Explore 1960s Culture at LA Museums

Explore 1960s Culture at LA Museums

Explore 1960s Culture at LA Museums. Rock ‘n’ roll, civil rights and self-expression: From the fringes of society, radical new trends emerged that changed American culture and created icons in the 1960s. Now, 50 years later, several museums throughout Los Angeles are exploring the counterculture decade through exhibits showcasing the music, literature and art that shaped the revolutionary era.

“John Lennon, Songwriter” at the GRAMMY Museum
Through March 31, 2011
All Across the Universe…and now in especially in Los Angeles, John Lennon’s legacy lives — and for a limited time you can get in inside glimpse at his life, career and lasting impact. On what would have been his 70th birthday, the commemorative exhibit “John Lennon, Songwriter” opened at the GRAMMY Museum at L.A. LIVE. In the exhibit you’ll explore the origins of Lennon’s passion for music and songwriting, including his influences such as Eddie Cochran, Bob Dylan, Buddy Holly, Elvis Presley and others. You can also trace his evolution from his first band, The Quarrymen, through the Beatles era and then throughout his solo career. Personal memorabilia such as Lennon’s iconic round glasses, several guitars, drawings, hand-written lyrics and much more are on display as well as rare footage, photo and interviews. Don’t miss the interactive feature “In The Studio” with John Lennon. The GRAMMY Museum, in association with Hard Rock International produced this special exhibit, with pieces on loan from Yoko Ono. As a seven-time GRAMMY winner, it is the perfect venue to showcase Lennon’s prolific music career.

“Eva Hesse Spectres 1960″ at The Hammer
Through Jan. 2, 2011
Eva Hesse was one of the first women to achieve great success in the world of modern fine arts because of her cutting-edge work in painting and multimedia during the 1960s. Since her untimely death in 1970, she has been heralded as a visionary for her abstract self-portraits that depicted dream-like figures and emotional states. This specially curated exhibit at the Hammer Museum is the first time that these particular works from early in her tragically short career have been featured together. The exhibit was organized by E. Luanne McKinnon, Director of the University of New Mexico Art Museum, Albuquerque, and it is intended to delineate Hesse’s growth as an artist and her contribution to the greater art scene of the time.

Charles Bukowski: Poet on the Edge at The Huntington
Through Feb. 14, 2011
In a decade that was all about toppling the establishment, Charles Bukowski shouted the stories of the lowest tiers of society in his poems and novels. The author struggled through poverty and alcoholism right on the streets of Los Angeles, and he garnered material from his experiences. Writing in a raw, realistic voice he gained a cult following, though he never gained widespread notoriety during his lifetime. On display at The Huntington, you’ll find early edition prints of his works in literary magazines such as Wormwood Review, The Outsider and The Limberlost Review; rare novels; original drawings; and his manual typewriter.