Academy Museum: 6067 Wilshire Bl, Los Angeles www.academymuseum@oscars.org (323/930-3000) This unique museum, dedicated to the moving picture industry, brings us back in time to the beginning of the film industry through never to be forgotten films and into the present. Fabulous costumes and even more fabulous and memorable creatures, Academy Award acceptance speeches, art, a look into the production work, movies and politics, documentaries, musicals.
This summer enjoy Oscar Sundays blockbuster free films featuring Academy Award winning visual effects with Museum admission.
Barbie to Anna Karenina: The Cinematic Worlds of Sarah Greenwood and Katie Spencer is an immersive and experimental look at the works of one of the most distinctive production design teams working today. Thru Oct. 18, 2026
Color in Motion: Chromatic Explorations of Cinema & Cyberpunk Envisioning Possible Future Futures Through Cinema Cyberpunk examines the global impact and lasting influence of the science fiction subgenre cyberpunk on film culture, Oct.6-April 12, 2026.
Digital Witness: Revolution in Design, Photography and Film, Nov. 24-July 13, 2026.
Annenberg Community Beach House: Santa Monica (310/458-4934) beachhouseevents@santamonica.gov Grounds include playground, volleyball courts, sandy area, splash pad, courtyard, view deck, gallery. Beach house open. Pool opens Memorial Day weekend then daily June 15 thru Labor Day and weekends thru September. Dine at Back on the Beach, an indoor, outdoor restaurant overlooking the beach – (310/393-8282.)
AR Monuments: Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), 59005 Wilshire Bl., Los Angeles lacma.org LACMA and Snap Inc.release the third and final collection of AR Monument, bringing together artists and technologists to create augmented reality, monuments that explore histories of Los Angeles s communities and amplify perspectives from across the region.:
Away in the Catskills: Summers, Sour Cream, and Dirty Dancing: Skirball Museum, 2701 N. Sepulveda Bl., Los Angeles (310/440-4500) www.skirball.org Explore inherited and imagined memories of Jewish resorts in the Catskills. LA-based artist Marisa J. Futernick looks into her mother’s and grandmother’s summer vacations in this playful, loving and meditative body of work. Thru Aug. 31.
Bob Baker Marionette Theater: www.bobbakermarionettetheater.com/summer2021 A rollicking trip through the calendar to all things celebratory throughout the year.
Catalina Adventure Activities: www.catalinachamber.com/ A new ropes and planks course weaves through a grove of towering eucalyptus trees deep within Descanso Canyon. Other adventurous activities nearby include Zip line Eco Tour and Catalina Climbing Wall and there is always hiking, camping and an adventure expedition.
Cinelounge Sunset: 6464 Sunset Bl, Hollywood. (323/924-1644) http://cineloungehollywood.com Cinelounge Sunset re-opened in Hollywood .
Concerts for Kids: Getty Center, 1200 Getty Center Drive, West Los Angeles (310/440-7300) Family friendly garden concerts held at 4:00 in the Central Garden Aug. 2, 3, 9, 12, 16 & 17. Bring a picnic lunch. Free reservations required for entry. Getty.edu.
Digital Witness: Revolution in Design, Photography and Film: LACMA (Los Angeles Museum of Art) 5905 Wilshire Bl., Los Angeles This exhibition examines the impact of digital image manipulation tools from the 1980s to the present through the works of nearly 200 artists, designers, and makers. The exhibition illuminates today’s visual culture where digital editing tools are more accessible than ever before. An landmark event exploring the intersection of art and science, both past and present. Nov. 24-July 13, 2026.
Fowler Museum at UCLA: 308 Charles E. Young Dr., N. Los Angeles (310/825-4361) fowler.ucla.edu Public programs celebrating world arts and culture online and in person. All programs are free. Must RSVP. Construction, Occupation presents the work of 24 artists and collectives that engage art’s potential to shape the city through the power of community. Drawing on myriad visual languages and poetics grounded in collective action, the exhibition investigates a radical urban vocabulary that blurs art and activism to address questions of infrastructure and vulnerability, circulation and segregation, and the body in public space.
Free Outdoor Summer Concerts: Getty Center, 1200 Getty Center Drive, West Los Angeles (310/440-7300) Summer evenings will be filled with musical performances for five upcoming Saturdays as Off the 405 returns with free concerts. Madi Diaz on July 12, Empress Of on July 26 and Emile Mosseri on Aug. 23.
