LACMA’s Biggest Bet in 60 Years: Six Things to Know Before You Visit

And what the Geffen Galleries reveal about the kind of cultural city LA is trying to become

Hope Athena, 2nd century A.D., a Roman copy after a Greek original of the 5th century B.C. in the new Geffen Galleries at LACMA | PC: LACMA

There was so much hype about the new Geffen Galleries at LACMA, and for good reason — it is the biggest opening for an American county museum in a generation. LACMA’s director, Michael Govan, came on twenty years ago to manage this transformation, and the Pritzker-winning architect Peter Zumthor designed it.

PC: LACMA

The LA art scene has always played on the sidelines. The collections, the investment, the institutional muscle have never been at the same scale as their East Coast counterparts (not to mention abroad). This is a moment for the city — and as LA prepares for even more investment across its cultural and infrastructural ambitions ahead of the World Cup, Super Bowl, and the 2028 Olympics, the Geffen Galleries set the stage for what is to come.

Today's post is six things you should know about the galleries — my favorite behind-the-scenes stories, moments, and details that made it come alive. Attending the opening events a few weeks ago, there was a real buzz among fellow attendees, a sense of possibility and joy in engaging with art in this new space.

Exterior view of David Geffen Galleries at LACMA, with Tony Smith’s Smoke (1967) in foreground | PC: Iwan Baan. Courtesy of LACMA.