Museum

CITY HALL — The Los Angeles-based Museum of Neon Art could move into a vacant, city-owned building across from the Americana at Brand under a proposed agreement that, if successful, would represent one the largest cultural jolts to downtown in years. The City Council on Tuesday is scheduled to take up the proposed letter of intent, which would kick off formal negotiations with the niche museum for the space at 216 S. Brand Blvd. The vacant building, which once housed a Salvation Army branch and a Rite Aid, would afford the museum a new permanent space for its venerable collection of neon signs and art after using a temporary spot in downtown Los Angeles for roughly two years.

The Los Angeles-based nonprofit Museum of Neon Art recently put some of its collection on display at the future site of its new home across from the Americana at Brand. The City Council last year entered into negotiations with the museum for a deal that would bring the nonprofit into the city-owned property at 216 S. Brand Blvd. Last week, the council approved an expanded proposal that would require the city to buy an adjacent building. The museum’s collection of vintage and contemporary neon art includes the historical Grauman’s Chinese Theatre dragon and the iconic Brown Derby sign.

Janine Marnien Legend has it that the Oak of Peace on the grounds of the Verdugo Adobe is where Mexican forces decided to surrender to the United States on Jan. 11, 1847. The tree is no longer there, but the spot where it once may have stood is marked with a plaque reminiscent of the occasion. The Verdugo Adobe is on the list of National Register of Historic Places, and owned by Glendale. It is set to become a museum later this year. The Days of the Verdugos Assn.

A familiar chubby face will greet visitors at the Burbank Historical Society’s Gordon R. Howard Museum. A 6-foot-tall Bob’s Big Boy statue, decked out in his red-and-white checked overalls, was moved from a dusty garage to its new home on Wednesday. The statue, in close to perfect condition, of the boy who inspired the double-deck hamburger was a gift to Arnold Peterson who was Bob Wian’s partner in the Bob’s Big Boy restaurant chain. It has been in the family’s garage for about 25 years, said Peterson’s son, Ron Peterson.

In honor of firefighters and agencies who worked to safeguard the museum and other nearby cultural and educational attractions during the recent Griffith Park fire, the Autry National Center extends a special invitation to everyone on Sunday, May 27, for a special free admission day. "We owe a great deal to all of the men and women who managed to control the fire and safeguard the Autry National Center, and we want to open our doors and invite...

A holiday stained-glass exhibit with pieces more than 500 years old wasn’t just impressive because of the craftsmanship of its panels, visitors said, but also because of what they depicted. The seasonal exhibit at Forest Lawn Museum, which runs through Jan. 11 and holds the largest collection of stained glass in North America, includes images of the life of Jesus Christ. “It’s God’s words in stained glass,” said visitor Lone Rasmussen, an Antelope Valley resident who was standing in front of an illuminated, 16th-century window depicting the birth of Jesus.

Descendants of troops who fought in the American Revolutionary War and early American history enthusiasts gathered Monday to celebrate the 276th anniversary of George Washington’s birth at a Glendale library and museum dedicated to Washington’s era. The event was held at the American Heritage Library and Museum on South Central Avenue, and was hosted by the Sons of the Revolution in the State of California — a 115-year-old nonprofit...

Karen S. Kim Forest Lawn Memorial Park and Mortuary in Glendale will celebrate Christmas this year by showing off its rare collection of brilliant and colorful stained-glass windows dating to 1903. The park's museum will display seven pieces of its windows collection, which includes more than 100 stained-glass pieces chronicling the life of Jesus Christ. For Christmas, the museum chose just seven pieces of the detailed glass works to chronicle Jesus' birth and early life.

A push by City Council members to redefine Glendale?s place in the arts community as a means of economic development has promise, but officials need to focus on what?s already here in order for any grand development plans to succeed in the long run, experts say. In recent months, City Council members John Drayman and Laura Friedman have been especially keen on developing a number of art programs and projects that they say would up Glendale?s cultural factor, while at the same time bring in the type of consumers that local businesses need to grow.

