Things to do: L.A. and Orange County museums in August

By Matt CooperListings Coordinator

Published Aug. 2, 2021 Updated Aug. 28, 2021 1:53 PM PT

The reopening of the Armand Hammer Collection at the Hammer Museum, charming 19th century photographic portraits at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, illuminated prayer books at the Getty and a groundbreaking 1946 graphic memoir at the Japanese American National Museum lead our August list of exhibitions across Southern California.

Check back here for weekly updates. And before you go, call or check online for reservation requirements and other COVID-19 protocols.

The shows that have our attention:

New and upcoming

“Gabriella Sanchez: Partial Pictures”
This survey of works by the L.A.-based painter and graphic designer is on view. Also: “Judy Baca: Memorias de Nuestra Tierra, a Retrospective,” works by the acclaimed Chicana muralist, educator and activist (through January). Museum of Latin American Art, 628 Alamitos Ave., Long Beach. Open Tuesdays-Fridays. $7, $10; younger than 12, free; advance purchase suggested. molaa.org

“Discovery From the Deep”
A rare specimen of a Pacific footballfish is exhibited alongside a traditional Japanese print of the specimen crafted by artists Dwight and Hazel Hwang, through Nov. 29. “Butterfly Pavilion,” open through Sept. 6. Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, 900 Exposition Blvd., L.A. Closed Tuesday. $8-$17; kids 2 and younger are free; walk-ups welcome; reservations recommended. (213) 763-DINO. nhm.org| Times features

“Deep Connections”
Black-and-white images by photographer Ken Karagozian chronicle three decades of subway construction in Los Angeles; on view through 2021. Union Station’s Passageway Art Gallery, 800 N. Alameda St., downtown L.A. Available anytime. unionstationla.com

“Acting Out: Cabinet Cards and the Making of Modern Photography, 1870–1900”
Examples of photographic portraits of celebrities and everyday people from the closing decades of the 19th century are on view through Nov. 7. Also on view: Vera Lutter: Museum in the Camera,” images of the LACMA campus (through Sept. 12). Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 5905 Wilshire Blvd., L.A. Closed Wednesdays. $10-$25; kids 12 and younger are free; discounts available to L.A. County residents. (323) 857-6010. lacma.org

“Armand Hammer Collection”
European and American paintings and drawings collected by the museum’s founder, Armand Hammer, reopened Saturday. Hammer Museum, 10899 Wilshire Blvd., Westwood. Closed Mondays. Free; reservations required. (310) 443-7000. hammer.ucla.edu

“A Garden of Words: The Calligraphy of Liu Fang Yuan,” Part 1
Contemporary Chinese calligraphy on view through Dec. 13. Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens, 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino. Closed Tuesdays. $13-$29; children younger than 4 are free; advance timed-entry tickets required. (626) 405-2100. huntington.org

“Transcending Time: The Medieval Book of Hours”
Examples of illuminated prayer books and manuscripts from the Getty’s collection will be on view Aug. 31 through Feb. 20. Also on view: “Paolo Veneziano: Art and Devotion in 14th-Century Venice,” works by the medieval painter regarded as the founder of the Venetian school (through Oct. 3). Getty Center, Sepulveda Boulevard and Getty Center Drive, L.A. Closed Mondays. Free; advance timed-entry tickets required. (310) 440-7300. getty.edu

“Miné Okubo’s Masterpiece: The Art of Citizen 13660”
Illustrations from Okubo’s groundbreaking 1946 graphic memoir, depicting the harsh conditions that she and her fellow Japanese American citizens endured in a U.S. government-run incarceration center during World War II, will be on view Aug. 28 through Feb. 20. Japanese American National Museum, 100 N. Central Ave., downtown L.A. Open Tuesdays-Sundays. $7, $16; reservations recommended, walk-ups available. (213) 625-0414. janm.org

