The Broad Museum

3.20.16

     The time was 10:06. The Green Line would be arriving in two minutes, and we were missing the only person who had any idea how to navigate the Metro system: the formidable goddess of public transit, Brigit West. Seconds were ticking by and the beating of our hearts grew louder and louder. We had barely even been able to figure out how to load our tap (Transit Access Pass) cards. Finally, we heard her soft footsteps grace the stairs of the El Segundo Metro Station. Rewena collapsed with relief, and Katherine began to cry tears of joy. I got everyone together just in time to step into the train. This was the start to our little L.A. adventure!

     Brigit led us from the Green Line to the Blue Line until we finally got off at 7th Street (or Pico or something like that). From there, we took a lovely walk to our destination: The Broad. Rewena had made the smart move of reserving tickets all the way back in December, and it paid off: we bypassed a line that snaked all the way around the museum’s intriguing facade.

      Once inside, we immediately asked for a reservation to enter the Infinity Mirrored Room. We gave a docent one of our phone numbers, and were told that we would get a text when it was our turn. If you’re planning on visiting, I would definitely recommend doing the same so that you don’t have to stand in a line that can take as long as six hours to see an exhibit that you can only experience for less than a minute!

      The two hour wait until it was our turn to enter the room gave us lots of time to explore the beautiful Broad collection. We saw lots of pieces by artists we recognized, like Barbara Kruger, Roy Lichtenstein, and Andy Warhol. A highlight amongst these modern art favorites was an untitled painting by Keith Haring, which depicted a monstrous, pig-like creature that had humans entrapped in an endless cycle of capitalism and greed. In the true spirit of the Vistamar Humanities department, we performed a flawless artifact analysis, causing the jaws of all museum-goers in our vicinity to drop in amazement (shoutout to Ms. Bentley!).

      Other especially memorable pieces included a colossal dining table and chairs, titled Under the Table, by Robert Therrien. Viewers can walk under these and be transported back to a time when they were little enough to do the same with real tables. We also loved a video installation called The Visitors by Ragnar Kjartansson, spending half an hour in a dark room with nine screens, each one of which showcased a different scene within one big mansion. It was captivating, and entranced children and adults alike.

      For lunch, we hopped across the street to the Lemonade in the MoCA, which is also a wonderful museum! After that, it was finally time for our Infinity Mirrored Room appointment. The exhibit allows for only two people at a time, for 45 seconds each. Kat and I stepped in, and as the door closed behind us, dozens of bulbs hanging from the ceiling came alive, and we found ourselves in a seemingly never-ending world of colorful lights! It was such a surreal feeling.

      We covered every inch of The Broad. It was a pleasure to walk around not only because of the exhibitions, but also because of its beautiful architecture and all the natural light it allows. After we finished exploring, we left and walked past the Walt Disney Concert Hall through Grand Park and all the way to Little Tokyo! It was a lovely, sunny day, and we felt like just some super cool girls out on the town. Later, we took a bus back to the metro station and then caught the Green Line, again guided by the lovely Brigit.

      The Broad is free to visit, and a round trip on the Metro costs around $3.50, so a fun day touring through Los Angeles and its art exhibits is a pretty accessible experience I would recommend to anyone. Although I love the Beach Cities with all my heart, it was a refreshing change to spend time in a place with a different vibe. There are so many interesting things to see, whether you're at a museum, taking a walk, or just people-watching in the park! So take a chance with the Metro, head over to the Broad, and hone those visual literacy skills with some of your friends. It was the best time I've had in a while, and it might be the same for you!