EPISODE 86: 10 WONDERFUL PERSPECTIVE ALTERING ART MUSEUMS TO VISIT IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

 In this week's episode of Living in the Sprawl: Southern California's Most Adventurous Podcast, host Jon Steinberg shares his list of 10 art museums to visit in the Southern California sprawl. His list includes: the Orange County Museum of Art in Costa Mesa, the Bakersfield Museum of Art in Bakersfield, The Fresno Art Museum in Fresno, the Laguna Beach Art Museum in Laguna Beach, the San Diego Museum of Art in Museum, the Palm Springs Museum of Art in Palm Springs, the Santa Barbara Museum of Art in Santa Barbara, the Museum of Latin Art in Long Beach, LACMA in Mid-Wilshire and the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena.

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Transcript

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Hello listeners and fellow explorers. This is living in the sprawls lovely and talented producer slash wife, Lisa Steinberg. I wanted to thank all of you for your continuous support of the show. As a new podcast on the scene, John and I self-support the logistics and research that go into the show. The number one way to support the show is to rate, review and share this podcast with everyone, you know, Many of you have been doing this and it has helped immensely. I also invite you to check out our website and the show notes for other ways to support the show. We are currently working with companies. We currently use ourselves. To get discount codes for our listeners and support the show in the process. These companies include. Every table, just CBD store, gold belly cats, botanicals, and so much more. By using the links on our website, you are letting them know we sent you an intern, supporting the show. You can also support us on Patrion and pod fan. Please check out the website@livinginthesprawlpodcast.com. For updates on companies we are working with our testimonies links codes and new living in the sprawl merchandise Again thank you to all of you our lovely listeners for tuning in every week and allowing us to do what we love Without further ado you're humble correspondent John steinberg Hello, and welcome to another installment of living in the sprawl. So the California's most adventurous podcast I am as always your humble host and corresponded. My name is John Steinberg and I am joined by my lovely and extraordinarily talented producer slash my wife. Her name is Lisa Steinberg. We are the team here at sprawl enterprises. Ready to bring you yet? Another exciting. In throttling. Entry point. Into the vast expansive terrain that we have lovingly dubbed the sprawl. Um, today's program. We take an examination. Some of the finer things in life. More specifically. We take a Gander. At our favorite art museums. That can be found anywhere. In the Southern California sprawl. When I was eight years old. My mother drove. The family. Up to the. Los Angeles county museum of art. We were there, not on a whim. Rather. We had a. Pointed. A specific reason. Why we'd made the trip up the 4 0 5 from Newport beach. To Hancock park. There was a Picasso exhibit going down. At LACMA. It was my first time. Really appreciating the power. That could be held within the walls. Of an art museum. The unforgettable Picasso's stayed with me. I still remember what it was like having just dined for the first time at the original farmer's market. Shuffling behind my mom as she. Gazed longingly. At a bevy of genuine Picasso paintings. We were there to see. His acclaimed weeping woman. Painting and indeed the whole exhibit. Was structured around paintings, dedicated to the women that had impacted. Mr. Picasso's long and illustrious life. But it was on that day. At the tender age. Of eight. When I fell in love with art museums. And we as residents of the greatest region. In the United States happened to be blessed. With a veritable cornucopia. Uh, CA miss art museums. So dear listeners. We've done the work for you. And we have amassed our list of the 10 can't miss art museums that you just have to see for yourselves. Within our beloved sprawl. And there were 10. The orange county museum of art. In Costa Mesa. While small in stature. This museum boasts a bumper crop. Of fascinating pieces from all across the spectrum. Well, the orange county museum of art. Has no specific motif necessarily. It has a robust collection. Of California themed work. Pieces. From all across Latin America. And even better. This is a museum that you can explore in under, let's say an hour. Tightly packed. A. And artistic. Symphony for the eyes to feast upon. The orange county museum of art. Is a terrific place to start. As we begin our countdown of the 10 can't miss art museums that you can find in Southern California. And number nine, the Bakersfield museum of art. Now, I know what you're thinking. Bakersfield and art. Well, Take that