The Broad (museum)

The Broad (museum). The Broad is a contemporary art museum founded by philanthropists Eli and Edythe Broad and located in downtown Los Angeles. It is home to the nearly 2,000-work Broad Art Foundation collection, one of the world’s most prominent holdings of postwar and contemporary art. The museum, which opened in September 2015, is renowned for its innovative architecture and for providing free general admission to its permanent collection galleries.

History and founding

The museum was conceived by Eli Broad, a prominent businessman and philanthropist who, with his wife Edythe Broad, had been collecting art since the 1970s. Their extensive collection formed the basis of the Broad Art Foundation, established in 1984 as a lending library for institutions worldwide. The decision to build a permanent home in Los Angeles was announced in 2010, with the goal of increasing public access to their holdings and enriching the city's cultural landscape. The project was a major addition to the ongoing revitalization of Grand Avenue and the Bunker Hill district, joining other cultural landmarks like the Walt Disney Concert Hall and the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles. The Broad officially opened to the public on September 20, 2015.

Architecture and design

The building was designed by the New York-based architecture firm Diller Scofidio + Renfro, known for projects like the High Line and the Roy and Diana Vagelos Education Center. Its distinctive exterior, dubbed the "veil-and-vault" concept, features a porous, honeycomb-like shell that filters daylight into the gallery spaces. The structure envelops a rigid "vault" that houses the museum's collection storage and offices. A 105-foot-long escalator and a cylindrical glass elevator transport visitors from the lobby through a concrete archway into the third-floor galleries, creating a dramatic arrival sequence. The design has been praised for creating a dynamic relationship with its neighbors, particularly the stainless-steel curves of the adjacent Walt Disney Concert Hall designed by Frank Gehry.

Collections and exhibitions

The museum's collection is focused on postwar and contemporary art from the 1950s to the present, with particular depth in Pop art, minimalism, and conceptual art. It features seminal works by artists such as Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Jeff Koons, Cindy Sherman, and Kara Walker. Notable installations include Koons’s monumental sculpture Balloon Dog and Yayoi Kusama’s immersive infinity mirror rooms, Infinity Mirrored Room – The Souls of Millions of Light Years Away. The Broad also organizes and presents a rotating program of temporary exhibitions, often drawn from its foundation holdings, and has hosted major shows dedicated to artists like Takashi Murakami and Jasper Johns.

Visitor experience and access

A cornerstone of the museum's mission is free general admission to its permanent collection galleries, though advance timed tickets are often required due to high demand. The ground floor houses a museum shop and a restaurant, Otium, which operates independently. The innovative "Oculus" bench in the lobby serves as both seating and a digital interface for ticket holders. The building's design encourages natural exploration, with the central vault visible from various points, offering glimpses into the collection storage. Its location provides easy access via the Los Angeles Metro Rail and is part of a dense cultural corridor that includes the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) and The Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA).

Management and operations

The Broad is governed by a board of directors, with Joanne Heyler serving as the founding director and chief curator. The museum operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, funded by an initial $200 million endowment from the Broads and ongoing support from the Broad Foundation. Operations include extensive educational programming, scholarly research, and conservation initiatives. The museum also maintains the Broad Art Foundation's active lending program to other institutions globally, continuing the founders' commitment to broadening public access to contemporary art. Its management model emphasizes financial sustainability while upholding the mandate for free public access to its core collection.