ArtWalk with LACMA’s Muse

Pop art just grew on trees at the 2011 LACMA Muse ArtWalk. This is "Urban Fruit Tree," by Jean Wells.

Out of the galleries and into the streets! This Saturday, the 17^th annual LACMA Muse ArtWalk will bring local artists, museums and galleries together for a free, day-long community celebration of art.

“It’s really about shining a light on what goes on in the community here,” said ArtWalk organizer Jason Gaulton. “It is a fantastic opportunity to work with some of the great artists around us and a chance to rally the Miracle Mile scene as a whole.”

LACMA and the Architecture + Design Museum will both offer free admission for the day. In front of LACMA, contemporary dance groups will involve audiences in performances that highlight the “town hall” setting of the museum’s entrance. There also will be live music from experimental band Little Red Lung and blues guitarist Jared James Nichols in front of LACMA’S iconic Urban Light, along with light projection installations and art workshops for all ages.

About 20 art galleries along La Brea Avenueand Wilshire Boulevard will also open their doors for free. At the galleries, artists, curators and critics will be on hand to present and discuss various works and exhibits. ForYourArt, a collective that moved to the neighborhood just this year, will present a range of “pop-up exhibits” and stage an art scavenger hunt aimed at helping patrons discover all that the local scene has to offer.

After the day is through, the truly committed can shell out $25 and continue the art fest at the ArtWalk After Party. The party features music from Dublab DJs Secret Circuit, Ale, and Lavenders, as well as visuals from The Joshua Light Show—best known for their psychedelic “liquid lights” installations that complemented late-1960s acts like Janis Joplin, The Who, Jimi Hendrix and The Grateful Dead. At 10 p.m., headphones will be distributed and the party will shift to a “silent disco” to keep the fun going—and the neighbors happy.

Muse is LACMA’s membership group for art lovers in their 20s, 30s and 40s. ArtWalk, one of their biggest annual events, is aimed at cultivating new generations of patrons by engaging audiences of all ages.

The ArtWalk takes place Saturday, June 16, from noon until 8 p.m. along La Brea and Wilshire.  The after party is from 8:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. in the LACMA’s BP Grand Entrance at 5905 Wilshire.

Posted 6/14/12