side. I elsewhere. Because I'm here to tell you. That the Bakersfield museum of art. Is actually really great with some. Pieces from local artists as well as ones from around the globe. This. Let's call it intimate museum. Sports a collection. Um, truly fine. Artistic pieces. We've got the expected landscape paintings. Those seem to adopt the walls of basically every art museum that you'll ever stumble into in Southern California. Also. There's an emphasis here on. The more rugged side of California. Echoing the spirit embodied. By the character within Bakersfield itself. There are plenty of pieces here that remind you. That California. Is as much. Rugged desert oriented terrain, as it is pristine picture ask beaches. Sprinkled along the coastline. You don't come to the Bakersfield museum of art. To stare. At a centuries old portrait. Done by someone like Rembrandt, probably against his will. You come here. In search of that. Greatest discovery that any of us can ever hope to make. You come here to acquaint yourself with the real soul. Of California. And number eight, the Fresno art museum. Again, I can already hear the skepticism. Coming through our podcast channels. Fresno and art. Yes. Yes. Yes. And then again, yes. You must remember Fresno is commonly known as the gateway to Yosemite and as such. It's uniquely positioned. To offer. A survey of work done. In the nations. Most dynamic. National park. Here. Visitors are treated. Two galleries boasting. Landmark works from the likes of Ansul Adams. And all those. Who would attempt to follow in the footsteps of John Muir, retracing his route. Through Yosemite national park. Now it's not just Yosemite. Themed. At this terrific art museum. And there are also pieces. Delving. Into the world of Asian art. Lots of stuff from Europe. Of course. Some really fascinating pieces from central and south America. The Fresno art museum pound for pound. Might be. The best bang for the buck in the business. And it's also here that Lisa and I happened to stumble upon a wonderful. Andy Warhol doll. That rests. On our. Mantle adjacent to the television. Proving doubters wrong. And casting. The skepticism of naysayers to the side. It is the. Wonderfully underrated Fresno art museum. And number seven, we venture back to orange county. Stopping. To check out. All the paintings housed inside the Laguna beach art museum. Now as somebody. Raised in Newport beach, it kind of pains me. To point out. The highlights of Laguna beach. But it's contributions to the Southern California art scene are irrefutable. The museum has actually been around for over a century. Having set up shop in the year of our Lord 1,918. A few years ago, they actually celebrated. There. 100th anniversary. Now here. The contents inside exclusively deal with California artists. Long on landscape paintings. This century old. Orange county Mecca. Brings visitors back to a time when orange groves. Reigned Supreme. And Wilde, undeveloped pastures rule the day. Laguna beach has a well-earned reputation for being. One of, so cows preeminent, art destinations. Indeed. The mascot. At Laguna beach high school used to actually be the artists until. Uh, schools like the one work. I got my degree. Oh, began making fun of them relentlessly. And, uh, so they did change it and they're now the breakers, but they used to be the artists. The pageant of the masters parade in Laguna beach. That idyllic stretch of the Pacific coast highway. Where the Laguna beach art museum exists. It does make a fair amount of sense. That orange county's best art museum would be. In an objectively beautiful setting. Like Laguna. So the next time you find yourself in the 9 4 9. And you'd like to derive some genuine inspiration. Get yourself over to the Laguna beach. Art museum. And number six, the San Diego museum of art. This is located within the sprawling. No pun attended bounds of Balboa park. Now, among the. dozen plus museums that are located in Cybele ballpark. This is one. That should not be missed. One of the older entries. On our list today, the San Diego museum of art has been around for Ooh. Verging on a hundred years, we are getting mighty close. Boasting. An enviable assortment of pieces from a clock across the world. This art museum. Is world famous. For its connection to Spanish art. Inside. You'll find. Pieces by Francisco Goya. And your humble host and correspondence. Favorite Spanish artist, Diego Velasquez. There are also. Some. Very nifty. Works. From other. Artistic luminaries. A number of them on the modern side. Of the artistic conversation. We've got some Roy Lichtenstein here. Paul Clay. And the actual experience of. Walking around the art museum is not to be missed. It's a beautiful building. With dramatic. Seemingly endlessly. Ascending walls. All the better. To pack priceless. Works of art. With. The San Diego museum of art gets slept on in many circles. But we are here