California

Art Collectors and Their Collections

Program No. 1183RJ
Discover the beauty of Southern California’s best museums, enjoying lectures, docent-led walks and a close look at the life and collections of local art enthusiasts.

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At a Glance

Be treated to several of Southern California’s finest art museums and leave the driving to us! The Los Angeles area’s distinguished collections are on display in several grand museums. Daily in-depth lectures prior to the visits provide an orientation to the museums that enriches your appreciation of their visionary collectors.
Activity Level
On Your Feet
Four 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.

What You'll Learn

  • Study the life of J. Paul Getty and examine his collections of Western art from the Middle Ages to the present against a backdrop of dramatic architecture, tranquil gardens and breathtaking views of the city.
  • Experience the museum of Arabella and Henry Huntington, with 207 acres of gardens.
  • Discover Norton Simon’s collection of art from Europe and Asia on a docent-led walk.

General Notes

Select dates are designated for small groups and are limited to 24 participants or less.
Featured Expert
All trip experts
Profile Image
Simon Kenrick
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.

Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.

Profile Image of Paul Spitzzeri
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.
Profile Image of Donna Granata
Donna Granata View biography
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.
Profile Image of Simon Kenrick
Simon Kenrick View biography
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.
Profile Image of Nadine Bopp
Nadine Bopp View biography
Nadine Bopp taught sustainable architecture, urban planning, botany, and environmental science courses at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Columbia College, and DePaul University for 19 years. She has a master’s degree in landscape architecture and worked for the Chicago Park District, running the operations for 124 parks. As a lifelong environmentalist, she continues to broaden her knowledge by exploring drought-tolerant landscape design, water conservation, and California’s landscape ecosystems. She enjoys teaching about southern California’s gardens, architecture, and botanical diversity.
Profile Image of Manuel Marquez
Manuel Marquez View biography
Manuel Márquez came to Road Scholar after a rewarding career in medical practice management. He has led groups to Cuba and his native Los Angeles. As an undergraduate in Boston, he was introduced close-up to the wonders of western art, the colonial and revolutionary history of the United States, and a love of learning about planet Earth and all its inhabitants. Manuel has explored nearly fifty countries on five continents. He enjoys music, reading, movies, and his beautiful cat Pearl.
Profile Image of Laurel Howat
Laurel Howat View biography
Laurel Howat, a second generation Los Angelino, holds a B.A. in French, an M.A. in humanities, and a certificate in crime scene investigation. She resides in Long Beach, California with her husband Jim. Prior to Road Scholar, Laurel worked for Air France, the Getty Museum, and LAC/USC Medical Center. Laurel began as a Road Scholar instructor in 2000 and became a group leader the following year. She enjoys reading, movies, hiking, backpacking, country music, and opera.
Profile Image of Dave McMenamin
Dave McMenamin View biography
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.
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.
Year
2024
  • 2024
  • 2025
Date
Oct 20 - Oct 25
  • May 19 - May 24
  • Jun 23 - Jun 28
  • Sep 01 - Sep 06
  • Sep 22 - Sep 27
  • Oct 20 - Oct 25
Please Note: The program differs on certain dates.
Oct 20 - Oct 25, 2024 Itinerary Differences: This departure will stay at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel.
Please Note: The program differs on certain dates.
Select trip year and date
2024
  • 2024
  • 2025
Oct 20 - Oct 25
  • May 19 - May 24
  • Jun 23 - Jun 28
  • Sep 01 - Sep 06
  • Sep 22 - Sep 27
  • Oct 20 - Oct 25
Oct 20 - Oct 25, 2024 Itinerary Differences: This departure will stay at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel.
While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of our published materials, programs are typically advertised more than a year prior to their start date. As a result, some program activities, schedules, accommodations, personnel, and other logistics occasionally change due to local conditions or circumstances. Should a major change occur, we will make every effort to alert you. For less significant changes, we will update you during orientation. Thank you for your understanding.
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6 days
5 nights
10 meals
5 B 1 L 4 D
DAY
1
Check-in, Registration, Orientation, Welcome Dinner
Los Angeles
D
Millennium Biltmore Hotel

Activity note: Hotel check-in available from 3:00 p.m. Remember to bring your nametag (sent previously). Walk to local restaurant is approximately 0.5 miles each way.

