California
Art Collectors and Their Collections for Women
Program No. 25121RJ
Explore Southern California’s top art museums on a women-only adventure! Enjoy expert-led lectures of collections at the Norton Simon, Getty, Huntington, MOCA and more.
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Protecting the Environment
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6 days
5 nights
10 meals
5B 1L 4D
2
Los Angeles Collectors, Norton Simon Museum
Los Angeles
3
J. Paul Getty Museum Lecture & Visit
Los Angeles
5
Lecture, Museum of Contemporary Art, The Broad
Los Angeles
At a Glance
Indulge in Southern California’s finest art collections on this women-only learning adventure, where we’ll take care of the driving so you can focus on the masterpieces. Explore world-class museums across the Los Angeles area, from the iconic Norton Simon Museum to the J. Paul Getty Museum, with expert-led lectures to enhance your experience. Gain insider insights into visionary collectors and their extraordinary collections. Stroll through the breathtaking Huntington Library & Botanical Gardens and dive into contemporary art at the Museum of Contemporary Art and The Broad. With daily lectures to deepen your understanding of art history, collections management and the curatorial process, you’ll be immersed in the region’s artistic treasures with other women learners who love art as much as you do.
Activity Level
On Your Feet
Five museum field trips involve several blocks of walking at a time and standing up to one hour on docent tours. Must be able to easily get on/off bus.
Small Group
Love to learn and explore in a small-group setting? These adventures offer small, personal experiences with groups of 13 to 24 participants.
Best of all, you’ll…
- Explore the life and legacy of J. Paul Getty as you delve into his impressive collection of Western art, spanning from the Middle Ages to the present, all within a stunning architectural setting surrounded by tranquil gardens and breathtaking city views.
- Wander the beautiful grounds of the Huntington Library, with its 207 acres of meticulously curated gardens, and immerse yourself in the captivating history behind Arabella and Henry Huntington’s extraordinary collection.
- Embark on a docent-led exploration of Norton Simon Museum where you’ll discover remarkable works of art from Europe and Asia, gaining insight into the intricacies of each masterpiece and its cultural significance with other female learners who love art as much as you do.
General Notes
This program is for women travelers only, and all dates will be led by a female Group Leader.
Featured Expert
All trip experts
Paul R. Spitzzeri
A California historian and author of numerous works on such topics as railroad development and regulation, overland emigration, and criminal justice, Paul R. Spitzzeri received his bachelor’s and master’s in history from California State University, Fullerton. He is Museum Director of the Workman and Temple Family Homestead Museum near Los Angeles and an Award of Merit recipient from the American Association for State and Local History for his biography of the Workman and Temple families.
Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.
Paul R. Spitzzeri
View biography
A California historian and author of numerous works on such topics as railroad development and regulation, overland emigration, and criminal justice, Paul R. Spitzzeri received his bachelor’s and master’s in history from California State University, Fullerton. He is Museum Director of the Workman and Temple Family Homestead Museum near Los Angeles and an Award of Merit recipient from the American Association for State and Local History for his biography of the Workman and Temple families.
Donna Granata
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Donna Granata is the founder and executive director of Focus on the Masters (FOTM), a highly respected nonprofit archive and educational program documenting contemporary artists. An accomplished artist in her own right, Granata is an internationally published portrait photographer. Her photographs have been displayed across the United States. Selected works from her FOTM portrait series are housed in the Smithsonian's Archive of American Artists; in the photographic collection of the George Eastman Museum and other public institutions housing the personal archives of the artists documented.
Simon Kenrick
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A 23-year veteran of Road Scholar, Simon was previously a political journalist, neighborhood artist and kindergarten teacher. He teaches art history at San Francisco State University and Osher Lifelong Learning in Berkeley. Widely traveled in the U.S. and Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, he brings to life his personal knowledge of works and sites in his Road Scholar talks, museum and architectural tours—from Classical Greece and Rome to medieval Morocco, Impressionist Paris and the cutting-edge arts of the contemporary city.
