The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (MOCA)

Description:

• MOCA is Los Angeles's only institution devoted to art from 1940 to the present. Displaying one of the country's finest collections of American and European art, the MOCA holds roughly 5,000 objects of various visual mediums -- ranging from masterpieces of abstract expressionism and pop art to recent works by young and emerging artists -- housed in three distant buildings. The Grand Avenue main building (250 S. Grand Ave.), which has received numerous design accolades, is a contemporary red sandstone structure by renowned Japanese architect Arata Isozaki. Also at the Grand Avenue location is the museum's popular restaurant, Patinette (Mon and Fri 11am-5pm, Wed 11am-2pm, Thurs 11am-8pm, Sat-Sun 11am-6pm; tel. 213/626-1178), the casual-dining creation of celebrity chef Joachim Splichal (Patina).

  The museum's second space, on Central Avenue in Little Tokyo (152 N. Central Ave.), was the "temporary" Contemporary while the Grand structure was being built and now presents rotating exhibits in a warehouse-type space that's been renamed the Geffen Contemporary at MOCA for entertainment mogul and art collector David Geffen. Unless there's a visiting exhibit of great interest at the main museum, I recommend that you start at the Geffen building, where it's also easier to park.

  The third gallery is the MOCA Pacific Design Center (8687 Melrose Ave., West Hollywood) -- it's the compact building next to the Pacific Design Center. Unlike the other two, admission to this gallery is free, and emphasis is on contemporary architecture and design, as well as new work by emerging and established artists.

• © Frommer's 2013