Hammer Museum

6/13/2014

Lovely permanent collection and really fantastic temporary exhibits. So glad they have updated their website! Great programming year round and parking is reasonable. Located in the heart of Westwood. Recently implemented free admission for all! Definitely worth checking out if you're in Los Angeles.

1/22/2014

Have you ever felt elegant as you exited a parking garage? I did at the Hammer, which has my favorite architecture of any museum I've ever been to. The airy, gracious atrium leads up the main enfilade of galleries that encircle a courtyeard, connected by a broad balcony. Only in southern California, I suppose, could a museum have its visitors going outdoors between each exhibit.  The far side of the balcony had some very cool-looking deck furniture for lounging in, and two ping-pong tables. Fun!

There was a great variety and quality to the exhibitions. My favorite was the comprehensive exhibtiion of the fascinating painting of Forest Bess - which presented his idiosyncratic ideas about gender and spirituality in a really accessible way, and just gave me a chance to look at the way he developed his philosophy of colors and mark-making and symbols, to approach painting as the creation of a new other world. There is some great stuff in the permament collection galleries--several drawings and bronzes based on them by Daumier, the 18th century caricaturist, who drew the ascendant bourgeoisie of his time as weird monsters whose faces are just emerging from a gooey flesh mass. I love him! I also enjoyed the retrospective of James Welling, a conceptual photographer who came up with various ways of using photographic technologies to produce abstract images rather than indexical ones. I like the colors of those photograms and gradients but some of his later work, shot in libraries, looks dull. I really hate conceptual art with old books in it. The artist is just like "look how smart I am" and I could care less, honestly.

I also wasn't really into Tacita Dean's film, about the Spiral Jetty, which had some spiral-jetty-shaped cuts in the film, a cute gesture, but why make art about other people's art? I just don't get that. Then a show of a contemporary artist (I want to say her name is Kelly Crowland but now I'm realzing that can't be possible.. it was definitely Kelly something), with letters sewn on bags of rice, was not interesting at all but you win some you lose some, right?

On the way out I noticed a gallery near the entrance that theoretically one could visit without paying for entry, because you don't have to pass the admissions desk to get there. The show there was a video about interrogation techniques--seemed a little heavy-handed to have the free gallery featuring "socially engaged" art but I nice gesture I suppose.

2/21/2014

You should only go if there is a show you know you will like.

We went there after the museum already converted to being a free museum, and still it did not seem like a good choice. The permanent collection is a joke. Two small galleries (each about the size of a living room) with Old Masters and impressionists. Nice, but very brief viewing is all it takes. The rest is mostly courtyard and changing exhibits. The courtyard is nice, but criminey, you don't need to drive across town to see a courtyard. When we visited, there was nice exhibition on women in the 1900 era, but a small one that did not take more than 15 minutes to view. Then there was a large exhibition from which my wife literally ran out. The most horrifically self-indulgent modern rubbish. Up your nose kind of trash. The ladies at the front desk are wonderfully sweet, but that does not make it a useful museum.

The Ammo cafe turned out to be the height of staff incompetence, so that was not a great thing either.

The main good things I can say about the museum is that it's not overrun with squalling brats and that they have their own parking which is cheap and convenient.

3/26/2014

Free admission and a GREAT experience. After going to the hammer museum, I learned that there were so many different ways of expressing ART. So creative! It really opens your mind to see life in a different light. I would really recommend this place for someone that wants to explore different types of artwork and for people like me who really don't know too much about it!

8/22/2012

Going to the Hammer Museum left me wishing for a couple of things:

1. I wish that there was more room for the galleries. My boyfriend and I walked through every gallery wing pretty quickly, because they were much smaller than other museums. I understand that space is limited in a busy area like Westwood, so I can't really fault the museum for this. Along the same lines, however, I wish that the permanent gallery of Mr. Hammer himself was more extensive. His art was the kind of art that I really enjoy, and I wish we could have seen more of that.

