OCTOBER, 2003

LACMA LAUNCHES ART BOOKSTORE WITH ALL NEW PUBLICATIONS FEATURING ART, ARCHITECTURE, FASHION, and DESIGN

THE BOOKSHELF AT LACMA OPENS TO PUBLIC NOVEMBER 15

LOS ANGELES—Just in time for the holiday season, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, LACMA, unveils The Bookshelf at LACMA, a high-end bookstore featuring some of the finest art books on the market today. The new bookstore opens with a month-long celebration featuring book signings and receptions with renowned artists and authors. Receive a complimentary pass to the museum with purchases of $50 or more between November 15 and December 24, 2003, as well as complimentary gift wrap and shipping within the United States of all purchased merchandise. 

The Bookshelf at LACMA, set in a sleek modern setting, invites literati to enjoy unique and exquisite art books, many of which have very limited distribution. Subjects reflect LACMA’s encyclopedic holdings with art publications on most historical periods, artists from around the world, and an eclectic array of design books. Also available are beautifully illustrated children's books, cook books with artistic flair, and other highly regarded gift books.

The Bookshelf at LACMA launches with a prestigious line-up of events featuring well known artists and authors:

November 18, 6 pm

Designer and historian Jim Heimann, native of Los Angeles, presents his latest book, Las Vegas Vintage. Enjoy an evening organized by LACMA’s Muse members for an entertaining talk and signing with Heimann at the museum’s new happy hour in Pentimento. Taste delicious appetizers created by The Patina Group, savor delectable libations at an irresistible happy hour price, and get a sneak-peak at the restaurant’s new happy hour menu. Heimann has authored dozens of books, including California Crazy, The Real Los Angeles Noir, and All-American Ads of the 30s, 40s, 50s, and 60s and is known for his writing on popular culture, regional history, and architecture for numerous publications—the Los Angeles Times and Rolling Stone—among them.

November 22, 2 pm

Photographer Robert Berger introduces and signs copies of Sacred Spaces: Historic Houses of Worship in the City of Angels, for which the author visited more than 300 historic houses of worship over the course of nearly four years. Berger has been photographing architecture and interior design for the past 18 years. His previous book, The Last Remaining Seats: Movie Palaces of Tinseltown, is now in its fourth printing.

November 29, 2 pm

Renowned artist Betye Saar signs her eponymous book with a reception hosted by Distinction magazine. Considered a premier assemblage artist, Saar has been creating inspired pieces since the early 1960s. Her works are in the collections of notable museums including The Corcoran Gallery of Art, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Whitney Museum of American Art, as well as LACMA. (LACMA members receive a 20% discount in all museum shops and 10% discount in the restaurants for “Members Appreciation Weekend” November 28–30.) 

December 6, 2 pm - CANCELLED!

Reschedule date to be determined!

Angelika Taschen presents her new book, Inside Africa, at a reception shared with traditional African dancers and musicians. After searching through Africa’s deserts and jungles, cities and wildlife reserves, islands and mountains, to uncover the continent’s most inspirational dwellings, Taschen presents interiors, from lush modern homes, mud huts, funky artists’ studios, elegant lodges, traditional homes, and much more. From Tunis to Cape Town, Inside Africa captures the beauty and diversity of African living.

December 7, 2 pm

In conjunction with LACMA’s current exhibition The Circle of Bliss: Buddhist Meditational Art, Russian-American photographer Lena Herzog signs her latest book, Pilgrims: Becoming the Path Itself, which was recently presented to His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. Visitors to The Circle of Bliss will notice several photographs by Herzog incorporated into the exhibition.

In addition to art books, The Bookshelf at LACMA also offers an array of art periodicals. The shop is located on the Times Mirror Plaza, amid the many museum galleries and two Patina restaurants, The Café and Pentimento. 

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About LACMA
Established as an independent institution in 1965, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art has assembled a permanent collection that includes approximately 100,000 works of art spanning the history of art from ancient times to the present, making it the premier encyclopedic visual arts museum in the western United States. Located in the heart of one of the most culturally diverse cities in the world, the museum uses its collection and resources to provide a variety of educational, aesthetic, intellectual, and cultural experiences for the people who live in, work in, and visit Los Angeles. LACMA offers an outstanding schedule of special exhibitions, as well as lectures, classes, family activities, film programs and world-class musical events.