Art in L.A. 1945 - 1980. An unprecedented collaboration of 60 cultural institutions across Southern California coming together to celebrate the birth of the L.A. art scene. The project encompasses developments from Pop to post-minimalism; from modernist architecture and design to multi-media installations; from the films of the African-American L.A. Rebellion to the feminist activities of the Woman's Building; from ceramics to Chicano performance art; and from Japanese-American design to the pioneering work of artists' collectives. The celebration begins October 2011 and runs to April 2012.
Pacific Standard Time is a collaboration of more than sixty cultural institutions across Southern California,
coming together for six months beginning in October 2011 to tell the story of the birth of the Los Angeles
art scene and how it became a major new force in the art world. Each institution will make its own
contribution to this grand-scale story of artistic innovation and social change, told through a multitude of
simultaneous exhibitions and programs. Exploring and celebrating the significance of the crucial years
after World War II through the tumultuous period of the 1960s and 70s, Pacific Standard Time
encompasses developments from L.A. Pop to post-minimalism; from modernist architecture and design to
multi-media installations; from the films of the African-American L.A. Rebellion to the feminist activities of
the Woman’s Building; from ceramics to Chicano performance art; and from Japanese-American design
to the pioneering work of artists’ collectives.
Initiated through $10 million in grants from the Getty Foundation, Pacific Standard Time involves cultural
institutions of every size and character across Southern California, from Greater Los Angeles to San
Diego and Santa Barbara to Palm Springs.
The eagerly anticipated cultural event Pacific Standard Time: Art in
L.A. 1945 – 1980 will officially begin the weekend of October 1 and 2, 2011, with the simultaneous
opening of more than two dozen exhibitions in this region-wide initiative. As the openings continue to
ripple across Southern California in the days and months to come, more than sixty exhibitions at partner
institutions across Southern California will soon be on view, all telling the story of the birth of the Los
Angeles art scene and how it became a major new force in the art world.
Pacific Standard Time was jointly initiated by the Getty Foundation and the Getty Research Institute, with
grants from the Foundation totaling more than $10 million. Exhibitions and programs range in subject
matter from modernist architecture and design to multi-media installations; from the films of the African-
American L.A. Rebellion to the feminist activities of the Woman’s Building; from ceramics to Chicano
performance art; and from advanced painting and sculpture to radical art projects to printmaking.
Leading up to the opening weekend, teams of volunteers wearing Pacific Standard Time t-shirts will be in
public hubs around Los Angeles, providing information about exhibitions, events and opening activities.
By late September, 900 double pole banners will be raised throughout the region alerting passersby to
Pacific Standard Time. Then, on Sunday, October 2, more than two dozen participating museums will be
open for free, with support provided in part by Pacific Standard Time’s presenting sponsor Bank of
America. Also on October 2, free shuttle buses provided by sponsor South Coast Plaza will carry visitors
on routes connecting many of the partner museums, allowing the public to experience multiple exhibitions
along the Pacific Standard Time circuit. Wrapped with the distinctive Pacific Standard Time logo, these
shuttles will have routes in Downtown Los Angeles, the Wilshire Boulevard region, the Westside as well
as San Diego.
“When the doors open wide on the inaugural weekend, the world will see that Pacific Standard Time is
something unprecedented, and a completely new kind of cultural experience,” stated Deborah Marrow,
Director of the Getty Foundation. “The experience will be as vast, varied and compelling as the Southern
California art scene that Pacific Standard Time celebrates, as distinctive and original as the culture that
developed here and went on to change the world. Whether our visitors live in Southern California or have
travelled to the opening from around the globe, we know they will recognize Pacific Standard Time as a
once in-a-lifetime experience.”
Janet Lamkin, California State President of Bank of America, stated, “We are proud to join the Getty as
the presenting sponsor of Pacific Standard Time to showcase Southern California as a creative and
cultural epicenter like few other places in the world. Bank of America recognizes the power of art both as
an economic driver and as a force in bringing communities together – and that is expressed so powerfully
through Pacific Standard Time. The October 2 day of free admission that we are helping to fund at
participating museums is consistent with our mission to make art and cultural experiences accessible to
as many neighborhoods and communities as possible.”
Some museums and institutions will offer free admission on October 2.