2. I wish I could better appreciate modern art. Made in L.A. is the current exhibit, I could not relate to most of the artwork. Maybe I'm just a hillbilly, and it will forever go over my head. However, I feel as though modern art is something that I can't understand until I read the writings on the wall, literally. I think people who really get and enjoy modern art would just call me simple and base. To them, I say, "SHOW ME SOME MONET, Y'ALL!" And I would pronounce the "T" in "Monet", too.

3. I wish parking was as simple and as cheap everywhere else as it was at the museum. $3 on Sunday for the ENTIRE day. That's almost unheard of in L.A.

Maybe I'll come back when there's a new exhibit, because it's a great excuse for me to look cultured and cool in front of my friends. It's also a great excuse for me to go to Diddy Riese afterward.

Tips:
1. Free with Student ID, and also free for everyone on Thursdays.
2. $3 parking all day Sunday.
3. Walking distance to eateries all around Westwood/UCLA area.
4. The terrace is a good place to relax, read, and study if you're a UCLA student looking for some peace and quiet.

7/3/2012

This place is so close to an office that I work out of every week or so, and it's a shame that I've only been here twice. The Hammer is a beautiful space in Westwood Village that is smaller scale than LACMA or the Getty, but manages to keep a vibrant calendar of events and a nice variety of permanent collections.

This summer, Made in LA features works by local artists and music on Thursday nights (when admission is also free). I was here most for the Hammer Bash, which was the inaugural KCRW DJ night that will be running every Thursday through mid-August. There was also an art performance that left many people covering their ears and asking "what the hell was that?" -- I'm definitely not cool enough for experimental art.

$3 parking with validation for 3 hours. $10 entry on non-Thursdays. A small bistro serves food in the open air courtyard. There's no reason not to add the Hammer to your rotation of LA museums!

9/12/2012

The Hammer is down the street from my office and is FREE for UCLA staff - woohoo! (No worries, the public can get in FREE on Thursdays as well)

The open central courtyard is a peaceful spot to bring your lunch and meet a pal. I love the tall bamboo swaying in the breeze overhead.

If you are like me and like things to be explained, join their FREE weekly Lunchtime Art Talks on Wednesday from 12:30-12:45 PM. I attended today and it was really neat to hear the background and context of the piece. I plan to go again with colleagues to the one that will introduce Wild Up, the Hammer's current orchestra-in-residence.  

In terms of the museum itself, the exhibits are so different and it really depends on your taste. I checked out a really neat exhibit - the entire book of Genesis illustrated verse-by-verse in comic book style. I recently visited the "Made in LA" exhibit last week and it was honestly not my cup of tea. I only liked 2 of the artists in the entire exhibit - one who used graphing paper and one that used buttons. The rest were too odd and "how is this even art???" for me.

I also attended a "Also I Like to Rock" summer Thurs night concert (which is also FREE!) held in the courtyard and it looks really nice decked out with lights in the evening. The opening act was a terrible-on-the-eardrums group whose names I don't remember. But the main act made my loss of hearing all worth it - I totally fell in love with Lady Danville (go Bruins!!!!) that night.

10/15/2012

It's Hammer Time!
I wish I could do this dance at the museum:
youtube.com/watch?v=AwzN…

One of the things I enjoyed about living in LA, is the huge art culture. I loved the Getty, LACMA, and the art walk. Unfortunately, I never had the time to visit the Hammer; luckily, I got off work early and I has business to do in the Westside so I dropped into the hammer.

Admission is about $10; however, you can get in free with any student id. The museum is rather small. The reason why it's called the Hammer is because this is the founder's art collection. There were about 6 exhibit rooms and each room is rather small. There was an European oil paint section and an Indian section. There is also some weird exhibits like the room with a film reel that just spins through slides really quickly giving anyone that is sensitive to light and images a seizure. Also, there was an exhibit with a Taliban terrorist mannequin and that freaked me out...

They have a cafe shop and souvenir shop as well. The souvenir shop is filled with interest toys for children and a number of art books. If you know some hipster parents (not sure if they exist) then go get their kids stuff from here.