to reclaim the art museum as one of the best in California. If you've only got one to check out in the St. Ankle county definitely make it this one. You've got to see the Velazquez and works from. The other noted Spanish painters that are housed inside the building. And then afterward. Keep on walking. Throughout. Picturesque Balboa park. One of the. Decidedly more lovely places. To take a stroll anywhere in Southern California. And number five, the Palm Springs museum of art. Now, this is another underrated gem. Hiding in plain sight, right off Palm canyon drive in downtown Palm Springs. Pretty close to the forever Maryland statue. And main drag. Of. The downtown region within the city. Here. There's. A splendid collection. Boasting. Work from all across California, any deed, all across the world. Yes, they've got some Picasso's and you know that your humble host of correspondent is a fan of his, but also work from. 20th century stalwarts, the Andy Warhol calls. Basquiat. And the most recognizable names from the art world. On the older side. This actually used to be. The Palm Springs, desert museum. And longtime sprawl listeners might remember us touching upon the living desert. Zoo and gardens. And when that facility opened up. Many of the functions that the Palm Springs desert museum had originally served were indeed transferred over. But this beautiful building designed by iconic Palm Springs. Modern. Architect E Stewart Williams. Will greet any visitor. Heartedly. There's far more than meets the eye going on at the Palm Springs museum of art. And as you might imagine, there are some truly magnificent. Pieces. That capture the essence of the desert, the majesty, the brilliance, those. Purple and pink. Crusted sunsets. Even during winter months. You can get a look at those amazing sunsets for yourself. As depicted on canvas within the walls of the Palm Springs art museum. Number four in the Santa Barbara museum of art. Now on the day when Lisa and I had the opportunity to visit. There was. And outstanding. Van Gogh. Exhibit going on one of the larger van Gogh exhibits. To have ever traveled the globe. The museum boasted many. Um, van Gogh's. Notable. Entries. But that's not to say. That the permanent collection. Is anything to sleep on. It's not some great pieces from figures. Like. Henri Matisse. Claude Monet. As well as go gone. Make this. A place that all art lovers. Have got to incorporate. On their Southern California travels. Situated in downtown Santa Barbara, pretty much right off of state street. This is old school. Santa Barbara, the kind of place. That Harry and Megan. I have no idea even exists as they dwell. In there. MOC palace. In nearby Monosito. There are. Ample opportunities for. Great dining in the area. We've covered other spots that are. In downtown Santa Barbara on prior installments of the show. And while Santa Barbara is not. On the surface, a community recognized at least nationally for its artistic contributions. There is something about the proximity. To the Pacific. The gorgeous weather. That seemingly never ends. And the breezy lifestyle. That many Santa Barbara Denison's enjoy that make. The vibe. At this art museum. Something to behold. Throwing its hat in the ring. As one of the more underappreciated art museums to be found anywhere in Southern California. It's the Santa Barbara museum of art. And number three, the museum. Of Latin-American art. In long beach. This is the newest. Of all the art museums to be spotlighted over the course of this episode, having been established in 1996. While this art museum. Is without question on the young side. It's important. As it is the only art museum in the United States entirely dedicated to Latin American. Artists. Featuring a range of work. From all sectors of the Latin American world. This museum, which has housed. In a building that formerly was the site of an extravagant. Amusement park ride. Tells the story. Of the Latin American experience. As known by. First generation artists. Those that have come. From nearly every Spanish speaking country in the world. Proving that. The discussion around Latin American art. I can indeed. Be more expansive. Then merely Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera. And this museum is refreshing in many respects. You won't find. Those. Let's call a spade, a spade, a tired and boring. Portraits that typically grace, the walls of other, perhaps more quote unquote distinguished art museums. Here you'll encounter. Art with spirit art with soul. Art that comes. From a place of pain. Arctic comes. From triumph. You'll be greeted by the entire human experience as you survey. The particular pieces. That you'll find inside. At the museum of Latin American art. We highly recommend you make the jaunt out to long beach. This is basically in downtown long beach. And check out this world-class art museum for yourselves. Uh, number