Dave McMenamin
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Dave McMenamin, a lifelong native of Los Angeles, has a degree in mathematics from Occidental College, and a master's and Ph.D. in economics from UCLA. Dave taught economics at Occidental College for three years while working on his Ph.D. He then joined a company in downtown Los Angeles, holding many varied positions for over 35 years until his retirement in 2016. Dave is a docent and the director of education with Las Angelitas del Pueblo, a volunteer organization dedicated to preserving the city's history.
Suggested Reading List
(19 books)
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
Art Collectors and Their Collections for Women
Program Number: 25121
Building the Getty
An account of the construction of the Getty Center, written by its architect.
Get the Picture: A Mind-Bending Journey Among the Inspired Artists and Obsessive Art Fiends Who Taught Me How to See
A journalist's deep dive into the art world's obsession with contemporary art and why it matters.
The Getty Center: Richard Meier & Partners
A photographic tour of the Getty Center.
Los Angeles City Center Map
A map of the center of L.A.
L.A. Confidential
James Ellroy's modern noir thriller, a densely plotted yarn in the style of Raymond Chandler. Made into a critically acclaimed film.
Creating the Future: Art and Los Angeles in the 1970s
Fallon contests the standard assumption that art in L.A. declined after the 1960s through this cultural and social history that highlights the innovative and independent voices and interesting, sometimes bizarre artwork that came out of the 1970s.
Ask the Dust
Fante's oft-forgotten classic novel of Arturo Bandini, a confused young man trying to make it as a writer in L.A.
The Story of Art
Comprehensive and introductory without being elementary, this celebrated work is essential reading for anyone with any interest in art, architecture or aesthetics.
The Art Book, Mini Edition
A mini edition of the Phaidon classic. Marching through all periods and schools, the editors at Phaidon juxtapose salient examples of paintings, photographs, sculptures, video, installations and performance art with brief explanatory text.
Fodor's Los Angeles
A practical guide in the popular series, saturated with valuable information on accommodation, shopping, sights, and dining.
California the Beautiful
Rowell's exquisite photographs are accompanied by excerpts from Joan Didion, M.F.K. Fisher, Jack London, William Saroyan and many other luminaries in this celebration of the nature and spirit of California.
Sidewalking, Coming to Terms With Los Angeles
Growing out of a series of strolls, this smart, deeply affectionate portrait peels back the many layers of L.A., revealing a great city that's much more interesting than its sunny beaches, gridlock and movie stars.
As I See It: The Autobiography of J. Paul Getty
The famous L.A. tycoon recounts his life in his own words in this timely autobiography:
it was published right before his death in 1976.
Water to the Angels, William Mulholland, His Monumental Aqueduct, and the Rise of Los Angeles
In this powerful, beautifully-told biography, Standiford narrates William Mulholland’s drive to bring water from the Sierra Nevadas to Los Angeles, one of the greatest civil engineering feats in history.
Ways of Seeing
Art critic, painter, essayist and Booker Prize-winning novelist Berger concentrates on how we look at art in this eye-opening and influential classic.
Art in Time, A World History of Styles and Movements
In this innovative compendium, art scholars reveal fascinating connections between great works of art, art movements and historical progress. Moving from present to antiquity, they highlight 450 paintings, sculptures, photographs, installations, video and new media from around the world.
California: A History (Modern Library Chronicles)
Arguing that America’s most populous state has always been blessed with both spectacular natural beauty and astonishing human diversity, Starr unfolds a rapid-fire epic of discovery, innovation, catastrophe, and triumph.
Where I Was From
Supreme essayist Didion's personal history of California spanning the 18th to 21st centuries. More than a family chronicle, it's also a provocative cultural critique that attacks the myth of the Sunshine State.
William Mulholland and the Rise of Los Angeles
A biography of William Mulholland, the man who led the project of bringing water to Los Angeles. Written by his granddaughter, who seeks to dispel what she believes are common misconceptions about him.