On Sunday, December 7, LACMA will be buzzing with a free, all-day program for NexGenLA members and their families. Come play, make, learn, and move with hands-on outdoor art workshops, kid-friendly art education, story time, and dance, all centered on favorite works from our Modern Art Galleries.
If you haven’t yet taken advantage of NexGenLA, our free membership for kids and teens 17 and under who live in L.A. County, this is the perfect opportunity. Sign up now to become a NexGenLA member, or stop by a NexGenLA table during the event to fill out a quick enrollment form. With a NexGenLA membership, you can visit the museum for free anytime and bring a guest for free, too.
From 10 am–2 pm on the Smidt Welcome Plaza, Andell Family Sundays workshops will engage kids and families with three different imaginative projects, where you can explore colorful landscapes by David Hockney and Camille Pissarro and design your own vibrant postcard, create your own playful artwork with dots, lines, and shapes inspired by the patterns of Yayoi Kusama, Roy Lichtenstein, and Wassily Kandinsky, or make an artwork that tells your story, drawing inspiration from still-life paintings by Frida Kahlo, Jacob Lawrence, and Max Beckmann.
Curious about the stories behind LACMA’s art and artists? Join LACMA’s Mobile Programs team anytime during the event for Art Object Show & Tell: Form and Figure, exploring ancient artworks and their connection to modern sculpture. At 11:30 am and 1:30 pm, dive into highlights from our Modern Art Galleries and outdoor sculptures with a 30-minute docent-led family-friendly tour. At 10:30 am and 12:30 pm, kids can also relax and imagine with Story Time: Artful Tales, a read-aloud with books inspired by works from our Modern Art Galleries. The stories are best enjoyed by kids up to 7 years old, but babies are always welcome!
Everyone can get moving with CONTRA-TIEMPO Activist Dance Theater at 11:30 am and 1:30 pm. Meanwhile, a team of face-painting artists, including Styles by Jean, Papel Picado Catrina, and Arte Jimenez Studio, will delight kids with art-inspired designs throughout the day. And, for everyone eager to learn more about the new Metro D Line set to open in early 2026, linking LACMA with downtown, LA Metro will be at the museum to share news about the expansion and LA Metro’s GoPass, a free transit pass for K–12 and community college students at participating L.A. County schools.
All outdoor activities are free to attend without museum admission, while indoor activities in BCAM and the Modern Art Galleries are free with admission. Find more info about the NexGenLA Celebration—we'll see you there on Sunday. In the meantime, you can also make your own landscape-inspired postcard with the activity below.
Landscape Postcards from Home
To get ideas, start by looking at landscape paintings from LACMA’s collection. Then, gather your supplies: heavy paper cut to postcard size (around 4” × 6”) or an index card, colored pencils or markers, a pencil sharpener, and an eraser.
Make a sketch of a place you’ve been to, or one from your imagination.
Start coloring in your sketch. Add details as you go, and keep adding color and definition.
You can also try layering colors.
Take a look at your finished drawing and see if there is anything you want to adjust. Hang it up or send it to a friend in the mail—it is a postcard, after all!