BlissAndConversation.com

Those who think a museum is just a place to look at works of art can look some more. For example, look at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art on Wilshire Boulevard. Every Friday night during most of the year, they have a free jazz concert on their patio, featuring professional musicians from all over the country. There’s a no-host bar, a cafeteria, a more up-scale restaurant, movies and the many-splendored glories of the museum which remains open during concert hours..

The museum has acquired a neighboring building, formerly a department store, for special exhibits, most recently the Egyptian visiting exhibit, “Tutankhamen and The Golden Age of the Pharaohs”. For highly popular visiting exhibits, they keep this annex open around the clock on closing week-ends which have included a bar and dance band on the roof. LACMA also includes a separate Japanese pavilion, a tribute to the city’s Pacific Rim status.

Memberships come in a variety of prices and include such benefits as a New Members Party, the monthly magazine not only informational but a work of art worth saving for its beautiful full-color pictures and, in higher price ranges, reciprocal memberships with museums around the world.

Many major museums nation-wide have similar cultural offerings. Prices vary. Some charge for plays and concerts, others offer a free evening of music to the public, with an altruistic view and the subliminal message, “If the music here is this good, the art must be, too.”

$ Financial Values:
You don’t need to be a member to enjoy these features and you can visit the museum for a pay-as-you go entrance fee.

O Personal Values:
It’s a great place to meet people of all ages and all nationalities. Also an ideal first-date or blind-date place which combines things to look at, listen to and discuss with quiet spots for a drink and conversation.