One of the unexpected dividends of the Getty's far-reaching “Pacific Standard Time” series is the cross-pollination of audiences and institutions; another is focused historic perspective. The Pacific Asia Museum, not known for modern-art exhibitions, is playing host to a modest retrospective of the influential Pasadena Art Museum. The former was initially housed in the Pacific Asia's building, hence the title of the show: “46 N. Robles: A History of the Pasadena Art Museum.” It's a nifty piece of site-specific heritage in the form of a mixed media art survey.

The J. Paul Getty Trust failed Thursday to derail a lawsuit by the Armenian Orthodox Church that accuses the museum of harboring stolen illuminated medieval manuscripts - 755-year-old works that are masterpieces and, to the church, spiritually and historically sacred. After a brief hearing, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Abraham Khan denied the Getty 's motion to dismiss the claim. The museum's attorneys argued that the deadline for filing the suit had passed decades ago under the statute of limitations.

Forest Lawn Museum in Glendale ushered in Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15 through Oct. 15) with the opening of “Adelante! Mexican American Artists: 1960s and Beyond,” an exhibition of paintings, prints, sculpture and photography that delineate the history, culture and religion of the Mexican American community. The artwork speaks of the Mexican American journey, the people's sense of identity, family, respect of past and persistence for their posterity. Much of the art is rooted in the spiritual and political sensibilities of the Chicano community, whose identity is derived from ancient Mexican tradition.

If you're ever looking to find a little culture in Pasadena, you won't have to look far. Pasadena is brimming with so many great museums that both adults and children can enjoy. And on these hot summer days, I can't think of anything better to do than spend the day in a cool air-conditioned museum. Here are some of the best museums that Pasadena has to offer: Norton Simon Museum: This museum houses a large collection of works from South Asian sculptures to works by some of Europe's greatest artists.

Burbank now boasts a martial arts museum that city officials say will diversify the city’s entertainment attractions. The Martial Arts History Museum, founded by President Michael Matsuda in 2007 in Santa Clarita, has relocated to Burbank, and it officially opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on June 25. In the floor plan, Matsuda has kept in mind the progression of the martial arts beginning in Asia and their introduction to the United States...

The conversation with my barber suddenly veered from the cats living at Warner Bros. and into a more historical context. “I’m thinking I might visit the Burbank Historical Society’s museum next,” I said underneath the black smock that showed more expelled gray hairs than I’d like. “There’s a museum in Burbank?” the stylist said between snips. “Absolutely. It’s over off of West Clark Avenue; one of those streets you don’t normally drive unless you live there.” People do find their way to the Gordon R. Howard Museum, though many times visitors only find the 1800s-era Mentzer House that sits in front.

CITY HALL — Glendale is poised to ink a 15-year lease with the Los Angeles-based Museum of Neon Art — a $5.2-million deal that city officials say will reenergize the area across from the Americana at Brand. The city-owned buildings near the corner of Brand Boulevard and Harvard Street will serve as a new permanent home for the nonprofit museum that offers educational classes alongside changing exhibitions of photography and contemporary and vintage neon art. The City Council is scheduled to vote on deal Tuesday.

An important roadblock to moving the Museum of Neon Art to Glendale was removed this week after the city agreed to acquire a Brand Boulevard building for roughly $1 million. Andranik Shahinian, who owned the Brand Arcade at 212 S. Brand Blvd., sold the city the property, as well as the games and recreational equipment it contained, said his commercial real estate agent, Greg Astorian. The purchase will allow the 30-year-old nonprofit museum, now based in downtown Los Angeles, to move into a larger facility in Glendale, which has heavily subsidized its move.

Glendale Adult Recreation Center's new building had its very first New Year's Eve celebration. More than 100 seniors gathered on Friday for their own version of welcoming in 2011. The doors opened at 10 a.m. and at 11:15, a lavish lunch of roast beef au jus was served. Just before noon, the countdown began and when they hit one, noise makers went off, confetti was tossed, sparkling apple cider flowed and DJ "Danny" played Auld Lang Syne. Dancing went on until 1 p.m. These seniors wanted their fun during daylight hours and planned to be in bed by the time midnight rolled around.