Review: Los Angeles Museum Transforms Itself

By focusing on small, experimental shows and opening itself up to galas and film showings, the Armand Hammer Museum of Art and Cultural Center, in Los Angeles, has revitalized itself, reports The Wall Street Journal.

The article’s author, David Littlejohn, says he was underwhelmed when he first reviewed the museum in 1991, calling the collection mediocre, despite a few exceptional pieces.

However, when the museum cut ties to its founder, Mr. Hammer, it reduced the number of his pieces that it showed and opened a wing to contemporary artists, especially local ones. The results, says Mr. Littlejohn, have been “mind-blowing.” He calls it one of the top experimental-art venues in the country, despite its tiny acquisitions budget: $750,000.

The museum also invited the University of California at Los Angeles to move its film program to the museum and began organizing readings, debates, and parties, all of which have helped raise its visibility.