Fall Preview 2026
 |
| Iwan Baan photo of Lucas Museum of Narrative Art |
It will be a busy fall in Exposition Park. The Lucas Museum Narrative Art opens in September, followed by the Samuel Oschin Center (with the space shuttle) in November. Elsewhere in the city are exhibitions on horror films, the Modern home, and Joseph Wright of Derby's candlelight scenes. Several shows look back at African-American artists of the mid-20th century, including ceramicist Doyle Lane, architect Paul R. Williams, and the artists associated with L.A.'s Brockman Gallery.
 |
| Doyle Lane, Mutual Savings and Loan Mural, 1964. The Huntington |
September
At the Huntington, "Doyle Lane: Master of Clay" will present over a hundred weed pots, ceramic paintings, and archival objects. It's Doyle's first real museum retrospective, and it comes with a catalog (Sep. 15, 2026–Feb. 22, 2027).
Half closed, pending a yearlong shutdown for refurbishment next year, the Getty Center Museum has a schedule of smaller shows. "Joshua Reynolds' Portrait of Mai and 18th-Century Portraiture" (Sep. 15, 2026–Mar. 14, 2027) unveils the 2023 joint purchase in the context of portraits by Gainsborough, Goya, and David.
 |
| Unknown photographer, Book, Quill, and Ink Sign, 1954. Courtesy of Forest Lawn Museum |
Walt Disney was longtime pal of Forest Lawn cemetery entrepreneur Hubert Eaton, and they took mutual interest in each other's "parks." There's probably a movie pitch in that, and in the meantime, there's a show at Forest Lawn Museum, Glendale: "California Visionaries: The Lives and Legacies of Walt Disney and Hubert Eaton" (Sep. 19, 2026–Feb. 7. 2027).
 |
| Alexander Apóstol, Regime: Dramatis Personae, 2017 |
With democracy, among other things, on the ballot this November, MOCA Grand Avenue is hosting Alexander Apóstol's Regime: Dramatis Personae. Created in secrecy during Nicolás Maduro's 2017 crackdown on anti-government protests, the work consists of B&W portraits of LGBTQ activists in authoritarian drag (Sep. 20, 2026–Jan. 3, 2027).
 |
| Dieric Bouts, Virgin and Child, about 1460. Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco |
The Getty's Gerard David Holy Family anchors a small exhibition of Virgin and Child subjects in Northern Renaissance manuscripts and panel paintings. "The Holy Family at Home" runs Sep. 22, 2026–Jan. 10, 2027.
 |
| Stevan Dohanos, Saturday Football of the Radio, 1942. Lucas Museum of Narrative Art |
The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art opens in its Ma Yansong building Sep 22. Expect ample helpings of nostalgia, fan service, and treacle. But if it succeeds, the Lucas will show how art that's rarely taken seriously has serious things to tell us.
 |
| Still from Jordan Peele's Get Out, 2017 |
Why do scary movies matter so much to so many people? That's the tagline for the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures' "The Horror Show" (Sep. 26, 2026, to July 25, 2027). It subdivides this most profitable genre into six themes: Gothic, psychological, science, slasher, religion, and ghost.
 |
| Logan U. Reeves, illustration of Albert Frey's Aluminaire House, in August 1931 issue of Popular Mechanics |
When Boomers were young, technocrats promised a future of affordable, efficient, and Modern housing. LACMA's "Home of the Future, 1925–1985: Designing Domestic Utopia" (Sep. 27, 2026–Mar. 14, 2027) assembles architectural models, drawings, consumer goods, and films. It's accompanied by "The Kitchen and Its Discontents," an installation of two echt-Modern kitchens by Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky and Charlotte Perrian and Le Courbusier. Both were acquired in the past few years and are making their debut.
 |
| Huguette Caland, Visages, 1979. Museum of Modern Art |
 |
| Mavis Pusey, Within Manhattan, no date. Private collection |
October
Also at the Hammer is "Mavis Pusey: Mobile Images," with 60 works from the Jamaican-American artist's 50-year career (Oct. 11, 2026–Feb. 28, 2027). This is the show that appeared in Philadelphia (ICA) and New York (Harlem Studio Museum). Its run overlaps with yet another Pusey show at Pomona College's Benton Museum of Art.
 |
| Alonzo Davis, Self-Portrait Inside Series, 1974. LACMA |
LACMA's "The Brockman Gallery: Los Angeles, 1967–1990" traces the influential dealership founded by brothers Alonzo and Dale Brockman Davis after Watts burned. Among the artists launched were David Hammons, Maren Hassinger, Senga Nengudi, John Outterbridge, Noah Purifoy, Betye Saar, Carrie Mae Weems, and Charles White. By some accounts, it was the reliable holiday sales of Doyle Lane's weed pots that kept the gallery afloat (Oct. 18, 2026–Jan. 24, 2027).
 |
| Judy Baca and collaborators, Great Wall of Los Angeles (detail), 2026 |
Judy Baca brings new panels of her still-in-progress Great Wall to the Skirball Cultural Center before their installation in the Valley. "The 1960s—A Generation on Fire: Judy Baca's Great Wall of Los Angeles" opens Oct. 22, 2026.
 |
| Rendering of Korean Air Aviation Gallery, Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center, California Science Center |
November
 |
| Manet, Execution of Maxmilian, about 1867–1868. National Gallery, London |
On loan from the National Gallery, London, is Manet's Execution of Maximilian. It's at the Norton Simon Museum from Nov. 13, 2026 to Mar. 1, 2027.