Getty Villa Museum Reopens After Fire: 17985 Pacific Coast Hwy., Pacific Palisades (310/440-7300) visitorservices@getty.edu Encounter the latest discoveries from Messenia, an epicenter of Mycenaen civilization in Late Bronze Age Greece, displayed for the first time outside Europe. June 27-Jan. 12, 2026
Gloria Molina Grand Park: 200 N. Grand Ave., Los Angeles grandparkla.org/sundaysessions Two free summer outdoor dance parties to celebrate the roots and influences of house music. Picnicking encouraged. Food and beverages available for purchase. Cocktails may be purchased with valid I.D. No outside alcohol permitted. July 20 & Aug 17, 3:00-8:00 PM
Gold: Enduring Power, Sacred Craft: Norton Simon Museum, 411 W Colorado Bl., Pasadena (626/449-6840) https://www.nortonsimon.org Marking the museum’s 50th birthday, this exhibition explores the artistic and cultural significance of gold in approximately 60 works of art dawn from across the Museum’s collections which encompass South ad Southeast Asia, Europe, North Africa and North America. Sculptures, paintings, jewelry, tapestries and photography that span from 1000 BCE to the 20th century will be displayed together for the first time, revealing unexpected intersections in the circulation, craft and meaning of gold across time and place. Opens Oct. 4.
Historic Downtown in-person & Virtual Tours: Los Angeles Conservancy (213/623-2489) info@laconservancy.org Award winning docent led tours include the L.As most beloved landmarks including the Los Angeles Central Library, the Million Dollar Theatre and the Bradbury Building. Visit Pershing Square and learn about the founding of this great city and its architecture. In person Walking tours, Saturdays at 10 a.m.. general public sales begin Thursday at noon. Live and virtual tours held Wednesdays at 6 p.m.
Lines of Connection: Drawing and Printmaking:: www.visitorservices@getty.edu The Getty Center, 1200 Getty Center Drive, West Los Angeles (310/440-7300) A major loan exhibition of about 70 works on paper exploring the relationship between drawing and printmaking in Western European art from the 16th to 19th centuries July 1-Sept. 14.
Marionette Theater: Bob Baker Marionette Theater, 4949 York Bl., Highland Park www.bobbakermarionettetheater.com
Mindful Awareness Meditation: presented by the Hammer Museum Thursdays 12:30-1:00. Reserve in advance. Free. www.hammer.ucla.edu/programs-events
NHM Common Opens: Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County: 900 Exposition Bl., Los Angeles Introducing the museum’s new wing and community hub in Exposition Park. This modern and inviting “front porch” to the museum will feature 75,000 square feet of renovated space, new construction and landscaping. It offers a new indoor-outdoor experience. The museum and its collection will enable he public to see into the museum while offering views of the park from inside. A great new experience for visitors and residents.
Noah Davis Exhibition: Hammer Museum, 10899 Wilshire Bl., Los Angeles (310/443-7000) www.hammer.ucla.edu/programs-events The first institutional survey of the late Noah David charts the breadth and depth of the American artist’s relentless output. Assembling more than 50 works made between 2007 and 2015, the exhibition is organized in a manner that reflects the diverse interests of Davis’s practice. These include national politics, current affairs, everyday life, familial history, ancient Egyptian cosmologies and the racial biases of American media, art history and architecture. June 8-Aug. 31.
Find Your Happy: OC Fair: Costa Mesa ocfair.com/tickets Delectable delights, displays, all kinds of demonstrations, entertainment, and animal exhibits. July 18-Aug. 17
Pageant of the Masters: Irvine Bowl, 650 Laguna Canyon Road Laguna Beach www.foapom.com (949/494-1145) This summer, take a journey through the Golden State’s art museums — without leaving our seat. This year’s production, Gold Coast: Treasure of California, watch paintings, sculptures and murals re-created live onstage through the Pageant’s world renowned “living pictures,” with live music by a 20-piece orchestra and captivating storytelling.
The Pageant will recreate several iconic artworks and landmarks from Northern California’s most revered collections including the Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento, the de Young Museum in San Francisco and historic public art from the heart of the city. One oi the most unique productions in the world. July 5-Aug. 29.