Afternoon: Program Registration: 3:00 p.m. After you check in and have your room assignment, join us at the Road Scholar table to register with the program staff, get any updated information, and confirm the time and location of the Orientation session. If you arrive late, please locate your Group Leader and let them know you have arrived. Orientation: 5:00 p.m. The Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the program theme, the up-to-date daily schedule and any changes, discuss safety guidelines, emergency procedures, roles and responsibilities, and answer any questions you may have. We will learn from the Group Leader and a series of local experts who will give lectures and lead field trips. Program-related travel and transfers will be via private motorcoach unless noted otherwise. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may change due to local circumstances/current conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding. Lunch at the Getty Center on Day 3 is on your own. If you wish to eat at the Getty Restaurant, reservations are recommended. Make reservations for the restaurant by calling 310-440-6810. Reservations should be made between 12:00 Noon and 2:00 p.m. We have set aside some free time in the schedule for your personal independent exploration. The Group Leader will often be available during free time to accompany informal outings, activities, or meals that have been excluded from the program cost. You are welcome to join if you like, with any associated costs on your own.

Dinner: At the hotel.

Evening: At leisure. Continue getting to know your fellow participants, settle in, and get a good night’s rest for the day ahead.

DAY
2
Los Angeles Collectors, Los Angeles County Museum of Art
Los Angeles
B,D
Millennium Biltmore Hotel

Activity note: Getting on/off a motorcoach. Walking and standing in the museum; Stairs with elevators available; LACMA has six buildings containing the art on display. The art in each building is displayed on one to three floors in an area about two blocks long. Extent and duration of walking and standing during independent exploration according to personal choice.

Breakfast: At the hotel.

Morning: At the hotel, an art historian will lead a captivating lecture on the historical background of Los Angeles museums and the art enthusiasts of Los Angeles and their world renowned collections. Personalities including Henry Huntington, J. Paul Getty, Norton Simon, and Charles Lummis made their living in Los Angeles and contributed to its becoming a major city in California. Each of their collections, ranging from Native American photography and prints to European masterpieces, are housed in museums throughout the city. After class, we will depart the hotel via private motorcoach for the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). Originally part of the Los Angeles Museum of History, Science, and Art, LACMA became a separate art museum in 1961. LACMA's campus is 20-acres and consists of six buildings, making it the largest art museum in the western United States.

Lunch: This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to have what you like at the museum. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.

Afternoon: We will continue our independent exploration of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Enjoy more than 120,000 works of art including both permanent and rotating collections. After our visit, we will return to the hotel via motorcoach.

Dinner: At a local restaurant.

Evening: At leisure.

DAY
3
J. Paul Getty Museum Lecture & Visit
Los Angeles
B,D
Millennium Biltmore Hotel

Activity note: Getting on/off a motorcoach. Moderate walking at the Getty Center; the art collection is displayed in four buildings; there may be temporary exhibits in two other buildings. Elevators are available. Elective: docent-led walks of art, architecture or gardens lasting about an hour. Extent and duration of walking and other activities during independent exploration according to personal choice. Access to the Getty Garden involves a slight incline.

Breakfast: At the hotel.

