UCLA museums

Courtyard cafe

Untitiled by Jim Hodges

Grape Pickers by Reubens

Hospital- St. Remy by van Gogh

View of Bordighera by Money

Ed and I went on an excursion with the East County chapter with the  Museum of Art for a day trip to UCLA.  First was a visit to the Armand Hammer museum in Westwood to see a collection of European and American paintings  and drawings  from the Renaissance to early 20^th century.  We enjoyed lunch in the patio restaurant in the museum. Armand Hammer was an American business manager and owner, most closely associated with Occidental Petroleum.  He was known for his art collection, his philanthropy and his close ties to the Soviet Union. The museum opened in 1990 and in 1994 UCLA assumed its management.            

Dr.Ponzzi by John Sargent

Moret view  by Corot

        

In the afternoon the group visited the Fowler Museum on the UCLA campus with an extensive collection of ethnographic and archeological objects representing the arts of Africa, Asia, the Pacific and the Americas from the past to the present.

Mask-Tsimshian people

Early Kachina Dolls

One Gallery was devoted to Indonesian Ikat weaving 

Borneo hornbill figure

Nigerian headress

Indondsian hand puppet

It was pleasant to relax in the courtyard by the fountain.

JAMES HUBBELL HOME AND STUDIO TOUR

James Hubbell at the chapel

Ed and I  joined an excursion with the Mingei Museum to visit a property between Santa Isable and Julian to experience the work of renowned artist and architect James Hubbell. His mountain home blends with the natural landscape. James Hubbell greeted our group and gave us an overview of his work.

Boys' Room

Example of a mosaic floor

A stained window in progress

 We toured several of the nine whimsical free-form structures that featured stained-glass windows, mosaic tiles, carved doors, hand-forged fixtures and sculptures. There is also a small pool along with some studios, a separate master bedroom and the freestanding boys’ room.  James continues to design and build structures on the property including three new structures that will become the center to Ilan-Lael Foundation which will be a non-profit education center.

Ceiling fixture

Studio

Ed starting to walk aroud the pool

We had lunch at the nearby Red Barn that is part of the Wynola Pizza and Bistro.  In the afternoon we continued on to Camp Stevens, located on the outskirts of Julian, to see an outdoor chapel and stained glass windows designed by James Hubbell. Camp Stevens is a retreat for groups to exchange ideas in a natural setting.

The fireplace in a meeting room

BIRCH AQUARIUM

 We enjoyed a visit at the Birch aquarium which opened in 1992.

          

The aquarium provides ocean science education, research interpretation and promotes conservation

  

The Hall of fishes features fishes and invertebrates of the Northwest to the tropical waters of Mexico and the Caribbean.  A highlight includes several tanks of jelly fish. 

The largest tank has a kelp forest. There is also a shark tank that includes shark species of tropical reef habitats.

 Another gallery features live coral and reef inhabitants. 

Several varieties of sea horses are also a popular feature.

     

Visitors can also get a hands on experience at some of the pools on the tide pool plaza

           

We also visited an interactive exhibit that gives insight into climate changes

BOWERS MUSEUM

 We went to Santa Ana to visit the Bowers Museum  on May 14, 2014 during a heat wave with strong winds coming from the East. The museum visit was comfortable with the temperature controlled rooms.  We took a break for lunch at the excellent café at the museum.We were aware of some fires in San Diego and on the return drive we saw plumes of smoke behind the hills of Camp Pendleton.  After checking the news reports after returning home they were showing multiple fires across San Diego county as well as at Camp Pendleton.  

Soulful Creatures-animal mummies in ancient Egypt.   The exhibition focused on one of the most fascinating aspects of ancient Egyptian culture and religion-the mummification of animals that included cats, dogs and wild animals.  The exhibit was drawn from the Brooklyn museum collection and also had art related to the ritual use of animal mummies in the natural and supernatural world.

The linen was woven in a patten

The Lure of Chinatown: Painting California’s Chinese Communities. Artists played a pivotal role in documenting the historical changes that occurred in California’s Chinatowns over time as well as in contributing to the perception of these Chinatowns and their residents.

Spirits and Headhunters:  Art of the Pacific Islands.  Spanning the geographic region collectively referred to as Oceania, this comprehensive exhibition highlights masterworks from the three cultural regions of Micronesia, Melanesia, and Polynesia. Particular focus is placed on New Guinea, land of the headhunter, and the rich artistic traditions infused into daily and ritual life. Submerge into a visually stunning world and come face to face with larger-than-life masks, finely crafted feast bowls, objects associated with the secretive Sepik River men’s house, beautiful shell and feather currency, magic figures and tools of the shaman, objects related to seagoing trade routes, gorgeous personal adornments, weapons of warfare and the most precious of human trophies taken in retribution