By Teresa Acosta, Mar. 5, 2024
College is the perfect time to explore the world around you, but there can be so many obstacles from schoolwork, personal responsibilities or even introversion keeping you from seeing any of it.
Whatever the reason, it won’t be because you don’t know how to do something. In this series of columns, I’m going to show you exactly how to navigate some of these opportunities. Ready? Let’s go.
This first experience is just a bus ride away and features two of the most popular museums in the county, The Broad and The Museum of Contemporary Art, both located in Downtown Los Angeles.
There are a few things you will need to do ahead of time, so everything runs smoothly. Tickets to The Broad and MOCA are free, but reservations are required. You can make them at thebroad.org and moca.org, respectively.
Next, go to the Associated Student, Incorporated’s Financial Services main counter on the second floor of the Bronco Student Center and provide your Bronco ID number at the window for a Class Pass. Once you receive your Class Pass card, you can ride the Foothill Transit buses for free for the whole year.
There are plenty of options for food around campus. You can either grab something before you leave, or if you want to make this a completely free trip, consider packing yourself a lunch you can enjoy at Gloria Molina Grand Park.
With your lunch and new Class Pass, walk to the Foothill Transit bus stop in front of Student Services Building and board the Silver Streak bus to Downtown Los Angeles. It leaves every 15 minutes.
Step onto the bus and touch your Class Pass card on the “TAP” symbol on the farebox and find a seat. It can be a bit of a bumpy ride and there are a few loud noises, including the whoosh and high squeak of the air brakes releasing, but just think of it as part of the experience of public transportation.
“If you really can’t stand the feeling of the vibration of the bus, sit as far away from the wheels as you can,” said Mia Brandenburg, a computer engineering student and frequent bus rider. “Also, if you’re on one of those articulated buses, the middle moves a lot more than the front and the back, but I honestly find the back kind of uncomfortable. Sometimes seats will have less leg room if they’re near the doors.”
There are about 10 stops, and it’ll take about an hour before you reach your destination. The bus doesn’t always stop at every stop, so when you come to the intersection of First Street and Grand Avenue, press the yellow tape on the wall of the bus to signal the driver to stop. Once you exit, you will be directly in front of The Broad.
The Broad, located at 221 S. Grand Ave., resembles a milk crate with its cube-like shape and distorted rectangular openings. Follow the signs to the entrance of The Broad and pull out your digital or paper tickets to show at the door. There you will receive instructions for your visit, such as no flash photography and no touching the art.
The museum houses more than 2,000 pieces of postwar and contemporary art from the private collection of Eli and Edythe Broad. The 120,000-square-foot building is currently displaying works by Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol, Barbara Kruger, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Mickalene Thomas among others.
An impressive mixed media piece by artist Hank Willis Thomas titled “America” is worth seeing. The red and white stripes of deconstructed American flags were reassembled to look like a maze up close and from a distance spell out the word America.
Once you have had your fill here, exit through the gift shop and use the crosswalk right outside the doors. You have now arrived at 250 S. Grand Ave., where MOCA is located. Here you will have to check any bags you may have brought with you, but don’t worry, it’s free.
MOCA is an artist-founded museum housing more than 8,000 objects of contemporary art, according to its website. Currently on exhibit is “Mapping an Art World: Los Angeles in the 1970s-80s,” a collection of works from Eleanor Antin, John Baldessari, Mike Kelley, Claes Oldenburg, Ed Ruscha and more.
There is a series of photos, a cross between portrait and street photography, by John Valadez that lines the wall between exhibits. This portfolio of work captures Chicano Americans in the late 1970s. It deserves a closer look to appreciate the details of this specific culture and era.
When you are ready for lunch, grab your bags and head north on Grand Avenue for about two blocks. The 12-acre Gloria Molina Grand Park will be on the right side. Here there are many shaded places to sit on the grass, or you can take a seat at one of the bright pink tables. There are public restrooms, a coffee shop and even a little library stand sponsored by the LA County Library.
Now that it’s time to head home, walk south toward the southwest corner of Hill and First streets. Here you will catch the Silver Streak bus headed to Montclair. Tap your Class Pass, find a seat and you will be on your way back to campus where your adventure began.
This is just one example of how manageable it can be to try something new when you are well prepared. I recommend you use this as a reference to either replicate it or build your own adventure. The more you get out there and explore the world, the easier it gets.
Feature image courtesy of Lauren Wong