Overall, it's not a terrible museum, it's just very small, you can easily finish it in an hour. Sorry Hammer, you can't touch any of the other art museums in LA.

6/27/2014

Let's be real here the museum to start with is cramped. The elevators seem to take up 20% of the exhibition space. The space is also all chopped up beside being small. It was obvious from the recent exhibition that too much money was spent on the building and its hippness. The Ghosts in the Machine exhibition was boring at best and pedantic at worse. One of the best parts is a film from PBS which asks what would happen if we turned the medium over to the Artists. Unfortunately the answer would be that it is boring compared to what truely creative people are doing in film. Much of the exhibit is almost juvenile in its complexity. At $14 an admission is not worth it. There is a second part of the exhibition that is interesting. It is a claymation series of videos as well as a room full of animals made with multiple materials. I was impressed that such a boring exhibition could have an interesting although not knock out annex. Wait for Thursday evenings when it is free then you won't be dissapointed.

8/26/2011

The Hammer museum was so glam and posh. In the heart of Westwood, I can see why. It was confusing at first where all the galleries were but there are a lot of staff/volunteers there!

There was a ping pong table!!! I suck at it even tho I'm Asian... But it was fun. The artwork from Thek was... Kinda morbid and odd... If you look closely at 'the diver'... He has a penis. Teehee! The meat and the tomb pieces were trippy bc come on... Meat on random things... Tendons on random things. But the gnomes were awesome!

The volunteers and staff were great! So helpful in the location for artwork and just the area.

Parking
$3 for 3 hrs with validation!

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• See all photos from Laura S. for Hammer Museum

11/27/2012

There's a lot to like about the Hammer Museum. It's located near UCLA and a bunch of cute shops. It offers a lovely place to study in the summer and the fall. It makes a nice place to meet up and offers a simple date idea for the young hip crowd.

My only "complaint" is that the art on display here is super ultra post-modern and I am just not into any of that. That doesn't make the museum bad in terms of service or quality, it makes it bad in terms of my interest. A man can only take so much empty canvas, pseudo-Wes Anderson-like films, and junk spray-painted with copper.

I get it, man, the Matrix and shit. Astrophysics and quantum theories- whatever, bro, I prefer the bowl of fruit.

Admission is free to anyone with a student ID and Wells Fargo clients.

6/13/2011

How can you not say no to free admission. Yes FREE for military, and they have discounts for students, alumni, seniors etc. And they validate parking too, so it's only $3 for 3 hours, so you can get a lunch, walk around a bit in Westwood Village and still have some time leftover to do the museum.

My favorite is the permanent gallery of the Hammer Museum. All others seemed either disturbing or neutral to me.

The permanent collection consisted works from Van Gogh, Monet, Manet, Toulouse-Lautrec, and a few other post-impressionist works from the late 19th century. There are a few of the older pieces from Rembrandt as well.

It's a small museum, that usually caters to the temporary exhibits. During my visit, they had the Paul McCarthy works that included a statue of Dopey from Snow White and a film that looks dark and weird. I could have only tolerated that film for about 4 minutes.

Same goes with the Danica Dakic film too. Seemed morbid, twisted, and this was dark as well. So I wasn't a fan of these films. I wouldn't recommend having kids watch this.

The Linn Meyers art continues until November 2011. This one I liked. Several pieces of repetitive patterns and colors and shapes including one giant pice at the lobby of the museum.

The ground floor has a nice cafe, exposed to a nice open air and it's even better on sunny days. I would most likely come back again, and just probably focus on the permanent collection again.

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• See all photos from Mike C. for Hammer Museum

6/8/2012

Attended opening night of Made in L.A., an exhibition dedicated to (you guessed it!) L.A. artwork. hammer.ucla.edu/exhibiti… - as you can imagine, it was very L.A. and, from an outsider's perspective, very cool. Reminded me of what TV portrays L.A. to be more often than it really is :)

If you have the opportunity to visit, for this show or any of their other works, definitely make sure to explore the interior courtyard. Whether you're lounging outside on the first level or watching from above, there are interesting perspectives from every angle.

