Hammer Museum

Time Out says

Industrialist Armand Hammer founded this museum, primarily to house his own collection. Now, under the ownership of UCLA, the Hammer stages fascinating themed shows of modern art, photography and design. The former have included everything from video installations to American comic art; the latter are often drawn from UCLA's Grunwald collection of graphic arts. The shows are supplemented by the Hammer Projects series, focused on emerging artists; works from Hammer's collections; and an excellent, largely free events program that takes in music, films, symposia and so on. Committed to showcasing the works of underrepresented artists from all over the world, the Hammer's multimedia exhibits rotate frequently, so it's worth checking the calendar often. Admission is free on Thursdays, and the museum's open-air courtyard cafe, Ammo, makes for a great post-gallery pit stop.