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Pasadena Museum of California Art
Rating Details »
Category: Art Galleries [Edit]
Neighborhood: Pasadena490 East Union St
Pasadena, CA 91101
(626) 568-3665
- Price Range:
-
$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street, Private Lot
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
13 reviews for Pasadena Museum of California Art
a humble white building, with a petite label on one side that says "PMCA", i would have totally missed it if i wasn't looking for it, but i was SO determined to go see wayne theibaud's paintings!
the first story is the free covered parking, spray painted with wild spontaneous illustrations everywhere. for a minute i thought they weren't supposed to be there until i saw a huge signature. it's pretty daring & i liked that a lot.
you walk upstairs or take the elevator, and there is the reception in the corner. it's $8/ adults, & is open from 12-5. too bad it wasn't open any sooner...
the exhibition space on the 2nd floor is rather spacious. definitely enjoyed my time there. wayne thiebaud's paintings were great, and good job to the curators for the layout of his collection. i liked that you guys put the paintings in themes rather than them being in a chronological order. it flowed very well!
there is a 3rd floor, which is pretty much the roof, with a covered gallery space that gets lots of sunshine and fresh air. normally you would think that's a bad thing, but the space was just perfect for the art collection that was displayed today.
This museum is awesome! Someone mentioned it to me and I stopped by to check it out - and was blown away! The building is great, the parking lot has super cool graffiti art and the exhibits I saw were really well put together. Everything from vintage pottery to gorgeous paintings to thought provoking photography - and a really trippy installation right by the entry.
Everyone who works there is really nice - and the museum shop will be a must this year when I'm shopping for gifts - it is stocked with really great unique items in all price ranges and they carry the Chocolate Traveler too!
Worth the visit, especially if it's a free museum night.
I came here accidentally on Pasadena's Art Night (when the museums are free). I had scheduled an appointment with Ceres, who is the events coordinator there. I was looking at the space to see if it would be good for my wedding reception.
The museum is beautiful, and it has an impressive collection of California artifacts. My favorite was the paintings of the missions. They have a beautiful rooftop area with stunning views of Pasadena and City Hall. Everyone there was very kind, especially Ceres. Even though I ended up not booking my venue here, I have fond memories and I really appreciate the way they treated me when I was looking around.
The only bad thing: parking sucks! They have this cool, artsy lot but it's tiny and fills up fast. You gotta pay.
At last year's Art Night, we stopped off at this place. It was covered in a giant tent.
The parking garage walls were painted by graffiti artists, but it was graffitti reminiscent of "The Jetsons", it was very cool.
Upstairs, they had a display of "graphic art", and were showcasing the artwork of that artist who created "The Homies". They had this giant glass case with every single "homie" figure, that was freakin cool!
We went up onto the roof where we were promised a DJ and drinks, neither of them materialized, so we were treated to some lame contemporary dance number by clear amateurs.
It's a cool place, everyone should check it out.
A nice little museum. I went to check out the traffic photo exhibit, which was worth the price of admission alone. It is a very small museum. You don't need to set aside an entire afternoon to go here. You can take your time and get through the whole museum in 30-45 minutes. Plus, there's free parking. Make sure you go to the rooftop terrace and check out the view of Pasadena.
I found myself standing in the parking garage pondering the cultural impact of influential figures such as Wilma Flintstone and her contributions to the world of art. haha There's graffiti art of space creatures and Wilma Flintstone in a flying saucer on the walls of the parking garage.
Very nice venue for an exhibit. The only downside is that it's really small.The main exhibition hall is on the 2nd floor, but the nicest area is the rooftop. You get a partially blocked view of Old Town, but with a little creative decor, it could be a really nice setting for a show.
Will definitely comeback to check out other installations.
I love anything that has to do with California, from books on its geography to museums that display what makes our state so unique. The Pasadena Museum of California Art is definitely worth visiting if you'd like to see glimpses of the creative talent possessed by so many of our artists. Also, they have a wonderful rooftop terrace that affords great sunset views, and because of the museum's small size, you don't feel overwhelmed and intimidated as you browse the collections.
Like the neighboring Pacific Asia Museum, this one is definitely worth visiting if you're in Pasadena and are looking for something to do.
i was here for the data+art exhibition currently being held from february until april i believe. the place is huge and bright. lots of open space that serves the work on display well. the architecture of the place doesn't really stand out which is a shame but the staff is accommodating and the museum shop is about the hippest i have ever been to featuring all kinds of cool t-shirts, books, postcards, vinyl toys. you name it.
there is also a rooftop terrace with a nice view of the pasadena downtown skyline for those us that need a break from the crowds.
there is plenty of parking at the museum although this being downtown pasadena you might as well find free parking in the adjacent streets. if the quality of the data+art exhibition is any indication i will certainly check out future exhibitions as well.
a great little museum! check online for certain dates for free admission or other deals. i loved the traffic exhibit and the workers there are very nice. (unlike at lacma where they're breathing down your back...) i would definitely love to visit here again, especially at night so i can enjoy the terrace on the 3rd floor.
I can't believe I haven't been to this museum before. Well, a friend invited me to come here tonight to view the magnificent exhibit by Benny Chan, known as TRAFFIC. This exhibit consist of numerous large aerial pictures of freeways in the Los Angeles area. The pictures certainly gives you a mental exercise as you try to determine what part of the city each picture represents. I had the privilege of meeting Benny Chan and he's a rather humble and nice gentleman. In addition to Chan's work, there were other worthy displays throughout the museum. We went to the rooftop where there was a DJ spinning some nice tunes, as guests gathered to converse and/or view the additional artwork displayed. We didn't have to pay to get in, as my friend knew one of the artist, but the regular fee is only $5.00 and it's worth it. This will be a nice outing for anyone, as it's appropriate for all ages.
Saw Mark Ryden's Wondertoonel exhibit here and was blown away. It was a good place for this show, very intimate with very high ceilings and proper lighting. It's awesome to see lowbrow work make it more into the spot light. This gallery even had flags around the city on light poles for Ryden's show. I support any galleries that support lesser mainstream art and give them a chance to shine.
Parking on the street can be a pain on busy days, but I believe there are parking lots around.
I went here for the eight on eight exhibit. It was a good show. Basically downstairs was quiet and they had the actual paintings on display-santa claus driving a hot rod etc and some curtains from bed bath and beyond? Not too bad....The roof upstairs was neat. They had beer and wine and at not too bad prices and a dj/ graphic show. Also, some dude gave me some medical marijuana and told me about solar power. I recommend going here and checking out some art and having some good times.
The Maynard Dixon show is amazing. The best special exhibit I've at a museum this year.
