Art Museums/Galleries in Los Angeles

Los Angeles boasts world-class art museums as well as a fine-art gallery system that has consistently proved itself capable of selling art for big money. This list covers some of the heavy-weight players in the institutional art world here in the Southland.

The biggest general purpose art museums here are LACMA, the Norton Simon Museum, and the Getty Center. Collectively these three museums have amassed formidable collections featuring major pieces of historic and contemporary art. The Getty also has a second location, the Getty Villa, that features works from the cultures of ancient Greece, Rome, and Etruria (including some really great mosaics).

The Hammer Museum is operated by UCLA's School of Arts and Architecture and is located in the lower floors of the Occidental Petroleum building (very lose to the UCLA campus). The permanent collection here is mostly compromised of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art, but also includes older works by artists such as Rembrandt and Titan. Contemporary art is generally featured in the exhibition and project spaces.

MOCA (Museum of Contemporary Art) also continually features relevant contemporary art shows. They have two spaces downtown, one on Grand Ave (near the Gehry designed Disney Concert Hall) and the other one Central Ave (in Little Tokyo). MOCA also has a smaller exhibition space in the Pacific Design Center.

The only gallery I have listed here is the Gagosian, a world famous art gallery that features the most desirable artists of the day. Please refer to this art gallery guide for more information about the Los Angeles gallery scene.

Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA)

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expert pick

5905 Wilshire Blvd
Between Curson and Fairfax Aves, Miracle Mile

Encyclopedic Art Museum...
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Norton Simon Museum of Art

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411 W. Colorado Blvd
Pasadena

An Amazing Collection...
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Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA)

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250 South Grand Avenue

Must-see Los Angeles museum...
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The Geffen Contemporary (MOCA)

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152 North Central Avenue
Little Tokyo

Big art museum in Little Tokyo...
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Hammer Museum

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10899 Wilshire Blvd
At Westwood Blvd

UCLA's Artistic Center...
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The Getty Center Los Angeles

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1200 Getty Center Dr

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The Getty Villa Malibu

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17985 Pacific Coast Hwy
1 mile N. of Sunset Blvd., Malibu

Smaller Getty museum near the ocean that is filled with antiquities...
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Santa Monica Museum of Art at Bergamot Station

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2525 Michigan Ave
Off Cloverfield Blvd., Santa Monica

Small Yet Comprehensive...
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Craft and Folk Art Museum

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5814 Wilshire Blvd
Between Fairfax and La Brea Aves

Unique Artifacts and More...
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Fowler Museum at UCLA

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405 Hilgard Avenue
UCLA North Campus

More than 750,000 artifacts...
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