Pasadena Highlights

However you add up the numbers, the Los Angeles metropolitan area has somewhere around 18 million people.  And when a city has that many diverse people, many from all over the world, it is hard to be bored.  There is no shortage of interesting things and urban exploration opportunities in L.A. — even if some freeway time is involved.  I find that I-hate-L.A. San Francisco provincialism so tiresome.

Today’s L.A. adventure included Glendale and Pasadena, a mission I had never visited, a delightful little Polish restaurant and a trip to a delicious Armenian bakery for dessert.  But the main goal of the day was a return to a favorite museum – the Pasadena Museum of California Art.

I’ve seen a number Gustave Baumann prints on trips to New Mexico but this was my first opportunity to see his lesser-known California work.  I’ll spare you my poor snapshots when you can review the exhibit brochure here.  It was a nice surprise seeing a view of my own neighborhood in San Francisco circa 1930.  The show also includes some of his wood blocks and press (see above). 

The Baumann show is one of the three exhibits at the museum right now that includes Joseph Kleitsch’s paintings and Interstitial, a multi-artist installation of sculpture including my personal favorite, Joel Otterson’s American Portable Pottery Museum (shown above).

All three show are up until August and worth a visit for your upcoming L.A. trips.