The Best Art Galleries in Los Angeles Right Now
2024-11-13 · 5 min read
The Broad in downtown LA is the city's most visited contemporary art museum, housing Eli and Edythe Broad's collection of over 2,000 works. The Yayoi Kusama Infinity Mirrored Room alone is worth the trip, but the permanent collection features major works by Jean-Michel Basquiat, Jeff Koons, Cindy Sherman, and Takashi Murakami. Admission is free, which remains genuinely surprising.
Hauser and Wirth's Arts District location transformed a flour mill complex into one of the most impressive gallery spaces in the country. The sprawling campus includes indoor and outdoor exhibition areas, a chicken coop, and Manuela restaurant. Their programming brings global art world heavyweights to downtown LA, and the openings are some of the best free events in the city.
The Getty Center remains one of the world's great museum experiences, not just for the art but for the architecture. Richard Meier's hilltop campus offers panoramic views of Los Angeles, and the collection spans from medieval manuscripts to contemporary photography. The gardens are spectacular, admission is free, and the tram ride up the hill is part of the experience.
For emerging art, Night Gallery in the Eastside has become one of the most influential galleries for discovering new talent. Founded by Davida Nemeroff, the gallery consistently shows artists who go on to institutional recognition. The program focuses on painting and sculpture, and the openings attract a crowd that mixes serious collectors with artists and students.
The Underground Museum in Arlington Heights, founded by the late Noah Davis, remains a vital space for contemporary art that centers Black artists and communities. The gallery occupies a converted strip mall storefront and programs exhibitions, film screenings, and community events. It represents a model of gallery-making that is community-focused rather than market-driven.