“Artistic Legacy: The Ann and Bill Cullen Collection”
Paintings and drawings from the estate of actress, model and artist Ann Macomber Cullen, wife of the late game-show host Bill Cullen, will be on view Aug. 28 through Dec. 19. Bowers Museum, 2002 N. Main St., Santa Ana. Closed Mondays. $10-$15; children younger than 12, free; advance purchase recommended. (714) 567-3600. bowers.org

“Anna Wittenberg: The Ruminant”
The L.A.-based interdisciplinary artist’s video-enhanced sculptural installation, referencing cattle, sheep and other similar animals, will be on view through Feb. 6. Also on view: “Analogues: Travon Free,” photographs by the comedian and Oscar-winning filmmaker capture last summer’s street demonstrations in L.A. in response to the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis (through Jan. 16). UCR Arts (California Museum of Photography, Culver Center of the Arts), 3824 Main St., Riverside. Open Thursdays-Sundays. Free; advance timed-entry tickets required. ucrarts.ucr.edu

“Dimensions in Testimony”
Holocaust Museum LA has reopened with this new permanent interactive holographic exhibit from the USC Shoah Foundation that allows visitors to ask questions of 97-year-old Holocaust survivor Renée Firestone. Holocaust Museum LA, 100 The Grove Drive, L.A. Open Thursdays-Sundays. $10, $15; students and California residents with valid ID, free; advance timed-entry tickets required. holocaustmuseumla.org

Ongoing

“Don Reitz: Life Is Not a Dress Rehearsal”
Works by the influential American ceramicist are on display through Feb. 20. American Museum of Ceramic Art, 399 N. Garey Ave., Pomona. Open Wednesdays-Sundays. $5, $7; 12 and younger, free. (909) 865-3146. amoca.org

“Alison Saar: Of Aether and Earthe”
This super-sized survey of the acclaimed artist’s works is spread over two venues. Through Dec. 19 at the Benton Museum of Art at Pomona College, 120 W. Bonita Ave., Claremont; open Tuesdays-Saturdays; free; reservations required; pomona.edu. The other half of the exhibition is on view through Dec. 12 at the Armory Center for the Arts, 145 N. Raymond Ave., Pasadena; open by appointment only Friday-Sunday; free; armoryarts.org

“When I Remember I See Red: American Indian Art and Activism in California”
On view through Nov. 14. Also on view: “What’s Her Story: Women in the Archives” (through Aug. 28). Autry Museum of the American West, 4700 Western Heritage Way, Griffith Park, L.A. Closed Mondays. $6-$14; children younger than 3 are free; reservations available online; walk-ups allowed at box office. (323) 667-2000. theautry.org

“Invisible Sun”
Works by Julie Mehretu, Keith Haring and others from the Broad museum’s collection explore social justice; on view through Oct. 3. The Broad, 221 S. Grand Ave., downtown L.A. Open Wednesday-Sunday. Free; advance timed-entry tickets required; no on-site standby line. (213) 232-6200. thebroad.org

“Sanford Biggers: Codeswitch”
Quilt-based works by the New York artist explore African American history and traditions; on view through Jan. 23. Also on view: “April Bey: Atlantica, The Gilda Region” (through Jan. 17); “Rights and Rituals: The Making of African American Debutante Culture” (through Feb. 27). California African American Museum, 600 State Drive, Exposition Park, L.A. Closed Mondays. Free. (213) 744-7432. caamuseum.org

“Jonathan Michael Castillo: Car Culture”
Candid photographs examine Angelenos’ relationships with their automobiles. Also on view: “The Memory Project,” installation features the written and recorded personal reflections of visitors to the museum (through August). California Museum of Art Thousand Oaks at the Oaks, 350 W. Hillcrest Drive. Open Friday-Sunday. Free. (805) 405-5240. cmato.org

“Life Beginnings”
This immersive and interactive exhibit explores procreation in the human and animal worlds. California Science Center, 700 Exposition Park Drive, L.A. Open daily. Permanent exhibits are free; special exhibits (including the current Lego art show and IMAX films vary in price. Reservations required. (323) 724-3623. californiasciencecenter.org

