by Kelly Boyd

Museum of Contemporary Art

Arshile Gorky: A Retrospective

The Museum of Contemporary Art has just opened a new show featuring the work of Arshile Gorky.  This is a major retrospective of the man described by the LA Times as an “essential pivot in Modern abstract art.”  The exhibition, the first to display his work in such depth since 1981, celebrates Gorky as a founder of abstract expressionism and includes some of Gorky’s most important drawings, sculptures, and paintings.  This exhibit runs through September 20^th, and is accompanied by a fully illustrated catalogue.  The museum is open Mondays and Fridays from 11:00 am – 5:00 pm, Thursdays from 11:00 am – 8:00pm and 11:00 am – 6:00 pm on weekends.

Gagosian Gallery

Skins, Structures, Landmasses – Nancy Rubin

Gagosian Gallery in Beverly Hills is pleased to host Nancy Rubin’s first exhibition in LA since 2001, Skins, Structures, Landmasses. The exhibition features large scale drawings in her idiosyncratic, gestural style as well as photographic collages and new sculptures that have been assembled on-site.  Influenced by the sculptural and iconographical qualities of boats, several of her massive sculptures are constructed of a variety of used vessels such as canoes and rowboats.  The Rubin show runs through July 9, 2010 and the gallery is open to the public Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 am to 5:30 pm.

The Getty Museum

In Focus:  Tasteful Pictures

Drawing from the permanent collection, the J. Paul Getty Museum has put together a  small show featuring an overview of photographer’s responses to that most basic necessity: food.  Beginning with the 19^th century’s affection for the still life and ending with contemporary photographer’s desire to probe social issues through food photography, the show feels at once historical and very current.  With the proliferation of food blogs, visitors are familiar with the genre of food photography but will be fascinated by the new perspectives the Getty has to offer, while taking the opportunity to view several recent acquisitions on view for the first time. The exhibition runs through August 22, 2010 and the Getty Museum is open Tuesday through Friday from 10:00 am to 5:30 pm, Saturdays from 10:00 am to 9:00 pm and Sundays from 10:00 am to 5:30pm.

The Gamble House

Fans of the American Arts and Crafts style will enjoy a tour of the Gamble House in Pasadena, California.   The house and furnishings were designed by Greene & Greene in 1908 to the specifications of David and Mary Gamble of the Proctor and Gamble Company.   Influenced by their travels in Asia, the Gamble House features beautifully articulated joinery, detailed paneling and stunning leaded stained glass.  The house truly embodies the handcrafted spirit of the Arts and Crafts movement and every element of the home contributes to the sense of harmony and nature that pervades the structure.  The Gamble House, located on a private road running parallel to North Orange Boulevard, is open to the public for one-hour guided tours Thursday through Saturday from noon until 3:00 pm and is closed on major holidays.  For more information on ticketing, group tours and behind the scenes experiences, please visit.

Museum of Latin American Art

Manchuria:  Peripheral Vision – A Felipe Ehrenberg Retrospective

The Museum of Latin American Art (MOLAA) in Long Beach, California is running Manchuria: Peripheral Vision – a Felipe Ehrenberg Retrospective that features the multimedia works of Felipe Ehrenberg, one of Mexico’s most influential living artists.  Ehrenberg has created a new portable mural in collaboration with Richard Wearn and CSULA graduate students for the exhibition, which includes paintings, prints sculpture.  Known for merging his political activism with his artistic practices, his work references specific events in Mexico’s history and reveals his interests in anarchism, resistance, empowerment and engagement.   The retrospective runs through August 15, 2010 and MOLAA is open Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm and Thursdays from 11:00 am to 9:00 pm.