LACMA

Following a late breakfast of pancakes and waffles at the Farmer's Market, we headed to LACMA to meet Karen Satzman. LACMALab no longer runs and the Boone Gallery is being refurbed, so I was unsure how useful this trip would be compared with others. My doubts were unfounded: we had fantastic discussions about family programmes, their NexGen programme for families and teens. Found out all sorts of useful things for Visual Dialogues. Also discovered that art has been removed from the curriculum here along with music and PE as they are 'not academic subjects'! Could not believe it. It puts museums in a strong position as they can be the creative providers, but also means it is hard for people to get time out of school to go on a gallery visit. Catch 22. While the Boone is being refurbished, they have a temporary one housed in the brand new Korean Gallery. A haven of Zen-like calm, this was the absolute antithesis of yesterday and nevertheless equally wonderful. One set task in the family room involved learning to do Korean brush painting. We had a go: surprisingly difficult but requires such concentration and meant the space was a really peaceful and chilled family zone compared with the often noisy and manic spaces.

The collections themselves are I think the best I have ever experienced: room after room of Rothko, Nolde, Giacometti, and 'new' people I had not come across before... And beautiful architecture (contemporary space by Pompidou person). Anyway, it is very late now so I think I will go to sleep.