Sunday, Nov. 20 for all guests!
MOLAA is free admission the third Sunday of every month, thanks to Target. The museum is open 11AM to 5PM on Sunday, with extra free family-friendly hands-on art activities. Plenty of time to see the new exhibit, MEX/LA: “Mexican” Modernism(s) in Los Angeles, 1930- 1985. The customized 1964 Chevy Impala, Gypsy Rose, shown above, is a prime example of the art you’ll see.
From 1 – 4PM families can create hidden message poems based on the work of Chaz Bojorquez. Celebrate Poetas Latinoamericanas with a presentation of Latin American women poets by MOLAA Docents, also from 1 – 4PM.
Be sure to set aside time at 2PM for free docent tours of Mex/LA.
Joy to the free!
*No compensation was received in exchange for this post.
The People's Tree
It’s a rare moment when folks in Los Angeles get a personal glimpse of the forest fir destined to become the U.S. Capitol Christmas tree. The free chance to see this magnificent 65-foot symbol of the upcoming holiday is this Sunday, Nov. 13, in the Autry National Center parking lot in Griffith Park.
“The People’s Christmas Tree,” will be available for viewing at the Autry, noon to 3PM. The special Sierra white fir chosen to stand in front of the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., was cut from California’s Stanislaus National Forest last weekend. It’s been loaded onto a truck for a short tour through California before heading across the country.
Visitors to the Autry can see the tree for free in the parking lot. They can also sign a banner wishing everyone in the United States a Merry Christmas.
An official welcoming program for the tree begins at 11AM with L.A. Councilmember Tom LaBonge in the Autry’s Wells Fargo Theater. This program is also free. Afterward, guests can create their own holiday ornament from noon to 2PM.
Admission to the the Autry museum itself is $10 but anyone age 18 or younger will get in free on Sunday! That’s a savings of $6 for students and seniors (60+) and $4 for ages 3-12. On this particular day you’ll get to see the opening of an unique art exhibit: a new creation of cardboard and paper sculptures titled Phranc & Co. Out West General Store. Phranc the artist will help children create ornaments and color a bandana, 2 – 3PM. The older folks get to meet Phranc at a wine & cheese reception at 3PM.
As always, parking is also free.
Can’t make it to Griffith Park to see the tree for free? The People’s Tree will stop in Santa Clarita the day before, on Saturday, Nov. 12, at the Saugus Speedway/Swap Meet, 22500 Soledad Canyon Road, noon to 2pm. On Monday, Nov. 14, the tree will make a three-hour stop at Victoria Gardens Mall, 12505 N. Main St., Rancho Cucamonga, 10AM to 1PM.
For extra free fun, track the movements of The People’s Tree with the online Capitol Christmas Tree tracker.
Alex Kritselis: Above the Fold; See it for Free!
If it’s the first Friday of the month, then you’ve got a twofer free admission art museum deal in Pasadena! Both the Pasadena Museum of California Art and the Norton Simon Museum are free today, Nov. 4 and every first Friday of the month.
At PMCA take the free opportunity to explore 8,000-sq-ft of gallery space dedicated to the dynamic elements of California art, architecture and design, dating from
1850 to the present. The museum’s own 30,000-sq-ft of architecture is an aesthetic pleasure, from the natural light which enhances the open staircase to the rooftop terrace which takes advantage of Pasadena’s beautiful vistas. Regular admission is $7 per person, $5 for seniors and students.
At the Norton Simon you’ll get to view one of the world’s most remarkable art collections in a Frank Gehry redesigned 2-story building, with lovely gardens including a waterlily pond suggestive of Claude Monet’s garden in Giverny, France. Monet’s influence is inside as well as out, with his paintings sharing space with Van Goghs, Rembrandts and Picassos in this important collection of 12,000 European, American and Asian art objects, about 1,000 of them on display in the galleries and
sculpture garden. Regular admission is $10, $5 for ages 62+ and free for students with ID.
Bonus: Free parking at both museums.
Climb aboard the imaginary Reading Railroad and get free admission to the San Bernardino County Museum when it hosts the Reading Railroad Literacy Fair, Sunday Nov. 6.
First 5 San Bernardino will be at the museum’s literacy fair 9AM to 2PM with lots of free activities for children ages 5 and under and their families. Kindergarten and preschool children will receive a free backpack filled with school supplies and a healthy snack. Kids can meet the K PBS animated superhero Word Girl, who fights crime using superhero strength and a colossal vocabulary.
The literacy fair helps families discover the fun of daily reading and encourages the love of books. The fair also encourage parents to take an active role in promoting reading by reading books to their children early.
