FREE LA: 'The Elevated Eye' Photography Exhibit at Forest Lawn

Glendale's Forest Lawn Museum is back with a new exhibit that is definitely worth checking out: "The Elevated Eye" features photography of cityscapes, landmarks, the earth and more as taken by planes, drones, spaceships and other aerial means. The photos span centuries, and include some classic overhead shots of Los Angeles.

As always, the Forest Lawn Museum is free, and a unique stop, located high up on a hill, allowing for great views of downtown Glendale.



More info:

The exhibition examines the history of aerial photography, from its origins in the nineteenth century to the boundary-pushing technologies of the twenty-first century. It assembles nearly 150 images and 14 minutes of video, as well as satellite models and drones. The exhibition includes photographs from Forest Lawn Museum’s permanent collection that have never been displayed as well as works from the Getty Research Institute; Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens; and the Special Collections of Los Angeles Public Library. The Elevated Eye: Aerial Photography Past and Present also features the work of David Maisel, a 2018 Guggenheim Fellow in the Creative Arts; Jenny Odell, a multi-disciplinary artist and writer; and photographer Lane Barden, whose work traces major corridors of Los Angeles from above. The exhibition includes more than twenty images and mesmerizing video footage by the drone pilot and photographer Chen Ming. Moving beyond the stratosphere, The Elevated Eye features historical images from NASA as well as the work of Erwan Rivault (@earthfromsatellites), a French geographer who uses data from European Space Agency satellites to create stunning images of natural wonders on the Earth’s surface.

"The Elevated Eye: Aerial Photography Past and Present" will be open to the public from October 10, 2019 through March 8, 2020 at Forest Lawn Museum, Forest Lawn-Glendale, 1712 S. Glendale Avenue.

Free L.A.: National Geographic Women of Vision Exhibit at Forest Lawn Glendale

I've written before about how the Forest Lawn Glendale museum is one of the city's great secrets: A free museum exhibit that rotates a few times of year, always offering something unique. The best part: It's free. And even beyond the exhibit inside the museum, the views from the top of Forest Lawn Glendale are great as well.

The latest exhibit, "National Geographic Women of Vision," features stunning photography from around the world, as shot by some of the magazine's most celebrated female photographers.

Here are some details from the site: "Featuring nearly 100 photographs, Women of Vision includes moving depictions of far-flung cultures; compelling illustrations of conceptual topics, such as memory and teenage brain chemistry; and arresting images of social issues, such as child marriage and twenty-first-century slavery. In addition, the exhibition demonstrates how National Geographic magazine picture editors work closely with the photographers to select images and tell stories. Video vignettes present first-person accounts that reveal the photographers’ individual styles, passions, and approaches to their craft."

"Women of Vision: National Geographic Photographers on Assignment" will be open to the public from December 11, 2018 through April 7, 2019 at the Forest Lawn Museum, Forest Lawn-Glendale, 1712 S. Glendale Avenue, Glendale.

Forest Lawn Museum Celebrates the Football Legacy of Charlie Brown and 'Peanuts'

Good grief! Timed to the Super Bowl earlier this month, the Forest Lawn museum in Glendale has entered the funny pages. The short term exhibit Pigskin: Peanuts takes a look at the football legacy of the long-running "Peanuts" comic strip. Between 1950 and 2000 (when creator Charles Schulz died), sports was a big part of the lives of Charlie Brown and the gang. Perhaps better known for its focus on baseball, nonetheless football also made an annual appearance in the strip — most memorably, of course, when Lucy would promise not to lift the ball before he had the chance to kick it.

Of course, much like the futility of some things in life, Lucy would always pull it, and Charlie would always end up flying through the air and landing on his back.

Per the museum: "The 50 Sunday and daily strips in this exhibition demonstrate the fun Charles Schulz had with the sport of football and explore his wonderful world of Pigskin Peanuts. Visitors will also enjoy viewing football themed Peanuts objects and ephemera; dressing up in the team locker room; taking a photo-op on a football trading card; and trying their own hand at “pulling the football” from Charlie Brown."

Hurry — the exhibit ends on March 15. As always, admission and parking are free. Some pics from our recent visit:

FREE L.A.: "David Bowie: Among the Mexican Masters" at the Forest Lawn Museum

Forest Lawn's free museum in Glendale seems to always be showcasing some interesting exhibits, from Lego creations to stylized motorcycles to Tiki culture.

Most recently, there's a reason why Blogger Kid 2.0 has been suddenly asking me about David Bowie, and requesting that I play some Bowie tunes in the car. We visited the opening party a few weeks ago for "David Bowie: Among the Mexican Masters," a display of photos, taken by Fernando Aceves, during Bowie’s only visit to Mexico City 20 years ago.