1/24/2014

This museum is part of UCLA. It's located right in Downtown Westwood and there are plenty of places to grab a bite after. They showcase student work as well as local and worldwide renown artists. They have a good flow of exhibitions unlike other museums such as the Norton Simon, which rarely has new works. They also have an impressive permanent collection including some of the few van Gogh's in Los Angeles. Students are free and public programs are free. They have notable speakers and a nice theater.

5/29/2014

Surpise, Surprise The museum is being renovated for 3 weeks, and 90% of the art is unable to be scene. No mention of this on there website, payed to park, was in and out in 10min all they had to see were 2 video art pieces that were just awful. 1hr of grid lock traffic each way on a hot humid day. Huge disappointment!

2/26/2012

The Hammer Museum is the perfect gallery when you have just a couple hours and want to see a mix of classic, modern, & experimental art in the same location. The Classics will please, the Modern will inspire, and the Experimental will leave you confused. It's the Hammer and art is in the eye of the beholder. Simply look away if you must.

* Open to 9pm on Thursdays and 7pm other days except Sunday (5pm). Closed on Mondays
* Free on Thursdays. $10 other days.
* $3 parking for 3 hours (with validation)
* Free Ping Pong on the 2nd floor never gets old
* My favorite section remains the Armand Hammer collection and other permanent exhibits. The masters on display will impress just about any level of art knowledge: Rembrandt, Van Gogh, Monet, Degas, Gauguin, Cezanne, Pissarro, Renoir, and more.
* The rotating exhibits will either be a hit or a miss depending on your taste and mood. Most of the half-dozen I've seen have been "misses", but I still respect the effort. The best was a Yoshua Okon film depicting scenes from the Guatemalan civil war in a L.A. Home Depot parking lot. The Alina Szapocznikow: Sculpture Undone exhibit was also interesting, but more dated.
* The bookstore is larger than most museums (if you like that kind of thing)
* The small cafe (by Wolfgang Puck) is fine. As you'd expect, better options are found in Westwood.
* Free weekly tours are offered on Thursdays @ 6:15 by UCLA students
* If you are a UCLA student or alum, take advantage of the many UCLA discounts

For 22 years, the Hammer Museum has been a fine part of any art lovers experience in Los Angeles. It is a great way to spend an afternoon or evening escaping from the hustle and bustle of L.A.

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  Hammer Museum building on Wilshire

  Hammer Museum building on Wilshire
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  Free Ping-Pong on the 2nd floor

  Free Ping-Pong on the 2nd floor
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  Wheat Harvest (1889) by Emile Bernard

  Wheat Harvest (1889) by Emile Bernard
• See all photos from Michael S. for Hammer Museum

7/29/2012

Parking is $3 and admission is free on Thursday. The building is huge but the collection is small and manageable.

There is a small Armand Hammer permanent collection of some artwork ranging from early-American artists to famous French Artists such as Monet and Paul Gauguin. The website describes the collection as an "...impressive overview of the major movements of 19th-century French art, including works by Gustave Moreau, Edgar Degas, Paul Cézanne, and Vincent van Gogh."

hammer.ucla.edu/collecti…

I visited recently for Made in L.A. exhibition which was small and interesting collection of local art.

KCRW has some events here during the summer time which is usually fun to wander around check out the artwork and stay for drinks, and music.

Since you paid for parking, I recommend walking around Westwood Village for a meal and walking around.

12/7/2013

Based on the exhibits I'd give this place a solid one star. Sadly there really wasn't anything interesting or unique to look at today. My favorite part of the museum was the ping pong table area. Those were awesome and I think that is what we pretty much paid for. Though I actually didn't pay because so long as you have a student I.D you have free entry. Noice! I probably wouldn't return but the workers were very nice and made me feel pretty welcomed.  Knowing that I can get in for free makes me contemplate returning...though I'm pretty sure I won't. More exhibits with more things to look at please!

8/18/2013

Free for students everyday.  Free for everyone on Thursdays.  Free 3 hour parking.  There are also free lectures and artist talks.  I love the hammer.