Morning: An art historian with more than 20 years of experience at the museum will introduce the J. Paul Getty Museum at the Getty Center in Los Angeles, which houses European paintings, drawings, sculpture, illuminated manuscripts, decorative arts, and European and American photographs. Jean Paul Getty was an American industrialist, who was named the richest living American and the world’s richest private citizen by the Guinness Book of World Records. An avid collector of art and antiquities, he established the J. Paul Getty Trust, which remains the world’s wealthiest art institution. From the hotel, we’ll ride via motorcoach to the J. Paul Getty Museum at the Getty Center to view the artwork discussed the night before. The Museum is accessed from the parking structure by a 3/4 mile hovertrain. The Getty Center is one of the most visited art museums in the United States and presents the Getty's collection of Western art, from the Middle Ages to the present, against a backdrop of dramatic architecture, tranquil gardens, and breathtaking views. This stunning collection features works by Titian, Rembrandt, Manet, and Monet. Take this opportunity for personal independent exploration of the Getty Center.

Lunch: On your own.

Afternoon: We’ll continue exploring the Getty Center. After the Getty Center, we’ll return via motorcoach to the hotel for dinner.

Dinner: At the hotel.

Evening: At the hotel, we'll gather for an expert-led learning session on the early history of Los Angeles. Officially founded in 1781 by Spanish governor Felipe de Neve, the early population consisted of ranchers taking advantage of the city’s Mediterranean climate. Growing as the regional capital of Alta California under Mexican rule, the city began to rapidly expand following the Mexican-American War and the completion of the Southern Pacific railroad in the late 19th century.

DAY
4
Lecture, Huntington Library & Botanical Gardens
Los Angeles
B
Millennium Biltmore Hotel

Activity note: Getting on/off a motorcoach. Moderate walking at the Huntington grounds over 200 acres with some inclines; stairs with limited elevators; standing and walking for one hour during docent-led walk; additional walking and other activities according to personal choice.

Breakfast: At the hotel.

Morning: Our art historian will lead a class on the collections of Henry and Arabella Huntington. Their sprawling estate covering more than 600 acres is an oasis of art and culture set amidst the ever-changing botanical gardens. Three art galleries and a library showcase magnificent collections of rare books and manuscripts, 18th- and 19th-century British and French art, and early American art. We’ll depart the hotel via motorcoach for the Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens, where we will have a docent-led walk. We will then have time for self-guided exploration.

Lunch: On your own at the Huntington Library.

Afternoon: We’ll continue our independent exploration of the art collection, library, and gardens.

Dinner: On your own.

Evening: At leisure.

DAY
5
Lecture, Norton Simon Museum
Los Angeles
B,L,D
Millennium Biltmore Hotel

Activity note: Getting on/off a motorcoach. Walking and standing for up to 1 1/2 hours on our docent-led visit; Stairs or elevator between floors. Walk to local restaurant is approximately 0.1 miles each way.

Breakfast: At the hotel.

Morning: An art historian will lead a lecture that will further introduce us to Norton Simon and his collection of 14th through 20th century European art and art of the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. After class, we’ll depart the hotel for the Norton Simon Museum. Enjoy a docent-led walk of the Norton Simon Museum. You will have time to explore the collections and the sculpture garden on your own. Like Monet’s Giverny, the garden at the Norton Simon Museum is a living work of art providing tranquil and inspirational surroundings for the Museum and its visitors. Many come to sketch the attractive landscaping and featured sculptures or simply relax and enjoy the atmosphere.

Lunch: Boxed lunch at the museum.

Afternoon: Staying on at the Norton Simon Museum, we will have time for independent exploration before returning to the hotel by motorcoach.

Dinner: At a local restaurant.

Evening: At leisure. Prepare for check-out and departure in the morning.

DAY
6
Collections Management Lecture, Program Concludes
Los Angeles
B

Activity note: Hotel check-out by 11:00 a.m.

Breakfast: At the hotel.

Morning: In our last class led by one of our historians, we’ll wrap up our program by reviewing the experiences we've had during our visits this week. After a brief break, we’ll rejoin our historian for a lecture that will closely follow the fundamentals of how museums generally manage their collections. Collections management is geared at maintaining the long-term safety and sustainability of museum pieces and is a very intricate process. This concludes our program. If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Don’t forget to join our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram. Best wishes for all your journeys!






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