Museums: Education & Entertainment at its Best

It’s the weekend and you have nothing to do. Your mom says, “Go read a book! Do something educational for once!” Well I mean, that may not always sound so appealing, but sometimes IT’S NOT THAT BAD! Instead of wasting the day on Facebook, playing Farmville, or watching the same reruns of Top Model, why not go to a museum? Yeah, that may sound boring, but there is a plethora of art and culture to be explored! Instead of reading through the LONG, DRAWN OUT pages of a book, why not go somewhere you’re interested in and still (secretly) learn at the same time!? As a mentor in the Rites of Sisterhood mentorship program for high school girls around Los Angeles, my goal is to try to show girls that learning doesn’t have to be so boring, especially when you’re with your friends! Knowing that, I wanted to show you guys a bunch of interesting exhibits and museums around LA. I decided to take them along with me for some of them. Here’s a quick journey of my tour of the beauty of Los Angeles Museums & Exhibits.

One of the best exhibits we went to was Tavis Smiley’s America I Am exhibit, which was held at the California Science Center. It was moving to see the turmoil endured by African and African Americans and how we have been beyond triumphant in our success today. There were many artifacts and replicas that made you feel connected to the experiences of our ancestors. Learning about this was very emotional for some of the girls but was a much needed learning experience.

Another place visited was the California African American Museum. Currently they are having their Harlem of the West: Jazz, Beebop, & Beatnik exhibit. This exhibit focuses on the San Francisco Fillmore District of the 1940's, 50's, and 60's. If you were anybody in that time, you were known to perform at the Fillmore. Many artists that we saw exhibited were Billie Holiday, Louis Armstrong, John Coltrane, as well as Ella Fitzgerald. Seeing the art through their music was wonderful because you saw pure happiness amidst a country that was not very accepting of the African American race.

We also went to the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising for their Hollywood 2010: The Art of Motion Picture Costume Design exhibit. This included tons of costumes from over 20 of the most popular films ranging from Where the Wild Things Are to Watchmen and even Star Trek. The costumes were life-sized so it was really cool to see how huge the monsters from Where the Wild Things Are. To be honest it kind of freaked me out! After this we went to the FIDM Scholarship Store where students create clothing and sell them for super cheap! I managed to cop a necklace, ring, and two bathing suit bottoms! After all I bought, I only spent $20! OH HAPPY DAY!

Although these are just a few stops we made in the Los Angeles area there are many more museums and exhibits to view. The beauty of exhibits are its freshness! Even though you may go to a museum one month, the next month may feature something completely new! Most of the exhibits we saw this weekend will be ending in early May, so hurry up to see them or just catch the next ones! Trust me going to a museum may not sound fun but there is always something to see that is of your interest! We managed to see a variety of exhibits that dealt with fashion, to music, and African Americans culture! Just say hello to your little friend Google and I guarantee you you’ll find something of your interest! Here are a few more museums in Los Angeles:

- Museum of Contemporary Art
* Website: http://www.moca.org/
* Cost: $5 for students! $10 General Admission
* Exhibits: Contemporary Art

- The Getty
* Website: http://www.getty.edu/museum/
* Cost: FREE!
* Exhibits: various art exhibits

- Griffith Observatory
* Website: http://www.griffithobservatory.org/
* Cost: FREE!
* Things to do: Hike, star-gazing, picnics (Griffith park)!

- The Grammy Museum
* Website: http://www.grammymuseum.org/
* Cost: $10.95- Youth
* Exhibits: Music and the Industry

-- Rebecca Matey
Brownstone Intern