8/8/2010

I had never been to the Hammer Museum until a few weeks ago for our awesome Art Attach CMYE. I have no clue what takes me so long to get to these awesome places LA has to offer.

I really enjoy the small-enough-to see-and-enjoy-all-in-one-day museums. Don't get me wrong as I LOVE places like the GettyLand but really the Hammer is the perfect size with the right amount of "to sees".

Some handy and cool "To Knows" about The Hammer
- Closed on Mondays
- Only $7 Admission
- Open Thursdays in the evening
- FREE admission on Thursdays
- Open pretty late for a museum (7pm on Tue, Wed, Fri, Sat and 9pm on Thurs)
- $3 parking for first 3 hours and $1.50 every hour after with validation
- $3 flat rate parking after 6pm
- Strict NO Photos in the galleries.

There is a small Cafe on site and they even offer Happy Hour. The grounds are nice and I love the outdoor courtyard area. The digital tree in the cafe area was my fav along with the shoelace birds in the main entrance.

I really dug the art hey had here. Cool, contemporary, modern and some old world classics as well such as Van Gogh. The staff that we were in contact with on our evening visit was really knowledgeable and you could totally tell they enjoyed their jobs. Even the Security Guard was cool as I tried to sneak and snap some pics in the "no photo zone". Don't worry Hammer, he didn't give in and let me snap anything. And trust me I tried as I asked him a million times.

I will totally return to the Hammer for a leisurely stroll or to attend one of their lectures or outdoor concerts. Glad I finally made it here but I'm more excited about returning.

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  shoelace birds

  shoelace birds
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• See all photos from Ciara G. for Hammer Museum

11/24/2012

Aww man, so this place isn't a museum about hammers? It doesn't matter. It's a sweet museum anyways.

Went here on a double date yesterday and I loved it. My brother, who's a UCLA student, recommended that we go see the Getty or explore other museums as the Hammer Museum was "small'. I disagree. I thought the Museum was a decent size and perfect for a little afternoon date. The current exhibitions included: Graphic Design, Zarina, Sun Yuan & Peng Yu, and A Strange Magic. All were worth a gander but I particularly enjoyed the vibrant colors and interactiveness of the Graphic Design exhibit and the wood/paper medium for the Zarina exhibit was also very cool.

I enjoyed that part of the museum was outdoors. The courtyard area was very nice and the section with the colorful drapes was quite playful for my eyes. Getting some air while walking between the galleries made it that much more of a pleasant experience.

Parking is $3 with validation and admission is $10 but free for students. I used my UCSD ID and got free admission so you don't just have to be a UCLA student. I believe admission is free for everyone on Thursdays as well. Definitely worth checking out!

5/7/2013

We started going to the Hammer about 5 years ago. We enjoyed their permanent collection, very nice, with works of art created by famous painters. It's not a big museum, but I wouldn't call it small either. It has a great location, right in the middle of Westwood. We kept taking visitors over to discover more than the usual LA museums and also started to go to their various events.

We realized what a different museum Hammer is! Cool and hip, with a lot to offer. Beside their permanent collection and super interesting temporary exhibits, they also showcase artists from all over the world and organize cool events almost every day.

The Hammer is more than a museum, they had parties in their courtyard (a Halloween party open for everyone in 2008) with bands and DJ-s. This where we saw for the first time, for free cool bands in concert like: Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes, Milo Green and Group Love. This is where we saw legendary people speaking, from Roger Corman to Mike Figgis, watched great movies, unique screenings (including Mexican B-movies from the 40's). And saw for the first time a Magic Lantern show!

Unfortunately, in the last couple of years, the museum didn't offer these types of cool events anymore. They opened a café in the courtyard, so no more concerts. I didn't like their temporary exhibits as much, "Made in LA" was disappointing to me and I really didn't like the graphics one. That's why I gave it 4 starts instead of 5.
But it seems that is back again, with a great Llynn Folkes exhibit, a great video art project (Dara Friedman), and cool sculptures in the lobby. We even ran into Diane Keaton inside the Llynn Folkes exhibit, and that was my "Annie Hall" moment.

