Travel Guide to California

2013 Travel Guide to California

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»CA.MUSEUMS & ART A Celebration of Innovation by jan rodricks EGallery 3 at the Legion of Honor, top, featuring the ceiling (1482-1503) from the Palacio de Altamira in Torrijos, Spain; The Thinker by Auguste Rodin, bottom. When travelers anticipate a trip to California—for business or pleasure— museums may not be foremost on their minds. Still, one could easily plan a whole itinerary around the state's scores of world-class museums, and never experience a moment of regret. Whether you're intrigued by Latino culture, drawn to the classic sculptures of Rodin or fascinated by the mysteries of tornadoes, California has a museum that will inform and enlighten you. The Arts San Francisco's two Fine Arts Museums are as architecturally different as two buildings can be. Set in Lincoln Park, on a hill overlooking the Golden Gate and Pacific Ocean, the Legion of Honor is a 30 2 013 travel guide to c al ifo r n i a ¾-scale recreation of the Palais de la Légion d'Honneur in Paris, and houses an impressive collection of European art along with changing exhibitions from around the world. Just in front of the entrance, surrounded by BeauxArts columns, sits a bronze cast of The Thinker—one of 70 Rodin sculptures in the museum's collection. In nearby Golden Gate Park, the relatively new de Young (founded in 1895, renovated in 2005) is considered a tour de force of modern architecture. Featuring a 10-story observation tower, the de Young is Northern California's premier metropolitan art museum, including mesmerizing exhibits of the arts of Africa, Oceania and the Americas. Another visually arresting museum is the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, completed by Swiss architect Mario Botta in 1995. Home to more than 25,000 paintings, sculptures and photographs by artists such as Henri Matisse, Georgia O'Keeffe, Alexander Calder and Ansel Adams, the SFMOMA offers a rooftop sculpture garden, film center and everchanging exhibitions of cutting-edge contemporary work. A short ride across the Bay from San Francisco, the Oakland Museum of California re-opened in 2010 after extensive renovations. Dedicated to the arts, culture and natural history of California, this handsome gem is one of the state's best museums, offering terrific temporary exhibits on themes ranging from the Gold Rush to the Art of Pixar. If your plans include Los Angeles, it's easy to spend a half-day wandering through the impressive halls of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). The museum always has at least one irresistible temporary show, but it's worth a visit for their permanent collection—just try not to get waylaid by the voluptuous gods and goddesses in the outstanding Asian Art collection. Farther downtown, the Museum of Contemporary Art (MoCA) and Geffen Contemporary are showcases for the best in 20th- and 21st-century painting, ©FINE ARTS MUSEUMS OF SAN FRANCISCO; CAN BALCIOGLU; OPPOSITE: TERRASTUDIO.NET (DE YOUNG TOWER INTERIOR); © FINE ARTS MUSEUMS OF SAN FRANCISCO; MUSEUM OF LATIN AMERICAN ART; MONTEREY BAY AQUARIUM (2) From Ansel Adams to hands-on science, creativity abounds

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