The Broad Museum opened in Downtown Los Angeles just a year before I moved to Oregon. I love modern art, and as with any new museum, I was very excited to experience it. Due to first-year crowds, I was not able to visit until our 2018 trip to Downtown Los Angeles.
As it was a top priority during my trip, I made advance reservations for The Broad. Advance reservations are highly recommend and free.
I started my morning with a leisurely walk from The Westin Bonaventure to The Broad, enjoying sculptures and murals. Downtown Los Angeles is best experienced by foot.
One of my favorite places in the entire world is The Music Center. I had enough time to take a quick walk around the center, which is near The Broad. The Music Center has three theaters: The Dorothy Chandler Pavilion ( where my high school graduation was held), The Mark Taper Forum, and the Ahamanson. The Music Center is truly my happy place, even more so than Disneyland. On this morning, a Health Summit with Fran Drescher, from The Nanny, was taking place. Only in LA…
I discovered a cute cafe called Etchea, that was filled with locals and had a European vibe. It is located just around the corner from The Broad. I enjoyed a latte and croissant for breakfast.
At another nearby coffee shop, I found this sandwich board sign. I agree whole-heartedly. I’ve never been accused of being a “morning person,” but with the help of coffee, I can fake it!
When I reached The Broad, I found two queues. The shorter queue was for reservations. The longer queue, stretching around the exterior of the building, was for standby. I found this baffling, as reservations were a breeze to make, and I was visiting on a weekday in fall. Maybe people don’t like to lock down their schedule? I love vacation planning. Lack of concrete plans make me nervous.
Within ten minutes, I was inside the museum, and I walked straight to a second reservation queue. One of the most popular exhibits at The Broad is Japanese artist, Yayoi Kusama’s Mirror Infinity Rooms. The installation has a limited capacity, and reservations are only available by first come/first serve on the same day. I was placed into a virtual queue, and notified via text when it was my time to view the exhibit, which was approximately two hours after the museum opened. If you want to see the Mirror Infinity Rooms, you must arrive early to the museum and secure your spot.
The Broad has exhibits on the second and third floors of the museum. My visit lasted about four hours. I took my time and experienced everything. One of my favorite exhibits was Robert Therrien’s Under the Table, an enormous, larger-than-life dining set that museum goers can walk under and feel like they are in Alice in Wonderland.
The Broad has many pieces from some of my favorites like Warhol, Basquiat, and Lichtenstein. The shiny balloon animals and tulips by Koons were marvelous.
Prior to the Mirror Infinity Room, I was able to see another Kusama installation. This one was viewed by looking into a box, rather than entering the mirrored room. In the box, disco lights changed color. It was beautiful. Where the Mirror Infinity Room was celestial, this was more party.
When it came time to experience the Mirror Infinity Room, I joined a small queue outside of the installation. I was prepped on what to expect: the door would close behind me and I would have thirty second to experience the room. It was dazzling and magical. I felt like I was floating among stars.
Within an hour of opening, the museum was fairly crowded. I only took pictures in the Kusama exhibits for a few reasons:
The primary reason is I wanted to be present in the moment and fully experience The Broad, without the pressure of taking pictures.
The second reason is it was too crowded. The Kusama exhibits were the only places where I felt a moment of being alone. A moment of just me and the art.
The third reason is I get sad when I see everyone rushing to take pictures, rather than staying present. I feel like this is a modern problem, especially when visiting places like museums and concerts. It’s almost as if they want to prove they were there and share their pictures on Instagram, rather than have a real connection with the event. I could be wrong, as it is hard to judge the intentions of others, but this is a feeling that I get.
The Broad is a treasure in Los Angeles. Along with The Getty, it is a must-do museum when visiting Southern California.