I just hope that they preserve the Hammer as the cool, fun, unpretentious museum, with a great calendar of events!

If you're a UCLA student, check it out, it could be a cool hangout, it's not your usual museum. If you live in LA and haven't been to it, check it out, the admission is $10 and they have free Thursdays! Weekdays - opened till 8 pm. Weekends - till 5pm. If you visit LA, here's another place off the beaten path list of things to do in town.
They have a cool museum store. Parking is $3 w. validation. Some metered street parking, too.  Check their site for updates, events, more info.

Hope they'll keep their cool vibe!

2/19/2013

Very serene.  I was excited to see the interactive Game Exhibit, which I think is now over.  We played ping pong, which was hilarious and really fun.  The Llyn Foulkes exhibit was also interesting and comprehensive.  It's free for students, and $10 for general admission.  It's in walking distance to the Westwood area right by UCLA, so you can make a day of it.  There is a movie theater, shopping, good restaurants all in walking distance to the museum.

8/29/2011

What an amazing museum! I went to the "Also I Like to Rock" series last month and it was a great event. Live music, drinks and food! Entrance was free and it was definitely a crowd but it was a great event.
Thursdays are always free at this museum .

I love that the art is a mix of contemporary and classics. They have Van Gogh and more modern exhibits like Paul Thek.

There is an amazing little Wolfgang Puck Cafe in the middle of the courtyard, which is the perfect spot to have lunch while in between looking at exhibits!

9/20/2011

When reflecting on my time spent at the Hammer I find an urge to explain the wonder and the experience in a short and succinct way. A catch phrase, something straight to the point, illustrating my belief that everyone should make room in their hectic lives for the Hammer Museum.

Words from the illustrious poet and musical marvel Stanley Kirk Burrell float to my mind, his comments ringing true to my thoughts exactly, my impression that everyone should set aside time and get to this museum as soon as they possibly can. Over two decades ago he declared to the world....

"Stop. Hammer time!"

Call him Kirk, or call him MC Hammer. Call him a BET's #7 Dancer of all time, or call him the worst finance manager in history. Call him what you will, but stopping for Hammer time is EXACTLY what I think we all need to do. Art and culture enhance our lives in countless ways and the Hammer Museum is here for us, here to feed the creative part of our DNA that makes everything just a little bit brighter.

Gems reside in the Hammer's permanent collection from Moreau, Degas, Cézanne, van Gogh and many more, pieces I certainly enjoy gazing upon time and time again. But the Hammer also offers the opportunity to view shifting exhibits and collections, changing out over weeks or months to keep things fresh, satisfying curiosity towards innovation and new experiences. I've been to a handful of private events here in addition to my own personal explorations, and I continue to find new things each and every time.

"Stop. Hammer Time!" - You're so right MC Hammer, if only more people thought (and danced) the way you did the Hammer Museum would be overflowing with visitors. Thank you MC Hammer, for all you've done for the world of art. Oh, and obviously thank you to the Hammer Museum too.

9/24/2012

Everything a museum should be.

I have seen a blow-up doll drowning in a fake lake, art made of cleaning supplies and detergents, and Mickey Mouse attempting suicide..
The art is gnarly and interesting most of the time, but sometimes you will think, "This is art? What the hell, I could shit this out and label it art!" But you didn't. So you should come here and see it instead. Ever inspiring, will make you think and make your eyes grow wider.

*~*Amazing place to come with new friends/new loves/anybody. Strange art = giggles, conversations, stories, wonders, ideas *~*

12/15/2012

This museum is really small.

Came here to visit the Graphic Design exhibit, was very interesting.  Being a motion graphic artist, I was very excited to see my line of work being recognized as art and have an exhibit focusing on my area of expertise.  It's worth the trip to West Wood.  

