By Michelle Edgar
After years of anticipation and construction, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art ushered in a new era with one of the largest public celebrations in its history, welcoming more than 60,000 visitors during the grand opening weekend of its new David Geffen Galleries.
Over five days, the museum campus came alive with free gallery admission, live music, family art activities, artist talks, culinary experiences and the Los Angeles debut of The Art Parade, signaling far more than the opening of a new building. Museum leaders say the weekend represented a new vision for LACMA, one that embraces its role as both an internationally recognized art institution and one of Los Angeles’ premier public gathering spaces.
“The opening weekend was really an opportunity for us to celebrate the David Geffen Galleries, but also to welcome visitors back to LACMA who may not have been here during the construction period,” said Naima Keith, LACMA’s vice president of education and public programs. “It was really meant to be an all-day celebration of the museum, of what it means to Los Angeles, and to welcome artists, community members and people from all over the city.”
At the heart of the celebration is the new 110,000-square-foot David Geffen Galleries, the centerpiece of LACMA’s transformed campus. The opening expands the museum’s ability to present its permanent collection while creating new public spaces designed to connect art with everyday civic life. Unlike previous openings held during the phased completion of the campus, this weekend marked the museum’s largest public celebration to date with Wilshire Boulevard closed by LACMA for the Block Party and Art Parade specifically.
One of the weekend’s signature events was the inaugural Los Angeles edition of The Art Parade, created in collaboration with curator and art dealer Jeffrey Deitch. Originally launched in New York more than two decades ago, the parade brought over 1,400 artists, performers and community members together across more than 143 artistic projects, transforming Wilshire Boulevard into a moving exhibition of sculptures, costumes, banners, inflatables, music and performance.
“It was a huge undertaking,” Keith said. “But seeing the excitement, the pride and the feeling of inclusion from artists across the city was really incredible. They felt they were part of an important moment in Los Angeles’ history.”
Throughout the day, families created artwork in the NexGenLA Zone, visitors explored exhibitions inside the new galleries, food vendors showcased Los Angeles’ culinary diversity, and music filled the campus with performances ranging from DJ sets by Flying Lotus to LACMA’s long-running Latin Sounds concert series.
Keith said one of the biggest successes was seeing the museum’s fully completed campus operating as it had always been envisioned. “What we haven’t been able to do in a long time, especially during construction, is have both that many people and that diversity of offerings all happening at once,” she said. “Families could make art, younger adults could enjoy the DJ, people could experience the food, and then everyone could go upstairs and see the collection. The completely open campus allowed us to do so many things simultaneously.”
The momentum continued throughout the weekend with Jazz at LACMA, Latin Sounds, soccer watch parties, a conversation between Thelma Golden and Michael Govan, a site-specific performance by the L.A. Dance Project, Flying Lotus, and the SPIRITS Summer Solstice Dance with Richie Hawtin. “We learned the campus could handle it,” Keith said. “From a dance performance to a major conversation, then a summer solstice celebration all in the same afternoon, it showed us what this space can become.”
Another significant takeaway came from transportation. Keith said the opening weekend demonstrated the impact of the new Metro D Line extension, with large numbers of visitors arriving by train to the Wilshire/Fairfax Station, providing direct access not only to LACMA but also the surrounding museum corridor that includes the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, Petersen Automotive Museum and La Brea Tar Pits.
“We saw droves and droves of people taking Metro,” Keith said. “I think people realized just how convenient it is now to get to the museum and experience the entire cultural corridor.”
For Keith, however, the most meaningful lesson extended beyond attendance numbers or logistics. “I think the weekend demonstrated that Angelenos are looking for ways to be outside,” she said. “They’re looking for ways to experience the city. They want to be together in community.”
That response, she said, reaffirmed LACMA’s evolving role within Los Angeles. “It reminded us that LACMA can continue to be that space,” Keith said. “Museums can be places where people come together, not just to see art, but to experience community.”
The weekend also provided an early glimpse of the city’s future as Los Angeles prepares to host the FIFA World Cup and the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Alongside exhibitions and performances, LACMA hosted soccer watch parties that drew enthusiastic crowds. “I think FIFA is giving us a taste of what the Olympics are going to feel like,” Keith said. “It’s exciting to see people rallying around museum openings, soccer and cultural events all at the same time. It’s been a bright spot for Los Angeles.”
Keith also credited the East West Bank Foundation for helping make the ambitious opening weekend possible. Their support enabled LACMA to offer free admission, extensive public programming and large-scale community activities designed to welcome visitors from across Southern California.
By the close of the five-day celebration, museum leaders had accomplished far more than introducing a new gallery building. They had demonstrated how one of the nation’s leading art museums can also serve as a vibrant civic destination where art, culture, education, music and community intersect. “The campus just felt so alive,” Keith said.