HOW TO: Museums expand cultural experience
by JOANNA LEI
Courtesy of common.wikimedia.org
Museums often have a bad connotation that leaves many to believe that they are boring, but summer break may allow us to visit them and appreciate opportunities to learn there.
Photo by DIANA DIAZ
California Science Center, located in Exposition Park, explores the life processes of organisms and human inventions. This museum offers hands-on experiences and has four permanent exhibits: Ecosystems, Creative World, World of Life and Air and Space Exhibits.
In Ecosystems, one can uncover different environments and grasp concepts on how the physical and living worlds impact each other. Creative World informs the positive and negative effects of technological inventions. Connections between living organisms are explained in the World of Life exhibit, while the Air and Space exhibit features a large collection of artifacts.
The museum is accessible by taking the Metro Gold Line 804 on 255 S. Atlantic Blvd to Union Station (costs $1.75), then walking to the El Monte Busway/AlamedaUnion Station and taking the Metro Silver Line 910, stopping at 37th St. Transitway Station (costs $2.50) and walking from there. This takes about one hour and 16 minutes to arrive.
Going to this museum is an interesting way to expand understanding of science. While the rest of the museum is free, BODY WORLDS: Pulse, Space Shuttle Endeavor, IMAX films and some attractions throughout the museum require a fee. It is open daily from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. More information is available at californiasciencecenter.org.
The Broad, a contemporary art museum, contains 2,000 postwar works of art owned by philanthropists Eli and Edythe Broad. Enriching the appreciation of modern artworks, The Broad represents the works of contemporary artists like Barbara Kruger, whose work challenges the ways mass media influences society.
“The Broad’s appeal to young people starts with colorful, edgy art, such as Jeff Koons’ glaring, gold-hued sculpture of Michael Jackson and his chimp, Bubbles,” according to latimes.com.
The Broad instills a newfound appreciation for art through influential exhibits. Among the most popular and favored exhibits is Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Mirrored Room. A mirror-lined chamber with breathtaking light-emitting diode (L.E.D.) lights, the installation has an extremely limited capacity. Only one visitor may enter at a time for one minute, and can only enter if one books a ticket in advance or stands in line.
An efficient way to arrive at The Broad is to take Metro Local Line 68 from Riggin/Bradshawe until one arrives at the Spring/2nd bus station (costs $1.75) and walk from there. It takes about 43 minutes to arrive.
Examining the works in this notable museum, one can gain a better understanding and admiration of contemporary art. Although general admission is free, advanced free general admission tickets are recommended. It is open Tuesday and Wednesday from 11 a.m.5 p.m., Thursday and Friday from 11 a.m.-8 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m.-8 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m.6 p.m. Additional i n f o r m a t i o n is available at thebroad.org.
The Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust (LAMOTH) has a “two-fold mission that has remained constant since its opening inception in 1961: commemoration and education,” according to lamoth.org. It has the largest collection of documents and artifacts on the West Coast and also includes individual touch-screen monitors that allow visitors to learn about 18 concentration camps. In addition, each person is given an audio guide player that adds more information about specific images and videos in the museum. The journey is remarkable because as one descends into the museum, there is less light as one progresses through a dark part of history, causing a shift in the atmosphere and mood.
Visitors can take Metro Local Line 68 from Riggin/Bradshawe, reach the Spring/2nd bus station (costs $1.75), then go to the Broadway/3rd bus station and on to Fairfax/ Beverly bus station (costs $1.75), and walk from there to LAMOTH. It takes about one hour and 30 minutes to arrive there.
This museum provides a major opportunity to interact with Holocaust survivors and teaches everyone to make the world a better place. General admission is free, and more information is available at lamoth.org.
Whether a museum is focused on science, art or history, numerous opportunities are available to learn while enjoying summer break.