PST ART - Griffith Park
Art & Science Collide Sep. 15, 2024 - Feb. 16, 2025
With easy access to museums, plus over 150 plant species and a bounty of wildlife, art and science collide every day at the 4210-acre Griffith Park. With PST ART: Art & Science Collide, the Getty initiative that brings together cultural institutions across Southern California with a single theme, the connections between these disciplines are on display at both Griffith Observatory and The Autry Museum of the American West.
Your PST ART day doesn’t have to be limited to Griffith Park. You’ll be fairly close to Barnsdall Art Park in East Hollywood, where Beatriz da Costa: [Un] Disciplinary Tactics is on view at Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery; and Marta in Silver Lake to see Objects for a Heavenly Cave.
Hotels
- Cara - Boutique hotel situated between Los Feliz and Thai Town.
- Kimpton Everly - Easy access to Hollywood and the 101 Freeway.
- Silver Lake Pool & Inn - Hidden gem in the heart of one of LA's hippest neighborhoods.
Getting There
If you’re driving, refer to the website for Griffith Observatory for parking guidelines. Both Barnsdall Art Park and The Autry have free, on-site parking. Note that traffic going in and out of Griffith Park can be a lot on weekends and during holidays, which can also make finding parking a challenge. You might want to consider alternate transportation between some locations. For example, the Observatory/Los Feliz DASH will take you to Griffith Observatory and also has a stop within walking distance of Barnsdall Art Park.
For Metro Riders, the Sunset/Vermont stop on the Metro B line will drop you off walking distance to Barnsdall Art Park. You’ll also be able to catch the DASH to Griffith Observatory from Sunset and Vermont. The Autry is served by Metro’s 96 bus. The 96 can also take you from The Autry to Marta. Both the 180 and 182 run between Barnsdall Art Park and Marta. Refer to your preferred map or public transit app to check bus times.
Museums
Griffith Observatory
Pacific Standard Universe
(Through Sep. 9, 2030)
The Griffith Observatory has introduced a new film as part of its ongoing programming. Pacific Standard Universe looks at representations of the cosmos, from Chumash pictographs to contemporary observatory images. The original short film has multiple daily screenings in the Leonard Nimoy Event Horizon Theater. Check the Observatory’s website for the schedule. Seating is first come, first-served.
There’s no cover charge to enter the Observatory, however, there is a charge for live shows in the Samuel Oschin Planetarium, which can be purchased at the Observatory during your visit.
Autry Museum of the American West
Out of Site: Survey Science and the Hidden West
(Through Jan. 5, 2025)
Out of Site explores how technology has enhanced our view of the Western United States. Specifically, it looks at three different technological advances— wet plate photography, aerial photography and long-range image gathering equipment— through a mix of contemporary and historic items, including art and archival materials. The exhibition includes Kydoimos: The Din of Battle, which features over 50,000 aerial photographs of Dugway Proving Ground in the Salt Lake Desert. Nancy Baker Cahill’s AR Public Art project, Mushroom Cloud, is also part of this exhibition.
Future Imaginaries: Indigenous Art, Fashion and Technology
(Through Jun. 21, 2026)
Future Imaginaries is a group exhibition that includes more than 50 works from artists like Andy Everson, Ryan Singer and Neil Ambrose Smith. Some of the works are displayed throughout the museum to bring together contemporary commentary with historic pieces within the Autry collection. The exhibit also includes Virgil Ortiz’s installation, Revolt 1680/2180 and Wendy Red Star’s Stirs Up the Dust, both of which have been on view since July.
The Autry also has a number of permanent exhibitions, including some that bring together art and science themes, like Waterways and Human Nature. Be sure to make time to stroll through California Continued Ethnobotanical Garden, in addition to the art and history exhibits. Check the museum’s calendar for other events like The Autry After Hours series.
Galleries
Marta
Objects for a Heavenly Cave
(Through October 12)
At Silver Lake's Marta, thirteen artists and collectives take inspiration from grottos for Objects for a Heavenly Cave. The group show looks at the design of nature and how that in turn has influenced art. The gallery is located roughly between the Griffith Observatory and The Autry, so it’s a fairly convenient stop whether you’re traveling by car or Metro.
LACE
Beatriz da Costa: [Un] Disciplinary Tactics
(Through Jan. 5, 2025)
LACE (Los Angeles Contemporary Art Exhibitions) presents an exploration of the work of the late artist Beatriz da Costa, a faculty member of UC Irvine’s Arts, Computation, Engineering program; and whose work intersected with science and politics . For this exhibition, LACE is reactivating da Costa’s projects left unfinished at the time of her 2012 death, including the community science project PigeonBlog.
[Un] Disciplinary Tactics is on view at Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery in Barnsdall Art Park through January 5. Running concurrently with this PST ART show is Experimentations: The Art of Controlled Procedures, featuring works from Carmen Argote, John Baldessari and others that illustrate the connections between art and science.
Jeffrey Deitch Gallery
Post Human
(Through Jan. 18, 2025)
In 1992, Post Human, curated by Jeffrey Deitch, brought together the work of thirty-six young artists interested in technological advancement, social and aesthetic pluralism, and new frontiers of body and identity transformation. More than thirty years later, Post Human at Jeffrey Deitch Gallery revisits the theme of the exhibition, bringing the discourse into the present. The show includes several of the key figures who participated in the 1992 exhibition in dialogue with some of the most interesting artists continuing the exploration of these themes today.
Dining
At Griffith Observatory, The Café at the End of the Universe, which is operated by Wolfgang Puck Catering, offers both meals and snacks. From Barnsdall Park, you’re within reasonable walking distance from the restaurants and shops that line Vermont Avenue, between Hollywood and Franklin. Here you’ll find local institutions like Dresden Restaurant and Lounge (1760 N. Vermont), Fred 62 (1850 N. Vermont) and House of Pies (1869 N. Vermont).
About a mile away from Barnsdall are the beloved local haunts on Hillhurst Avenue, including Little Dom’s (2128 Hillhurst Ave.) and Yuca’s (2056 Hillhurst Ave.).
While You're There
Griffith Observatory is a good spot to catch a view of the Hollywood Sign. Refer to the Hollywood Sign’s website for information on hiking in the area.
At The Autry, you’ll be close to the L.A. Zoo (5333 Zoo Dr.), so check their website for information on admission and upcoming events.
From Barnsdall Park, you’ll be walking distance to both Los Feliz Theatre (1822 N. Vermont), which screens both new films and American Cinematheque programming, and Vista Theater (4473 Sunset Dr.), a century-old single screen theater with a “Coffy” shop, owned by Quentin Tarantino, that focuses on 35 mm or 70 mm revival screenings.