Photography at The Getty: www.visitorservices@getty.edu The Getty Center, 1200 Getty Center Drive, West Los Angeles (310/440-7300) The museum has recently acquired works by Japanese American artists of the 1920s and 30s, members of the Kamoinge Workshop, contemporary women photographers and Southern California artists, all to shape a more inclusive canon of photography for current and future generations.
Public Gardens of Santa Barbara: Tour these spectacular gardens but check websites in advance. Casa del Herrero www.casadelherrero.com; Ganna Walska Lotusland www.lotusland.org; Alice Keck Park Memorial Garden www.santabarbaraca.gov/Parks/parks_passive_main.html; Santa Barbara Botanic Garden www.sbbg.org
Public Programs and Exhibitions at The Huntington: The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens, 1151 Oxford Rd., www.huntington.org An assortment of fascinating topics and displays with talks and book signings, garden tips, music, film, lectures, exhibitions and tours.
Realms of the Dharma: Buddhist Art Across Asia: Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 5905 Wilshire Bl., Los Angeles www.lacma.org International in scope, this exhibition examines key concepts of Buddhist Art and practice through sculptures, paintings, textiles and ritual objects Incorporating 180 works of pan-Asian Buddhist art, this exhibit begins with the religious origins in the 5th century BC and follows its spread through Southeast Asia, the Himalayas and East Asia. May 11-July 12.
Rescuing a Masterpiece: The Getty Center, 1200 Getty Center Drive, West Los Angeles (310/440-7300) www.visitorservices@getty.edu Celebrating the three-year completion of a complex conservation treatment of Hercules and Omphale, badly damaged by an explosion in Beirut in 2020 and now restored to its former glory on view. Also on display: Artesmisia’s Strong Women, Bathsheba and David, Susanna and the Elders and Lucretia. June 10-Sept. 14.
Revered Residences: Los Angeles Conservancy Virtual Program https://www.laconservancy.org/events/2021-benefit-revered-residences-virtual-program Historic walking tour adventures are offered on Saturdays. Register in advance.
Santa Barbara Museum of Art: 1130 State St., Santa Barbara (805/963-4364) www.sbma.net Renovation of the original 1812 building has improved the exhibition space, making it possible to show more of the 27,000-object permanent collection and will enhance visitor experience through improved flow through the museum, newly created galleries dedicated to contemporary art, photography and new media. Advanced tickets are encouraged for admission and can be purchased at tickets.sbma.net+
Skirball Exhibitions: Skirball Museum, 2701 N. Sepulveda Bl., Los Angeles (310/440-4500) www.skirball.org Diane von Furstenberg: Women Before Fashion, an expansive exhibition offering a fresh look at the remarkable life and work of this famous fashion designer from the 1970s to the present day. Thru Aug. 31.
UCLA Public Arts Program: UCLA Westwood campus (310/825-2101) www.arts.ucla.edu/calendars and www.tickets.ucla.edu Ongoing programs include distinguished lectures by luminaries such as Pritzker Prize-winning architect Thom Mayne and Phillipe Vergne, student exhibitions showing work from UCLA’s top ranked fine arts programs, student performances directed by renowned faculty and the rich offerings of the Fowler Museum, the Hammer Museum and the Center for the Art of Performance at UCLA. Many of the events are free and all are open to the public.
Visibility Is Resistance: Founders MCC Church, 4607 Prospect Ave., Los Angeles (http://hqsff.com) The Hollywood Queer Short Film Festival is dedicated to showcasing the talent and creativity of LGBTQIA+ artists who want to speak to their community. Will feature four programs of short films representing the best work produced this year by new and experienced filmmakers. Oct. 4-5.
We Live In Painting: The Nature of Color in Mesoamerican Art: Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), 5905 Wilshire Bl., Los Angeles lacma.org A groundbreaking exploration of the science, art and cosmology of color in Mesoamerica. Artists adorned the surfaces of buildings, clay vessels, textiles, bark-paper and deer hide pages, and sculptures with color to (re)create the world by transforming raw materials into art. Features more than 270 objects. Thru Sept. 2, 2025.
Writers Lab: Alex Goldberg, TCTWritersLab@colonytheatre.org The Colony Theatre in Burbank will be launching a new TCT Writers Lab as part of its development initiate to facilitate new work by Los Angles based playwrights. The first installment will begin in August and continue through May 2026.