The Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery
70th Anniversary Digital Exhibition

Explore the Decades

In celebration of the Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery’s 70th anniversary, LAMAG presents a digital exhibition mining the gallery’s archives to showcase its artistic achievements and contributions to the city of Los Angeles. Formally established in 1954 LAMAG has championed contemporary art from its inception honoring the city’s diverse artistic communities. From the beloved All City Outdoor Art Festivals beginning in the 1950’s to recent presentations of emerging and established artists, LAMAG has a unique history as a civic institution inseparable from the generations of artists, cultural workers, and civic leaders responsible for shaping Los Angeles’s arts ecosystem. This digital archival exhibition is a reexamination of LAMAG’s legacy twelve years after the significant 2012’s PST ART’s exhibition Civic Virtue: The Impact of the Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery and the Watts Towers Arts Center, a chronological survey of LAMAG’s history, curated by Pilar Tompkins Rivas, sharing a commitment to highlight and celebrate the gallery’s remarkable history. 

 

Over the course of the year the digital exhibition will be updated periodically presenting a singular decades worth of institutional information beginning in the 1950’s and ending in the 2010’s. Each decade will include an introductory text, a timeline combining LAMAG history with national cultural and political events, archival materials, and suggested additional readings. 

LAMAG’s new building drawing by Dennis Wehmueller and Arthur Stephens, 1968-1971. Courtesy of The City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs / The Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery
LAMAG’s new building drawing by Dennis Wehmueller and Arthur Stephens, 1968-1971. Courtesy of The City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs / The Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery
Guests viewing the "Vincent Van Gogh" exhibition at LAMAG, 1957. Courtesy of The City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs / The Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery.
Guests viewing the "Vincent Van Gogh" exhibition at LAMAG, 1957. Courtesy of The City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs / The Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery.
Katie Grinnan, Kozue Matsumoto and Eugene Moon performing “5 Seconds of Dreaming!” for C.O.L.A. 2019, 2019. Courtesy of The City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs / The Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery.
Katie Grinnan, Kozue Matsumoto and Eugene Moon performing “5 Seconds of Dreaming!” for C.O.L.A. 2019, 2019. Courtesy of The City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs / The Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery.
Frederick Eversley, Untitled, 1975. Installation view from “A Tribute to Martin Luther King Jr.," Jan. 15 - Feb. 15, 1976, The Los Angeles Municipal Gallery. Courtesy of The Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery.
Frederick Eversley, Untitled, 1975. Installation view from “A Tribute to Martin Luther King Jr.," Jan. 15 - Feb. 15, 1976, The Los Angeles Municipal Gallery. Courtesy of The Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery.
Mr. and Mrs. Onstad, Mayor Sam Yorty, and former Councilman Paul Lamport at ground-breaking ceremonies for the new Municipal Art Gallery, 1969. Courtesy of The City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs.
Mr. and Mrs. Onstad, Mayor Sam Yorty, and former Councilman Paul Lamport at ground-breaking ceremonies for the new Municipal Art Gallery, 1969. Courtesy of The City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs.
Henry Taylor standing in front of his paintings in the 2019 exhibition "Here" curated by Steven Wong. Courtesy of The Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery.
Henry Taylor standing in front of his paintings in the 2019 exhibition "Here" curated by Steven Wong. Courtesy of The Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery.
Installation view of the group exhibition "Aqui y Alla" curated by Francesco Siqueiros and Gabriela Cortines,1990. Courtesy of The Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery.
Installation view of the group exhibition "Aqui y Alla" curated by Francesco Siqueiros and Gabriela Cortines,1990. Courtesy of The Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery.
22nd Annual All City Outdoor Arts Festival, 1974. Courtesy of The Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery.
22nd Annual All City Outdoor Arts Festival, 1974. Courtesy of The Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery.
Opening reception for "Open Call: Apophenia," 2023. Courtesy of The Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery.
Opening reception for "Open Call: Apophenia," 2023. Courtesy of The Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery.
LAMAG Director and curator Josine Ianco-Starrels with artists for "Ancient Roots, New Visions," 1978. Courtesy of The Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery.
LAMAG Director and curator Josine Ianco-Starrels with artists for "Ancient Roots, New Visions," 1978. Courtesy of The Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery.
Installation view of “Charles White: Retrospective” curated by Josine Ianco-Starrels, 1977. Courtesy of The Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery.
Installation view of “Charles White: Retrospective” curated by Josine Ianco-Starrels, 1977. Courtesy of The Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery.
Installation view of "C.O.L.A. 2018" featuring artworks by Doris Sung and June Edmonds. Courtesy of The City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs / The Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery.
Installation view of "C.O.L.A. 2018" featuring artworks by Doris Sung and June Edmonds. Courtesy of The City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs / The Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery.
Installation view of Senga Nengudi’s sculptures for the “Newcomers” exhibition curated by Josine Ianco-Starrels, 1976. Courtesy of The Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery.
Installation view of Senga Nengudi’s sculptures for the “Newcomers” exhibition curated by Josine Ianco-Starrels, 1976. Courtesy of The Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery.
Gallery visitors perusing the All City Outdoor Arts Festival at LAMAG, 1974. Courtesy of The Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery.
Gallery visitors perusing the All City Outdoor Arts Festival at LAMAG, 1974. Courtesy of The Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery.
Public programming featuring a meditation workshop with installation artist Lani Trock for "Loitering is delightful," 2020. Courtesy of The Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery.
Public programming featuring a meditation workshop with installation artist Lani Trock for "Loitering is delightful," 2020. Courtesy of The Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery.
View of the “James Van Der Zee” exhibition curated by Josine Ianco-Starrels, 1980. Courtesy of The Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery.
View of the “James Van Der Zee” exhibition curated by Josine Ianco-Starrels, 1980. Courtesy of The Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery.
LAMAG guests participating in Alan Hiroshi Nakagawa’s installation “OYAJI; BREAKDOWN OF THE BICAMERAL MIND” for "C.O.L.A. 2015." Courtesy of The City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs / The Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery.
LAMAG guests participating in Alan Hiroshi Nakagawa’s installation “OYAJI; BREAKDOWN OF THE BICAMERAL MIND” for "C.O.L.A. 2015." Courtesy of The City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs / The Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery.
Installation view of juried exhibition "Multicultural Focus" curated by Josine Ianco-Starrels, 1981. Courtesy of The Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery.
Installation view of juried exhibition "Multicultural Focus" curated by Josine Ianco-Starrels, 1981. Courtesy of The Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery.
Michael C. McMillan’s installation, “The Moon of Cyclops” for "C.O.L.A. 1997," 1997. Courtesy of The City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs / The Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery.
Michael C. McMillan’s installation, “The Moon of Cyclops” for "C.O.L.A. 1997," 1997. Courtesy of The City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs / The Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery.
Miyoshi Barosh standing by her artwork, "Rainbow o’ Tears" for "C.O.L.A. 2015," 2015. Courtesy of The City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs / The Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery.
Miyoshi Barosh standing by her artwork, "Rainbow o’ Tears" for "C.O.L.A. 2015," 2015. Courtesy of The City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs / The Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery.

Explore the decades