A centerpiece of the opening weekend will be the presence of Pacific Standard Time volunteers at each
partner museum. Identifiable by their Pacific Standard Time t-shirts, the volunteers will provide visitors
with an extra measure of personal guidance, offering detailed information about exhibitions and
programs, directions to other institutions and suggestions about programs that visitors might enjoy.
Volunteers will also distribute Pacific Standard Time brochures, including an easy-to-read guide to all the
exhibitions. Two weeks before the official opening, volunteer “street teams” will begin to deploy at various
public areas to promote awareness of Pacific Standard Time and answer questions. After the opening
weekend, volunteers will be stationed at partner museums for two weekends each month, from October
2011 through March 2012.
Opening weekend celebrations are also being organized by many of the participating institutions. The
Segerstrom Center for the Arts, a Pacific Standard Time programming partner, will host a free concert on
October 2 at the Center’s outdoor Arts Plaza, featuring the multi Grammy Award-winning band Ozomatli,
celebrating the rich and diverse musical heritage of Southern California. Also on October 2, artists Arto
Lindsay and Rirkrit Tiravanija along with West of Rome Public Art will present a celebration of free speech
entitled Trespass, consisting of a parade in the form of a protest march that will take place on the streets
of downtown Los Angeles. Curated by the artists, the parade will include music, dancing, and other
performances in which the public is welcome to join.
Los Angeles art galleries, many of which played a pivotal role in shaping the L.A. art scene from 1945 –
1980, will also be celebrating Pacific Standard Time with a rich and varied series of their own
independent exhibitions. Among the many galleries across Los Angeles that will have exhibitions
coinciding with the opening weekend are Gagosian Gallery, Gemini GEL, Mark Selwyn Fine Art, Nye +
Brown and Regen Projects.
Launching in September, the official website www.pacificstandardtime.org will provide users with a
convenient portal into the vast Pacific Standard Time experience, which includes more than 60 exhibitions
and hundreds of events, spanning a dazzling range of topics and spreading geographically throughout
Southern California. The website will make it easy for users to sort through the Pacific Standard Time
offerings based on individual preferences, including themes and locales. Among its features will be a
unique interactive application program called MY TIME, which will recommend a Pacific Standard Time
itinerary based on individual preferences.
Another resource will be the Pacific Standard Time family guide, targeted for families with children ages
8 - 17. The guide will allow families to customize their Pacific Standard Time experience to take the best
advantage of their museum visits. The guide, downloadable from the website, is formatted as a series of
seven guided activity sheets, each addressing a specific theme: Southern California, Photography and
Prints, Cultural Identity, Design, Performance Art, Light and Space, and Politics (a special guide for
teens). Each fun-filled guide can be used across a series of exhibitions, encouraging families to visit more
than one museum and to make meaningful connections among artworks and exhibitions. These guides
will be offered in both English and Spanish.
In celebration of Pacific Standard Time, special partnerships have also been formed with local
companies. Supporting sponsor The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf®, which was founded in Southern California
in 1963, will create a number of promotional initiatives for Pacific Standard Time, including an exclusive
signature tea blend and a branded “java jacket” for use at stores throughout October 2011. Additionally,
institutions from the travel and tourism industry will support visitors travelling to Southern California for
Pacific Standard Time including the Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills; preferred travel
partner Turon Travel, dedicated to creating bespoke travel itineraries of the international art community;
and LA Inc., the Convention and Visitors Bureau.
While many participating institutions will open their exhibitions on the weekend of October 1-2, some
exhibitions will begin earlier. Pacific Standard Time continues to April 2012, with additional exhibitions
and programs opening throughout this period. Additionally, participating institutions have developed
distinct regional weekend programs of exhibition openings, tours, performances and special admission
offers throughout the course of the initiative. The public should go to www.pacificstandardtime.org for the
latest details about partner exhibitions and programs.
The celebration begins October 2011 and runs to April 2012.
Pacific Standard Time is an initiative of the Getty. The presenting sponsor is Bank of America.
Image: Asco, Instant Mural (1974). Photograph 16 x 20 in. Courtesy of Harry Gamboa, Jr
Press Contacts:
Ruder Finn Arts & Communications Counselors
Rachel Bauch (310) 882-4013 / bauchr@ruderfinn.com
Whitney Snow (212) 583-2743 / snoww@ruderfinn.com
OCTOBER 1-2 EXHIBITIONS OPENING THROUGHOUT SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Free Shuttle Transportation and Volunteer Corps to Help Visitors Tour Pacific Standard Time Circuit Throughout the Region