two. LACMA. Or. The Los Angeles county museum of art. This. Massive. Series of buildings off Wilsher Boulevard in Hancock park. Have served as a beacon. Of the Los Angeles art world, since the museum was founded. Many decades ago. Originally the campus was designed. Bye noted Soquel architect. William Pereira. A couple of years ago. Those buildings, which were verging on decrepitude at the time. Uh, we're actually bulldozed. So now visitors to LACMA. We'll encounter a much different campus than those. That matriculated. To the building on a wheelchair. Uh, found in. Preceding years. The permanent collection houses, what you might expect and what you might expect. Is sheer and utter greatness. Given the reputation of Los Angeles. Yes. You have pieces from the Picasso's. The Monet's the Manet's. Van Goghs, et cetera, et cetera. Those are kind of standard when we're talking about. An art museum that's meant to represent the largest county in the United States. But where LACMA distances itself from its competitors. Is with it's unforgettable series of traveling exhibits. Now as an adult. I visited the museum. For a retrospective on the career of Stanley Kubrick. Inside. Costumes from. A clockwork orange. 2001, a space Odyssey, Dr. Strangelove and the shining were on display. And also. Costumes. And storyboards from his unfilmed Opus about the life of Napoleon Bonaparte. That Kubrick exhibit. And indeed. All of the exhibits. Seeking shelter. Inside the walls at LACMA. Make this. One of the absolute must visits. As you embark upon your own artistic journeys. Into the heart of Southern California. It's situated on museum row. Across from the LA Brea tar pits, the page museum. Folk art museum. And many others. But the real Juul. Of miracle mile and museum row is without question. LACMA. And that means we have arrived at our number one spot. Number one on our list of the best can't miss art museums that you can visit in Southern California is the Norton Simon art museum in. Lisa's favorite city. That being Pasadena. Here you have the heaviest of hitters. I won't rattle off the list of iconic artists. That I did previously, but they are all represented here. And to a greater degree than at any other museum that we've encountered in Southern California. This used to be. A broader. Label this museum, but when it was. Selected. By a German. Our dealer. With one of the most impressive collections anywhere on the planet. As her preferred. Donation spot. Well at that point, Norton Simon's. Really began coming into its own. It's gone through a couple of different owners. A couple of different incarnations in terms of its physical appearance. But Norton Simon's. It's not an organization. Northern Simons was an actual person. Moreover. He was a person who was married to academy award winning actress, Jennifer Jones, the same Jennifer Jones. Who found herself the widow. Of. Once in a lifetime film producer, David O Selznick. So Norton Simon's. With Jennifer Jones at his side. Hitched his wagon to this museum. I had the name changed to reflect? Well, the fact that there was a new sheriff in town. And when he passed away his widow. It took control of the museum. Keeping it. In better than stable condition. Even after the actual Norton Simons had passed away. This is where you take your child, as you educate them. All the importance of art. As I stated previously, you'll hit all the heavy hitters here. Of course. And the way in which the museum is set up. The ease at which visitors. Can amble through its hallways and up at staircases. I make this. In our opinion, the best art museum in Southern California. And that's going to do it for another installment of the show. We would like to thank everyone for their continued support. It does mean the world to us, a couple of easy ways to demonstrate such support hop on apple iTunes, or wherever you're listening to the show. Leave us a five star Braiding and very kind review. Those have an outsized impact on the life cycle of a podcast, they help expose us to more listeners. And that in turn helps to drive us up the charts. Drop us a wine. By writing an email. To the two of us@livinginthesprawlpodcastatgmail.com. Our Instagram handle is living in the sprawl podcast. And we would like to direct you to our dynamic phenomenal website. It's on this website that you can snap up the living in the sprawl guide. You can get your hands on a copy of my memoir. And so it went and any, and everything living in the sprawl related, you can find all of that on our terrific website. Site. I'll be half. Um, myself, I am as always your humble host and correspondent. My name is John Steinberg joined in tandem by my lovely and talented producer slash my wife. Her name is Lisa Steinberg, thanking you from the bottom of our hearts for tuning in to yet another episode. Of living in the sprawl. So they're, California's most adventurous podcast. Until next time.