Photo by Ivania Montes
The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, located in the Saban Building in Los Angeles, opened its doors on Sept. 30. The museum is devoted to exploring the art and science of movies and moviemaking.
“The 300,000-square foot museum will feature more than 50,000 square feet of gallery space for both a highly immersive permanent exhibition and a schedule of diverse temporary exhibitions, two film and performance theaters, a state-of-the-art education studio and dynamic spaces for public and special events,” said an Academy Museum of Motion Pictures press release.
The museum leadership features prominent movie industry leaders such as Bob Iger, chair, as well as co-chairs Annette Bening and Tom Hanks, who represent the Academy Museum Campaign Committee.
“It’s important to have spaces that commemorate art and film,” said Sara George, senior fine arts and art therapy double major. “We consume media and film through a screen, and often that means we miss out on the value of context and history. The Academy Museum is a space dedicated to preserving that history and telling those stories.”
Marlena Muro, senior film production major, said the museum is an opportunity for people to see aspects of award-winning films and filmmakers that they never knew about.
“Art is culture and you can learn so much about people and even about yourself when you are immersed in museums like the Academy Award Museum or the Van Gogh Exhibit,” Muro said. “People love being entertained and movies are one of the top ways that they are entertained. This may give them a better appreciation for them and their creators.”
In collaboration with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Academy Museum is committed to telling stories of moviemaking through a light that is celebratory and educational.
“The collections include more than 12.5 million photographs; 237,000 film and video assets; 85,000 screenplays; 65,000 posters; and 133,000 pieces of production art. Highlights feature more than 1,700 special collections of film legends such as Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn, Hattie McDaniel, Alfred Hitchcock and John Huston,” said an Academy Museum of Motion Pictures press release.
Tickets are now on sale and can be purchased online at https://www.academymuseum.org/. Tickets are $25 for adults, $19 for seniors, $15 for students and free for visitors 17 and younger.
“I do plan on visiting the Academy Museum,” George said. “As an art student, I believe it’s important for us to be involved in and informed on the art scene and culture we live in, and visiting this museum is a great place to start. Whenever I need inspiration or feel like I’m in a creative rut, I try to visit creative spaces, and I hope the Academy Museum will become an inspirational space I can add to that list.”
Muro said she is visiting the Academy Museum on Oct. 22 for a class field trip.
“We will be there all afternoon on an audio tour,” Muro said. “I think it will be a unique opportunity for us since the museum will be open less than a month by the time we go. We also heard that we will be one of the first group tours. This will be the first of many semesters that the film program plans to takes its students on this unique field trip. I think it will be great, especially going with people who are into filmmaking as much as I am.”
“I think this academy museum is going to be a valuable addition to the LA museum scene,” George said. “LA has a lot of culture surrounding the ‘Hollywood’ and celebrity side of the film, so I’m excited to see a space that focuses on and celebrates the arts and artists in filmmaking.”
The museum is located at 6067 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90036 and will be an addition to Miracle Mile’s cultural hub, which includes the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Petersen Automotive Museum, La Brea Tar Pits & Museum and Craft Contemporary.
