* FREE ADMISSION * FAMILY GUIDES * FAMILY PROGRAMMING * GREAT FOOD * AND EVEN BETTER ART *
When MOCA - the Museum of Contemporary Art - introduced Free Admission due to a generous grant we decided to go explore. And what we found were extremely family friendly museums, with very helpful staff, set up to help you child understand the art.
We loved the family guides to the museums, each catered to the collections at each museum, with questions and places to draw and express oneself. At both museums, the Grand location and the Little Tokyo location called the Geffen Contemporary at MOCA, my kid happily grabbed the family guide, looked at the art and sat down in places she felt inspired and drew multiple picture of what she saw around her. (She completely ignored the instructions in the guide, but the fact she had been given something that was hers and hers to play with, inspired her to interact with the art).
For once, I could actually sit and enjoy the art instead of being dragged through an art museum with a bored, complaining kid.
Current exhibition at MOCA Grand: With Pleasure - Pattern and Decoration
The current exhibit at MOCA Grand is colorful and very pleasing to the eye, which makes it easy for kids to interact with. Also as shown below you can take a killer Valentine's photo!
MOCA Grand has a healthy eating spot - Lemonade in its courtyard, a California inspired vegan/vegetarian restaurant, with, of course, yummy different lemonades.
The Geffen Contemporary is currently closed for exhibition installation and will reopen soon (no date announced as yet).
However, The Warehouse, next door, which houses Cafe Dulce and OOF Books, remains open. You can rest, read a book, have a coffee and watch one of the video installations. They host workshops and several art performances a month. My kid loved this space and happily sat and read a book for a while. It is a relaxing stop in a tour of Little Tokyo.
MOCA hosts family art workshops periodically and has a wonderful MOCA Teen Program, a year long program that teaches teens behind the scenes at the museums and about contemporary artists.
MOCA Grand
Location: 250 South Grand Avenue, Los Angeles 90012
Hours: Monday, Wednesday, Friday: 11 am - 6 pm, Thursday: 11 am - 8 pm, Saturday, Sunday: 11 am - 5 pm, Tuesday: Closed
More information: moca.org
The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA
Location: 152 North Central Avenue, Los Angeles 90012
Hours: Monday, Wednesday, Friday: 11 am - 6 pm, Thursday: 11 am - 8 pm, Saturday, Sunday: 11 am - 5 pm, Tuesday: Closed
More information: moca.org