The museum itself is kinda bizarre, the signs aren't very clear on what's being displayed.  I was under the impression that there are other exhibits to see aside from the Graphic Design exhibit, but I think the colorful curtains upstairs is considered a part of it?  I dunno... they really need to work on their signage.

The courtyard is very nice, there's a cafe there.  It was raining when I went, so no one was sitting out there, but I can see on a nice day, it would be a nice place to hang out.  You can finish all their exhibits under 2 hours, short museum trip.

3/1/2013

Great little museum in the heart of Westwood.  They get so many fabulous exhibits, screenings & speakers.  Back in the day when Indie radio was still around they had a lot of cool concerts there too. One of my favorite screenings was a documentary about Ai WeiWei.  They even had a panal that skyped him to talk to the audience afterwards. It is free on Thursday nights too which is a bonus for all of you peeps on a budget!  I don't know if it is permanant or not but they also have 2 ping pong tables upstairs if you want to have a game or 2....

1/7/2010 Updated review

*** R. Crumb "The Book of Genesis" ***

Robert Crumb is known for comicbooks.
They are of an "adult nature".  So when I
heard of this biblical exhibit I was curious.
This exhibit is a display of the illustrations
of every page of the book; they are black
and white (a la The Wall Street Journal).

Crumb illustrations here are adult as well,
easy to read (we all know this story), and
tastefully done.  I am no way religious but
I could appreciate this as a celebration of
Crumb's career.  I think he is an original.

I then took a stroll thru Armand Hammer
Collection to find a VanGogh & Gauguin.
I do love the works from both - VanGogh's
unbridled emotion, Gauguin's gentle way.
I enjoyed this visit far more than my first.

I stopped by the courtyard for happy hrs.
I had an IPA and $2.50 Kobe beef slider,
a nice way to wrap a leisurely afternoon.

*** Thurs admission is free ... nice. ***

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  Gauguin 1889

  Gauguin 1889
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  VanGogh 1888

  VanGogh 1888
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  R. Crumb "The Book of Genesis" Comicbook

  R. Crumb "The Book of Genesis" Comicbook
• See all photos from Barry W. for Hammer Museum

8/25/2011

What an event! This was awesome!  From the great collections , to the exhibits! The food by Wolfgang Puck was also great as well as the souvenir hunt. Seeing the yelp peeps was great as always, and the wine....well, its always great times. My wife enjoyed as well and will be coming to more in the future.

Thanks to Brittney and Katie, this was an awesome time! Thanks ladies for getting the job done as always!

9/29/2013

I live very close to the museum and have been wanting to go for a while. The staff was very friendly and helpful and the museum itself was beautiful. Each gallery was different, which offered something for everyone. If the mediation room wasn't enough, it was a very lovely day to be in their outdoor seating area where you could continue to relax and enjoy the museum atmosphere underneath the trees. When that's all done, you can indulge in a metaphorical cup of tea for Whisper Reports to be followed up by some ping-pong. There is a lot to experience here. With all of that plus more installations, I will definitely be returning.

8/11/2009

Should UCLA Med Ctr be tardy in your admission, as usual, get there on time anyway (so they can't blame YOU), leave your cell#, then head down the block to the Hammer Museum and spend some quality time viewing the latest in LA contemporary and/or interesting art. "Interesting" doesn't really say anything, does it? It didn't do much for me this visit but it's better than sitting around a noisy waiting room crowded with people, some of whom may be like, you know, really hacking, hawking sick.

They have a decent enough deli where you can take advantage of your final tasty meal before abandoning all hope to the hospital kitchen and its mandatory and forgettable "low bacteria" diet.

P.S., another recent visit showed the paintings of Charles Burchfield and it reminded me of whiskey's acquired taste. But I think I'll always enjoy my whiskey.

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  Large Book Selection

  Large Book Selection
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  Thinkers of a different kind

  Thinkers of a different kind
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  End White Supremacy

  End White Supremacy
• See all photos from Robin Z. for Hammer Museum

10/4/2009

Heat Waves in a Swamp: The Paintings of Charles Burchfield.  I wouldn't expect the Hammer to curate this exhibition because Mr. Burchfield has been forgotten by modern audiences outside of his base in western New York state.  It's all the more reason that I'm glad it's here because his work is quite accessible and ageless.  