Afterwards, take advantage of free admission to the museum and explore its exhibits and hands on activities for kids of all ages. The museum is open until 5PM and the popular Exploration Station, a live animal and nature gallery, is open 1PM to 4PM. Parking is also free.
Get your art on big time at LACMA Muse’s annual art walk tomorrow, Saturday May 14th, for free! This is LACMA Muse’s major annual event, and it’s a dizzing array of exciting interactive artistic collaborations!
From 12 to 8pm there’s free admission to the LACMA, as well as live music, dance performances, large-scale installations, and interactive art projects around LACMA and the neighboring galleries on Miracle Mile.
The fun doesn’t stop at LACMA however, as there are fifteen participating galleries on LaBrea and Wilshire. Enjoy free admission to the Petersen Automotive Museum, the Architecture+Design Museum, and the Global Bazaar at the Craft Folk and Art Museum.
Close out the Chinese New Year for Free!
Light the way to peace and prosperity during the Chinese American Museum’s free family-friendly Lantern Festival, Saturday, March 5. The traditional fest, marking the end of the Chinese New Year’s celebrations is held around the 15th day of the 1st lunar month. The Los Angeles celebration happens from noon until 7pm at El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument, the historic site of L.A.’s original Chinatown.
Located across the street from Union Station, the free Lantern Fest offers the LARGEST variety of interactive arts, crafts and educational activities celebrating the Lunar New Year holiday in Los Angeles. Activities focus on cultural, historical and educational fun.
The pueblo’s plaza is turned into a colorful re-creation of a traditional Chinese village street fair with artist-led workshops such as kitemaking, Chinese calligraphy, Chinese paper-cutting, origami, face-painting and the festival’s signature lantern-making booths. New activities include collage-making (based on Amy Tan’s novel, The Joy Luck Club), “Found Objects” print workshop (based on CAM’s Remembering Angel Island exhibit), Chinese Zodiac Cards-water coloring workshop (provided by the Getty Museum), and Year of the Rabbit-inspired greeting-card making.
Discover the culinary customs of the holiday at the free-standing exhibition, Lucky Feast, a re-created traditional Chinese New Year dinner table. Look for the fruits, vegetables, food dishes, and decorations that are considered lucky to eat or decorate in one’s home or business during Chinese New Year.
Meet Popular children’s author, Oliver Chin, who will autograph and do readings from his latest book, Year of the Rabbit. Watch free performances featuring Chinese lion dances, martial arts, musical, magical, and acrobatic acts. A captivating shadow puppetry show and a spirited glow-in-the-dark silver dragon stage performance close out the fest.
Hail the Queen for Free!
Queue up for free fireworks, free fanfare and free fun when two queens meet in Long Beach, Thursday March 3. Queen Victoria, the third largest Cunard ocean liner ever built, will sail into Long Beach Harbor to meet the historic Queen Mary, docked in the harbor.
Board the Queen Mary, a popular SoCal maritime attraction, for FREE on March 3 to witness the 30-minute royal rendezvous from the Promenade Deck. At about 6pm the Queen Victoria and Queen Mary exchange whistle salutes amid fabulous fireworks. After the half-hour meet-and-greet the Queen Victoria continues on her Panama Canal Adventure to Ft. Lauderdale.
While aboard the Queen Mary be sure to pay a visit to the 75-year-old ocean liner’s Observation Bar, the ship’s original first class cocktail lounge. Drinks aren’t free but the stunning views of the harbor are!
*Parking rates in the Queen Mary lot will still apply.
Oooh LA LA! It's Free! credit: Alex J. Berliner/abimages
Get an actor’s eye view of the fashions that costumed the characters in the top films of 2010 for FREE at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising’s (FIDM) museum in Los Angeles.
The 19th annual Art of Motion Picture Costume Design Exhibition at FIDM’s Museum & Galleries in L.A. is free through Saturday, April 30. See the luminous green gown and pink burlesque costume worn by Christina Aguilera as Ali, in the film Burlesque (pictured above). Both created by designer Michael Kaplan. Always popular, the free exhibition is a unique opportunity to view up close the details of 100 costumes from 21 movies.
Experience the old West of True Grit, the fantasy of Alice in Wonderland and dream world of Inception. Other movie costumes include those from Clash of the Titans, The King’s Speech, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader and Prince of Persia.
WHERE: FIDM Downtown LA Campus On The Park, 1st Level, 919 S.Grand Ave., Los Angeles
WHEN: 10am to 4pm, Tuesday- Saturday. Closed Sunday and Monday. Exhibit on display through April 30, 2011.