 |
| Paul R. Williams, El Mirador Hotel Alterations and Additions, Palm Springs, California, Swimming Pool, 1952. Getty Research Institute and the USC School of Architecture. To appear in LACMA's "Paul R. Williams: Architect for Living" |
Three institutions celebrate Paul Williams, the pioneering Black modernist. "Paul R. Williams: Architect for Living" is LACMA's take, spanning his work in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Latin America (Nov. 15, 2026–Mar. 31, 2027). A USC Fisher Museum show on Williams is already open (through Mar. 13, 2026), and a Getty Research Institute exhibition opens in December.
 |
| Guadalupe Rosales, Has the myth been shattered, 2024. The Broad |
The Broad's fall-winter exhibition foregrounds artistic reactions to news media. Drawn from the permanent collection, "Has the myth been shattered" takes its name from a 2024 work by Guadalupe Rosales, an artist new to the collection. Also on view are works by Andy Warhol, Leon Golub, Barbara Kruger, and Mickalene Thomas (Nov. 21, 2026–Apr. 4, 2027)
 |
| Joseph Wright of Derby, Two Boys with a Bladder, 1767 |
The Getty Center's "A Light in the Dark: Joseph Wright of Derby" is motivated by another recent purchase, the rediscovered Two Boys with a Bladder. It's united with other scenes of candlelight, now regarded as Wright's signature motif (Nov. 24, 2026–Mar. 14, 2027).
December
At the Getty Research Institute, "Paul R. Williams: Architecture Across the Color Line" opens Dec. 15, 2026. It draws on Williams' archive, jointly owned by the GRI and USC's School of Architecture.
Mexican artist Roberto Gil de Montes gets a five-decade retrospective at LACMA. "Roberto Gil de Montes: Water Drops on Burning Rocks" will be in BCAM, Dec. 20, 2026, to June 20, 2027.
January |
| Miki Hayakawa, One Afternoon, about 1935. New Mexico Museum of Art, Santa Fe |
Comments
Time to have somebody else run that place.
Michael Govan might actually help that museum - fund raising, keep MOCA Geffen open all year, have a vision for the future.
> Michael Govan might
> actually help that museum
He and his staff struggle enough dealing with their own museum, so taking on the burdens of MOCA across town is tempting fate.
In the Facebook account of "L.A. and Beyond Architecture and Art Tours," over 250 comments in just the past few days have been posted about the Geffen Galleries:
Flynn Farralone, Facebook: When I see a new building going up (especially a public building) I always think to myself, "Would someone chain themself to this building in the future to prevent its demolition?" I personally don't think that would be the case with this building.
Brad Smith, Facebook:
I went to a member’s architectural preview about 6-8 months before it opened and then went to the sunset members opening. I loved the building almost immediately but was intrigued at the architectural preview because, at that time, it was overwhelmingly concrete gray with no art. I knew art would liven the space but was extremely surprised by the actual stained colors of some of the galleries. I personally love the compliment of art to the natural concrete and enjoyed the stained concrete galleries as well. Even with the throngs of folks, I loved the space….
Robin E Johnson, Facebook:
It’s like going to a Bond villain’s mansion and wandering around his art collection. LACMA took their sub par collection and made it interesting. You’ll learn nothing about the history of art, but you’ll have a good time. The best part about the building is that it looks like a freeway overpass! And why are the food places always too small. There’s always some dumb study center a donor has a tax right off that’s empty and everyone crammed into a tiny space trying to buy a 10 water.
Milla Istomina, Facebook:
The one thing that pissed me off is the glare. Natural light is great, but when you have so many things behind glass you have to consider how it will play out. And I am not even speaking of photographing work, I mean it was hard to see what’s on display in some cases.
Tracey Lee Brown, Facebook:
I like the idea, but the execution looks unfinished inside and out. But I'll always miss the beautiful Ahmanson building - which was only 40 years old.
Solovino de B, Faceboo: Their goal seems to have been to build a tourist attraction that happens to have art in it. It will allow visitors to say they had a cultural experience there, without having to commit to the intellectual rigor of a real museum. Like Cliff Notes for culture.
Josh McCool, Facebook:
As a piece of architecture I like it, but I preferred the old buildings for experiencing the art. Each building inherently created a different way to experience the art and each worked well for different types of art. The rigidity of the concrete layout makes me greatful for the Renzo Piano buildings… I also feel something is lost by abandoning that encyclopedic museum format despite the inherent issues with the format. With the old buildings they were already experimenting with both formats in parallel which I thought was a better approach.
I think my impressions were influenced by the heavy volume of negative comments I saw before I visited. That being said, because of those comments, my visit exceeded my expectations. I have been visiting LACMA ever since it opened in 1965. I have to say that I was getting tired of how the artwork was arranged and exhibited.
I would bypass the pottery, antiquities, furniture, and textiles completely. Impressionism was always my favorite so I would spend the most time there. The way the museum is laid out now there is more of integration of the various artistic media, genres, and time periods.
Like I said I have been attending the museum for over 60 years, and I saw many displays I had never seen before. I like the way the different forms of art were combined in a thematic way. I am not sure what people mean that there is not enough narrative or identifying signage on the walls. I thought there was enough. I like that it is all on one floor and I can meander the way my eyes lead me.
I like the way I could pause at a window for a break and look out at the views of Wilshire Boulevard, outdoor art, and the landscape. I also was able to see performance art by a group of musicians and dancers. I had never seen performance art in a gallery before, only outdoors. My fellow attendees loved it…. I know I am an outlier on having a favorable view, but I am an avid museum goer worldwide, and feel confident in my view.
Because of the history of LACMA and feeling there's now no choice left in dealing with the Zumthor Geffen building ("water over the bridge"), I'm very agnostic about both good and bad viewpoints. But the museum in 2026 is following in some of the same footsteps of what happened in 1965. Or a case of history repeating itself.