Since the arrival of the new Broad Museum in downtown Los Angeles, the short stretch of Grand Avenue seems to have a new sense of purpose. Restaurants line the street, apartment complexes tower over pedestrians, and the museums and venues give visitors a strong connection to the Los Angeles arts scene.
Prominent members of the community, such as Michael Solomon, see the physical changes as a reason for the growing interest in the arts. Solomon works as the associate vice president of programming at The Music Center and considers the revival of the area a step in the right direction.
“It’s coming alive in a different way,” said Solomon, “There’s a lot more people living down here. There’s a lot more businesses down here.”
Solomon believes people who are seeking out art now have reason to come downtown. The combination of performance opportunities, participatory activities, and museums make what was once an arts community now a universal community.
According to Solomon, people still want to pay for a show at The Music Center, but they also enjoy the free programming in Grand Park throughout the year. The museums, however, continue to develop the most interest in the arts.
“The Museum of Contemporary Art was here already but now we have a second museum with the Broad Museum, which is bringing in a lot more traffic,” said Solomon.
Famed philanthropist Eli Broad opened up his own collection of postwar and contemporary art to the public on Sept. 20. The museum holds nearly 2,000 works of art, which rotate periodically between two floors of galleries. Although The Broad represents one small piece of an established arts scene on Grand Avenue, it has one unique characteristic: Unlike the other museums, it offers free general admission to the public.
“They mean public in the most expansive possible way,” said assistant curator Ed Schad. “The fact that we are free, we really have the expectation of being able to draw the attention of and relate to every part of society.”
Schad saw the evolution of the museum from 2010 to opening day. He believes Eli Broad had a vision not only for the art gallery, but also for Grand Avenue as a whole. He worked with architects to make the street more pedestrian-friendly by widening sidewalks and building a crosswalk between his museum and the Museum of Contemporary Art. He even ensured the construction of a small plaza alongside The Broad for visitors to explore.
“Now you have a situation where potentially people will not only want to come, but linger, stay a little while,” said Schad. “They’ll have a nice place to sit, a nice place to eat, plenty of things to do, see, and experience.”
Los Angeles residents wait in long lines every day to take a look at old and new pieces of art. Reservations for the museum skyrocketed this past month as most tickets have already sold out through November. Brenna Guthrie, a contemporary art fan, bought tickets early enough so she could share an experience with her daughter.
“We do come down here a lot,” said Guthrie. “I just think it’s great that this is now another piece with the Music Center, Walt Disney Concert Hall, and MOCA.”
Mr. Broad might be thinking of museums and smaller street projects, but his plans also show he wants to expand the community even further than before. One street map from the LA Times shows designs of a new metro station behind the museum and a mixed-use development across the street from the Walt Disney Concert Hall. As the museum builds momentum in the arts scene, Mr. Broad continues looking towards the social and economic future of Grand Avenue.
Courtesy: LA Times