Jan 05, 2016 The Broad is a powerful collection
My family and I were kindly given passes to The Broad over the holidays and the museum is as amazing as everyone says it is. The architecture and viewing are incredible, the pieces are jaw dropping, and it’s true–admission is free whether you make reservations months in advance or wait a couple of hours in the standby line. In a mecca of street art, the Broad’s buzz had made contemporary art hip for Los Angelenos once more.
It’s exciting to see key pieces by Ellsworth, Kruger, and Johns in a modern, casual environment that encourages photo taking and sharing with perfect light, no barriers, and free wi-fi. Although I didn’t make it into the Kusama installation, it is allegedly the ultimate selfie room. And having panels by Murakami and Warhol under the same roof is not only very cool, but makes a lot of sense. Sorry, no Walker or Kelley for Eloise until she gets older.
It wasn’t until we watched the informational video on the first floor just before leaving that it really struck me how The Broad is owned by one couple. And that Eli and Edythe Broad have not only amassed such world-class pieces for their personal collection but that they have constructed an architectural gem in the middle of Downtown L.A. to showcase it. Yikes. For now, I will choose to appreciate and enjoy the philanthropy and art rather than be afraid of the sort of money and the power that this building represents.
Reserve tickets for The Broad at thebroad.org, and follow Imprint on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.