Westwood's Free-Entry Laboratory for Contemporary Art

At a Glance

The Hammer Museum in Westwood, Los Angeles, is part of UCLA. Founded in 1990 by Occidental Petroleum's Armand Hammer, taken over by UCLA in 1994, and free since 2014, it is one of the most open platforms in LA's contemporary scene.

An Opened Courtyard

Michael Maltzan Architecture led the 2014–2023 phased expansion—about $90M—that reopened as the Lynda and Stewart Resnick Cultural Center. The closed courtyard became a public plaza, and exhibition space grew by over 40%.

Programme

• Armand Hammer Collection: Van Gogh, Monet, Pissarro, Sargent; the Codex Hammer once belonged to the foundation.
• Grunwald Center: 45,000 prints, photographs, and drawings—researcher-accessible.
• Made in L.A. biennial: the benchmark for new Los Angeles art.
• Hammer Projects: focused shows for emerging artists.
• Billy Wilder Theater: film programming with UCLA's Film & Television Archive.

Tips

At Wilshire & Westwood. Budget 1.5–2 hours (more for Made in L.A.). Pair with the Getty Center for a full day.