This artist made a living as a wallpaper designer in his early years and one of the galleries features a wall-to-wall reproduction of one of his spectacular designs.  From his rich wallpaper to his fantastical artistic images, life is imbued into the everyday.  Telephone poles, cars, clouds, tree branches, stars, houses:  all take on an anthropomorphic presence.  Some of his watercolors seem to melt before you as if the images are burdened under the weight of the world.  Others have the sense of being outdoor cathedrals.  Some paintings are singularly cold and grey; others are luminous.

His simple home on the outskirts of Buffalo, New York, was the center of his universe and from it his imagination unlocked haunting images that are finding new popularity with a new generation.  As a long-time fan of his work, I'm glad to see it happen.

• 

  Charles Burchfield; The Four Seasons; 1949-60; watercolor on pieced paper mounted on board

  Charles Burchfield; The Four Seasons; 1949-60; watercolor on pieced paper mounted on board

6/14/2012

** FREE TO THE PUBLIC ON THURSDAYS!

I liked how the building had a lot of white space, because it got you in the "art mode" and prepped you for the exhibits.

The thing about Hammer though, is that:
1) They're NOT big on collections, but
2) big on EXHIBITIONS,
which I didn't know at all and was a bit disappointed to find out upon my arrival.

The permanent collections consist of some paintings from artists like Van Gogh & Moreau, aka a lot of European paintings from the 18th-19th century.

I got to see a glimpse of the Made in LA exhibition, and it looked really pretty, with paintings and sculptures with bold colors and a wide range in sizes! But if you don't come for those exhibitions, the permanent collections at Hammer are very LIMITED, so make sure you come when there's an exhibition in town you want to see!

There's also a Wolfgang Puck Cafe in the courtyard, with plenty of outdoor seating. Seems like area to just drop by and enjoy the sunshine!

10/11/2012

Good bookstore with unique stuff, if
You love art, you'll love it here! Check out the iphone covers Hammer customized!

7/9/2013

The Hammer Museum is a great mix of 20th Century and Classical art. There were pieces by contemporary artists like Richard Artschwager who recently passed away at the age of 89, and an impressive permanent collection featuring the works of Van Gogh, Degas, and Rembrandt. There is also a really cool bookstore, and even a patio area where you can relax and play some ping pong on the two ping pong tables. Its not as big as LACMA, but its better than MOCA. Its also free for students!

7/13/2013

Small but varied in exhibits and styles, mostly very good. And KCRW fringe benefit got two adults in for price of one with kids for free.  Wilder screening room is also tremendous.

5/16/2012

Hammer Museum: it's alright.

- Exhibits: Hit or Miss.
- Lectures: Hit or Miss.
- Events & Concerts: . . .draw a diverse crowd.

- They also have different talks and classes every month or so. I helped teach a few workshops here for families - I highly recommend anyone looking for a creative way to spend an afternoon enroll.

- Biggest Peeve: Security ... Rude.
This isn't Fort Knox.

6/24/2012

This is not a museum about hand tools or baking soda.

I've been here about a dozen times. The content was strong when the museum first opened and then slid when UCLA first took over. Thankfully, the museum has curated much better exhibits in the last few years. I really wish that oil tycoon Armand Hammer's giant trove of art appeared more often in the museum, but the works always seem tucked away or shipped off to other museums (I've probably seen more works from the Hammer collection at other museums than at the Hammer Museum).

There is $3 parking in the underground garage which is pretty good for Westwood.

3/20/2012

Beautiful museum, with great displays. I only wish this place was a bit bigger, and out of Westwood. I get lost in the beauty of Hammer, then I walk out, only to be alarmed by the crazy looneys yelling things about the world ending. It bugs me that Westwood is making a turn for the worst.

Other than that, I can't complain about the Hammer. Its free for UCLA Students and I've been using my student ID card (even though I've graduated already).