“Titanic: Real Artifacts, Real People, Real Stories”
The maritime disaster is revisited through photographs and personal effects on view through Feb. 13. Also on view: “Gayle Garner Roski: Journey to the Titanic,” watercolor paintings document the late artist’s visit to the ocean liner’s sunken wreck in 2000 (through Oct. 24); “Soot and Water: Gyotaku Records of Catalina,” prints crafted by contemporary artist Dwight Hwang using traditional Japanese methods (through Sept. 30). Catalina Island Museum, 217 Metropole Ave., Avalon. Open Wednesdays-Sundays. $15, $17; kids 15 and younger are free with a paying adult; advance purchase recommended. catalinamuseum.org

“Cauleen Smith: Stars in My Pocket and the Rent Is Due”
LACMA also presents this companion exhibition of pandemic-themed works by the L.A.-based artist, on view through Sept. 25. Charles White Elementary School, 2401 Wilshire Blvd., L.A. Open Saturdays only, 1-4 p.m. Free. lacma.org

“Veil Craft”
This architectural installation made from construction textiles will be on view through Sept. 12. Also on view:“Making Time,” works by L.A.-based artists that explore the concept of time (through Sept. 12); “Tomoshibi: Glass Works by Kazuki Takizawa” (through Sept. 12); “Cathy Cooper: Dramatis Personae,” pieces by the L.A.-based artist, performer and costume designer (through Sept. 12). Craft Contemporary, 5814 Wilshire Blvd., L.A. Open Thursdays-Sundays. $7, $9; Sundays are pay what you can; reservations required. craftcontemporary.org

“Free State”
Exploration of human rights, democracy, the environment; on view through Sept. 18. ESMoA (El Segundo Museum of Art), 208 Main St., El Segundo. Open Fridays and Saturdays. Free; advance timed-entry tickets required. (424) 277-1020. esmoa.org

“Assyria: Palace Art of Ancient Iraq”

On view through Sept. 5. Getty Villa, 17985 Pacific Coast Highway, Pacific Palisades. Closed Tuesdays. Free; advance tickets required. (310) 440-7300. getty.edu | TIMES REVIEW

“Motown: The Sound of Young America”
The storied record label is celebrated through stage costumes, musical instruments and more; on view though January. Grammy Museum, 800 W. Olympic Blvd., L.A. Open Friday-Sunday. $13, $15; ages 5 and under are free; advance timed-entry tickets required. (213) 765-6800. grammymuseum.org

“Queer Communion: Ron Athey”
The long career of the influential L.A. performance artist and activist is explored through videos, photographs, props, costumes and ephemera, on view through Sept. 5. Also on view: “Kenneth Tam: Silent Spikes,” video installation by the Brooklyn-based artist interrogates Asian American masculinity (through Sept. 5). Institute of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, 1717 E. 7th St., L.A. Open Wednesdays-Sundays. Free. (213) 928-0833. theicala.org

“Reconnecting: A Vision of Unity by Kengo Kito”
The contemporary Japanese artist explores unity, diversity and interconnectedness in this site-specific installation that uses more than 2,000 brightly colored hula hoops, on view through Sept. 6. Japan House Los Angeles, Hollywood & Highland, Level 2 Gallery, 6801 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood. Open daily. Free. japanhousela.com

“Carlos Almaraz: Evolution of Form”
Times columnist Carolina A. Miranda called the work of this late painter, subject of a 2017 LACMA retrospective, “vital to the ways in which Los Angeles sees itself.” This exhibition explores the Chicano artist’s early life to reveal influences on his style and form (through Jan. 9). Also on view: “Only Light Can Do That,” Patrick Martinez’s neon mural installation with messages of inspiration for essential workers (through Sept. 7). LA Plaza de Cultural y Artes, 501 N. Main St., downtown L.A. Thursday-Sundays. Free; reservations suggested. (213) 542-6200. lapca.org

