Hammer Museum courtyard

Director's Message: Gallery Improvements

– By Ann Philbin, director
UPDATE: On February 22, 2018 we launched a $180 million capital campaign with lead gift from Lynda and Stewart Resnick. Explore the project.

This summer, the Hammer presents the third iteration of our biennial exhibition. Made in L.A. 2016: a, the, though, only will feature the work of 26 artists, primarily emerging or underrecognized, who live and work in greater Los Angeles. The highly anticipated exhibition will fill the entire museum—galleries and outdoor spaces alike—and underscore the extraordinary range of practices, histories, and artists shaping contemporary art locally and indeed globally. And as usual, a rich slate of public programs, performances, dance, music, and conversations will accompany the biennial.  

Following our presentation of Made in L.A. 2016, we’ll continue our ongoing efforts to improve the design and experience of our space. This September, we will close the third-floor galleries for four months of renovation. Designed by the renowned architect and longtime Hammer partner Michael Maltzan, the modernized and improved galleries will reopen just in time for our winter exhibitions. Over the course of the fall, the museum’s courtyard and lobby galleries, as well as other public spaces, will remain open and active with new programming and exhibitions. 

We hope you’ll join us this summer to explore dozens of free public programs, dance with friends at our summer concert series, and celebrate the immense creativity of our city during Made in L.A. 2016. And we will continue to share details about the upcoming gallery improvements as we build this next chapter of the Hammer Museum’s future.

Image: Hammer Museum Courtyard. Courtesy Michael Maltzan Architecture.