What’s on this weekend; your thoughts on creativity; hidden side of LA in the ’20s

Exhibitions to see this holiday weekend

Beyond the Light: Identity and Place in 19th-Century Danish Art

Tim Walker: Wonderful Things

Play and Pastimes in the Middle Ages

Dawoud Bey and Carrie Mae Weems: In Dialogue

Barbara T. Smith: The Way to Be

Exhibition tours

But first, sketch

Leonardo da Vinci was known to pull a sketchbook from his pocket and set down ideas in quick drawings. Artists since him have also loved sketchbooks—for seizing a sudden burst of inspiration, recording what they see, or trying out different designs. Relatively few artists’ sketchbooks have remained intact, though—many were disbound, their pages cut loose and scattered far and wide. But Getty has a growing collection, and its sketches by Degas, Rothko, and others might inspire you to jot down whatever catches your attention this spring and summer.

An artist’s version of a diary

On creativity

This May we’ve been making a special effort to spotlight your creativity. We asked Getty visitors what keeps them going, shared a playlist of inspiring music, and on our social media channels, asked you what gets your creativity flowing. And for most of you, creativity is an essential part of living. Here’s a round-up of your thoughts on creativity.

What you told us

Getty and LA Pride Present: Queering the Lens

Wednesday, June 7, 6:00–9:00 pm
Getty Center

Join us for a kick-off celebration for LA Pride! Hear three LA-based photographers talk about how their work spotlights under-represented LGBTQ+ communities, then join a party in the Museum Courtyard and enjoy complimentary bites, a hosted bar, and music by DJ Daisy O’Dell. You can also see the major exhibition Tim Walker: Wonderful Things, a journey into the fantastical worlds created by the internationally acclaimed fashion photographer.

Get free tickets

Family Festival: Medieval Play

Sunday, June 11, 10:00 am, Getty Center

Take part in a fun-filled festival inspired by Play and Pastimes in the Middle Ages! Arrive in costume or create your own tunic; learn a courtly dance; sing with wandering minstrels; and meet Angel, a medieval-breed pony. Then play traditional games and storm the castle with foam swords and shields on Getty’s expansive lawns.

Learn more about this free event

Before the war

In the 1920s Shigemi Uyeda turned his lens on the city of Los Angeles—before World War II broke up LA’s vital community of Japanese American photographers. Getty curator Virginia Heckert and Smarthistory’s Lauren Kilroy-Ewbank discuss Uyeda’s Reflections on the Oil Ditch, a work Uyeda saved by concealing it in a false ceiling before he was incarcerated in a US government camp.

Watch now