“Matthew Rolston, Art People: The Pageant Portraits”
The photographer presents his 2016 series of large-scale, high-resolution images inspired by the tableaux vivant presentations at Laguna Beach’s annual Pageant of the Masters; on view through Sept. 19. Laguna Art Museum, 307 Cliff Drive, Laguna Beach. Closed Wednesdays. $5, $7; 17 and younger are free. (949) 494-8971. lagunaartmuseum.org

“Tristan Eaton: All At Once: 25 Years of Art & Design”
New exhibit surveys the career of the L.A. painter, muralist, illustrator and designer; through Oct. 31. Long Beach Museum of Art, 2300 E. Ocean Blvd., Long Beach. Open Thursdays-Sundays. Free; advance timed-entry tickets required. lbma.org

“Evidence: Selections from the Permanent Collection”
A survey of the Museum of Contemporary Art’s holdings; through Feb. 21. Also on view: “Jennifer Packer: Every Shut Eye Ain’t Sleep,” new and recent paintings by the New York artist (through Feb. 21). MoCA, 250 S. Grand Ave., downtown L.A. Open Thursdays-Sundays. Free; special exhibitions, $10, $18. (213) 626-6222. moca.org

“50 Faces”
Contemporary mosaic artwork from Italy’s Scuola Mosaicisti del Friuli, on view through Oct. 7. Muckenthaler Cultural Center, 1201 W. Malvern Ave., Fullerton. Open Monday-Thursday. $5 per group of up to four people. themuck.org

“Cudra Clover: Hysteria”
Biologically inspired silk paintings; on view through Sept. 5. Also on view: “David Koeth: Citrus Series,” sculptures and assemblages made from orange peels and other substances; “Shelley Heffler: We Are Home,” community quilt project; “NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center 75th Anniversary,” history of facility at Edwards Air Force Base (through Sept. 5). Museum of Art & History, 665 W. Lancaster Blvd., Lancaster. Closed Mondays. Free; reservations required. (661) 723-6250. lancastermoah.org

“The Swineherd”
This 1888 painting by Paul Gauguin on loan from LACMA is exhibited with related post-Impressionist works in the museum’s 19th century art gallery; on view through Nov. 18. Norton Simon Museum, 411 W. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena. Closed Tuesday-Wednesday. $12, $15; students, active military and ages 18 and younger are free. (626) 449-6840. nortonsimon.org

“Pole Position: The Juan Gonzalez Formula 1 Collection”
Installation includes examples of F1 race cars from across three decades, surrounded by a 180-degree immersive video; on view through June 5. Petersen Automotive Museum, 6060 Wilshire Blvd., L.A. Open Wednesdays-Sundays. $11-$16; children younger than 4 are free; advance purchase required. (323) 930-2277. petersen.org

“The Map and the Territory: 100 Years of Collecting at UCLA”
UCLA’s Fowler and Hammer museums and the UCLA Library co-organized this survey of paintings, drawings, prints, rare books, ceramics, musical instruments and more, on view through Oct. 24. Fowler Museum, 308 Charles E. Young Drive North, Westwood. Open Wednesdays-Sundays. Free. (310) 825-4361. fowler.ucla.edu

“Divine Immersion: The Experiential Art of Nick Dong”
Modern technology and ancient Buddhist traditions inspired this exhibit of five experiential sculptures, on view through Oct. 3. USC Pacific Asia Museum, 46 N. Los Robles Ave., Pasadena. Open Wednesdays-Sundays. $7, $10; free for ages 17 and younger, and every second Sunday of the month; advance tickets recommended. (626) 787-2680. pacificasiamuseum.usc.edu

“See Thy Neighbor: Stern Photographers Thomas Hoepker and Harald Schmitt in the GDR”
Two photographers with very different points of view on East German life in the 1970s and ’80s; through Oct. 24. Also on view: “Common Fantasy” (through Sept. 2). Wende Museum, 10808 Culver Blvd., Culver City. Open Friday-Sunday. Free; advance reservations required. (310) 216-1600. wendemuseum.org

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Ongoing

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