This Weekend at LACMA: Contested Visions Opens, TimesTalks, Free Concerts, and More

November 4, 2011

The exhibition activity never stops at LACMA! Opening this weekend in the Resnick Pavilion is Contested Visions in the Spanish Colonial World, a groundbreaking show that looks at the two principal viceroyalties of Spanish America—Mexico and Peru—from the fifteenth to the nineteenth centuries. The 200 objects on view highlight the significance of the Inca and Aztec origins of these two regions, and reveal how art and power intersected in the Spanish colonial world.


The Apparition of San Miguel

The Apparition of San Miguel del Milagro to Diego Lázaro, Mexico, first half of 18th century, Museo Universitario de la Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Mexico

Contested Visions is on view now for members and opens to the public on Sunday. It joins a whopping eight other special exhibitions currently on view,  including Monet/Lichtenstein: Rouen Cathedrals, Glenn Ligon: AMERICA, California Design, 1930–1965, and more.

Tonight, check out any of these exhibitions as well as the Vinny Golia Quintet, performing for free during Jazz at LACMA. Don’t forget: our galleries are free after 5 pm for L.A. County residents.

An important note for Saturday visitors: the west side of LACMA’s campus will be closing at 3 pm for the museum’s Art+Film Gala, a special event honoring Clint Eastwood and John Baldessari that will raise funds for film at LACMA as well as the museum’s broader mission. That means BCAM (Asco, Glenn Ligon, Monet/Lichtenstein), the Resnick Pavilion (California Design, members-only viewing of Contested Visions), Ray’s and Stark Bar, and the lower level of the Ahmanson Building (Art of the Pacific) will not be open. However, the east side of campus, including Edward Kienholz’s Five Car Stud, Maria Nordman’s FILM ROOM: SMOKE, and the vast majority of our permanent collection, will remain open during regular hours and will be free after 3 pm.

Clint Eastwood and Leonardo DiCaprio will actually be at LACMA twice this weekend. In addition to tomorrow’s gala, they will also be on hand for a sold-out screening of their new film, J. Edgar, followed by a conversation with actor Armie Hammer, writer Dustin Lance Black, and New York Times writer Charles McGrath. It’s the inaugural conversation in the New York Times’ celebrated TimesTalks series, held in Los Angeles for the first time.

We have two more TimesTalks on Saturday afternoon, for which tickets are still available. At 1 pm, Viola Davis, star of the acclaimed film The Help, will talk with journalist Brooks Barnes. At 3 pm, actors John C. Reilly and Christoph Waltz will be in conversation with Charles McGrath about their work together in Roman Polanski’s new film, Carnage. To give you some idea of the topic of conversation, here's a peek at the not-yet-released film:

Sunday as always is a great day for families. Our weekly free Andell Family Sundays has a new theme for November—“Think BIG.” Look at large sculptures like Tony Smith’s Smoke and Chris Burden’s Urban Light, then make your own big art in artist-led workshops.  

Finally, cap the weekend off with a free concert from the Young Musicians Foundation Debut Orchestra, performing works by Adams and Bizet. (Can’t make it? You can also stream Sundays Live direct from our website).

Scott Tennent