"David Bowie: Among the Mexican Masters" continues until June 15. It's a nice tribute to Bowie, who died last year, and a good reason to make the trip to the top of the Forest Lawn hill in Glendale. Great views of the city also awaits. Some pics from the exhibit launch:

Forest Lawn Museum - Glendale
Open every day except Mondays
10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Admission and parking are free

FREE L.A.: "Revolutions 2" Music Art Exhibit at the Forest Lawn Museum

Just open at Glendale's Forest Lawn Museum, the new exhibit "Revolutions 2" (a sequel to the Museum's "Revolutions" exhibit from a few years ago) celebrates "the stunning world of art that revolves around music, with a dazzling array of art, album cover originals and more."

It's a cool exhibit, and best of all, free! A quick note about the Forest Lawn Museum: It's truly one of the best-kept secret attractions in Glendale. Get over the idea that it's a museum within a cemetery -- Glendale's Forest Lawn is a beautiful, well-maintained site (with countless statues, monuments and chapels), even if you have no particular reason to visit. Perched high above the city, the museum boasts incredible views -- and its entrance is always free. The permanent collection is interesting enough, but the museum's rotating exhibitions are almost always unique and well-curated.

The Forest Lawn Museum's past exhibits include ones devoted to tiki art, the art of the motorcycle and the Art of Lego.

We attended the opening reception on Saturday night. Some pics we sneaked:








The Forest Lawn museum


The Glendale city view, from high above.

The "Revolutions 2" exhibit continues until August 2. Forest Lawn Museum is open Tuesday – Sunday, 10am to 5pm (closed Mondays).

FREE LA: "Vroom, The Art of the Motorcycle" at Glendale's Forest Lawn Museum

We've written in the past about one of Glendale's best-kept secrets, the free museum at Forest Lawn. Kinda weird, right? A museum at a cemetery? Yet the Forest Lawn Museum has curated some pretty fun exhibits -- including one devoted to Lego art.

Next up, Forest Lawn Museum is exhibiting "VROOM: The Art of the Motorcycle" from now until January 4. The showcase includes several classic motorcycles, art devoted to riding bikes and even painted helmets. We attended the opening party last week (another great best-kept secret: Those opening night Forest Lawn parties!) Some pics:





1914 Harley-Davidson



1953 Gilera Road Racer



"Peter Fonda" by Troy Lee (2013)



1939 Indian Chief. Once owned by Steve McQueen, who painted it in the same baby blue color as his favorite pack of cigarettes.



1945/1965 Harley-Davidson Drag Bike "The Hog"



Helmets



1910 Flying Merkel



The Glendale view from Forest Lawn



Check out this old jalopy, parked outside.



"Beaver Liquor"

Forest Lawn Museum - Glendale
Open every day except Mondays
10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Admission and parking are free
 

Art for the Whole Family: Lego-Themed "Art of the Brick" Makes Its Los Angeles Premiere

New York-based artist Nathan Sawaya has found quite a niche: the self-proclaimed "Brick Artist" creates art out of thousands and thousands of Lego pieces. The result? The first art exhibit that you and your kids can truly enjoy together, even on completely different levels.

The Franklin Avenue family -- including the Blogger Kid and the Blogger Toddler 2.0 -- attended the premiere party on Thursday of "Art of the Brick," the first Los Angeles exhibition of Sawaya's work. "Art of the Brick" can currently be found at one of L.A.'s best-kept museum secrets: The Forest Lawn Museum, tucked high up on a hill in Glendale. (You may remember we wrote about a tiki art exhibit at the Forest Lawn Museum in 2008.)

"These works are very personal to me, since they reflect my growth as an artist as I strove to discover my creative identity," Sawaya says on the "Art of the Brick" exhibition webpage. "The museum exhibition is accessible because it engages the child in all of us while simultaneously illuminating sophisticated and complex concepts. Everyone can relate to the medium since it is a toy that many children have at home. But my goal with this exhibition when it first debuted in 2007 was to elevate this simple plaything to a place it has never been before."

It's worth a visit to Forest Lawn -- particularly with the kids in tow. "Art of the Brick" runs through July 21. Some pics from the opening night party:
















The Forest Lawn museum


Blues band performs at the "Art of the Brick" opening night party -- the folks at the Forest Lawn museum know how to do it, with free wine and beverages and an assortment of hors d' oeuvres! (Check out the little green Lego guy holding up the music stand).