Showgirls

Remember when I said we were going to the MOCA to see the Art in the Streets exhibit? Well, we never went. Because there's a lot of traffic here in L.A. Because who drags themselves and an always-ready-to-explode toddler to a museum at five o'clock after working all day? And who tows that same toddler through an unbearably crowded museum on the weekend, when you're able to sleep in vs. look for a parking spot that doesn't exist? Not us. We'd rather sit on the couch with a glass of wine and let tiny monster vandalize our padded cell of an apartment vs. a major art institution.

But I was haunted by the fact that the last day of this exhibit, which I really, really wanted to see, was yesterday (Monday, August 8). So I spontaneously packed up little Sabine and drove downtown to see the show.

We were early. So early--we arrived at 10 a.m.; the museum opened at 11. But there were about a hundred people who were even earlier. And they were standing under the hot sun in a very long line that wasn't going to move for an hour. Since there's no way I could make little Sabine sit still in a concrete courtyard for a whole hour, I let her chase birds and butterflies while I chased her, hoping that once the museum opened we could just jump in the back of the line and be the last people through the door. But as we wandered and waited, the line grew. I was considering giving up when a girl from the coffee shop we always go to jumped out of her place in line (she was fifth from the beginning) and told us we could stand and go in with her.

The show was beautifully amazing. Sabine and I ran from room to room, absorbing all of the color, shapes and raw emotion turned into words and pictures. It was breathtaking--and I'm super excited to have exposed Sabine to something I love that can nourish her blossoming imagination.

Almost as good as the art, was the crowd and the fashion. The viewers were of all ages and ethnicities. There were crazy neon high-top sneakers, ruffled mini skirts that looked like hipster pinatas and heart-shaped sunglasses with hot pink lipstick. There were some of the best and brightest hats and bags I've ever seen. There were well-coiffed grannies--with Louis Vuitton bags and Hermes belts--calling the graffiti "magnificent." God, I love an art crowd. It displays a tapestry of wonderfully individual style. And it's such a cool thing to see an East L.A. gang member (or ex-gang member) and a privileged Beverly Hills woman standing side by side, marveling at the same imagery.

The entire visual spectacle--the show as well as the show peepers--made for the happiest Monday we've had in awhile.