I'm Going, Going, Back, Back, to Cali, Cali!

  

Next week, I am more than thrilled that I will be vacating to Los Angeles for fresh ideas and renewed inspiration! A few of my very favorite places that are on my itinerary for this trip are the fabulous museums!

The J. Paul Getty Museum – always a treat the moment you step on the trolley that takes you on a scenic ride to the stunning museum grounds. If you have an appreciation for architecture, (or beauty in general), you could practically get enough joy from the experience of walking the surrounding gardens, without even stepping into the actual museum. Although, inside the museum walls hold the true treasures and the most alluring eye candy I’ve come in contact with- a duplicate of one of them is even hanging in my home right now! When studying one of my favorite artistic periods, the Rococo period, I was reading about particular pieces of furniture owned by Marie Antoinette. During a random Getty visit, I was practically slapped in the face upon entering. An entire collection of furniture pieces from that period (including Marie's from the Louvre) were sitting in the room two feet in front of me. Always a delight, so just go when you’re in LA!

Last July, I was lucky enough to catch the Tim Burton exhibit at the LACMA and it was one of the most enjoyable visits I’ve had at their museum to date! Not only was the artwork incredible but the museum did a wonderful job with the layout of his work and creating an experience with their themed installations. LACMA’s choice and execution of visiting exhibitions are always unique and never a disappointment!

Another museum worth checking out: Norton Simon in Pasadena. Very small but somehow successfully houses a wonderfully well-rounded collection by the la crème of artists, including one of my favorites: Edgar Degas!

Lastly, this particular museum has to be mentioned because it is by far one of the most memorable experiences I had while going to college. One of my classes included various field trips throughout LA and deserves much credit to my wandering outside the lines, in a city where there is so much to experience but can easily be taken for granted!  I don’t think the finest literary geniuses could even describe The Museum of Jurassic Technology with mere words. This place, you would have to see to believe…or even comprehend.  It is full of odd displays including various old wives tales with illustrations such as: a decapitated duck and dead mice in a glass case.  One corner of the museum features a film and the artwork of a man who was able to create extraordinarily detailed figurines that were so small, they fit in the hole of a needle and can only really be seen through a serious magnified glass. Sound too weird to explore? Absolutely not…too weird to miss, is more like it.