By Tracy Tutor
Beverly Hills holds more than 80 pieces of public art from internationally renowned artists, a Gagosian gallery that runs a year-round exhibition calendar drawing collectors from around the world, a twice-yearly outdoor art show that takes over four blocks of Beverly Gardens Park, and a concentration of blue-chip galleries along Canon Drive and Brighton Way that functions as one of the most accessible fine art corridors in Southern California.
The ways to enjoy the arts in Beverly Hills span free public installations and outdoor exhibitions to private gallery openings and some of the most significant contemporary art spaces in the country.
Key Takeaways
- Gagosian Beverly Hills is a world-class gallery operating in a neighborhood setting: The year-round exhibition program has included major survey shows and brought works rarely seen outside museum contexts directly to the 90210
- The Beverly Hills Art Show is free, twice yearly, and genuinely excellent: Held each spring and fall in Beverly Gardens Park, it draws 235 artists from around the world across painting, sculpture, photography, ceramics, and mixed media
- More than 80 public artworks are permanently installed throughout the city: Beverly Hills' public art program has commissioned and placed works from internationally recognized artists across parks, streetscapes, and public spaces in a way that turns the city itself into an open-air gallery
Commercial Galleries: World-Class Art in a Walkable Neighborhood
The gallery concentration along Canon Drive, Brighton Way, and North Beverly Drive gives Beverly Hills a commercial art corridor that operates at a level more commonly associated with New York's Chelsea or London's Mayfair than a suburban zip code.
- Gagosian Beverly Hills: One of the most significant outposts of the global Gagosian network, this Beverly Hills gallery runs a continuous year-round exhibition program that has included major survey shows featuring works by artists whose pieces rarely leave institutional settings
- Mouche Gallery: Consistently praised by TripAdvisor reviewers for its knowledgeable staff and high-quality exhibitions, Mouche operates as a genuinely accessible gallery experience that rewards both seasoned collectors and first-time gallery visitors
- The broader gallery corridor: Marc Selwyn Fine Art, Hamilton-Selway Fine Art, Fahey/Klein Gallery, and M+B Gallery collectively give the Canon Drive and Brighton Way corridor a depth and variety that makes a gallery walk through this part of Beverly Hills a legitimately absorbing afternoon
The commercial gallery scene in Beverly Hills is one of the most underappreciated ways to enjoy the arts in Beverly Hills.
Public Art and Outdoor Cultural Programming
Beverly Hills has made a sustained commitment to public art and outdoor programming that puts significant work in front of residents and visitors who may never step inside a gallery.
- The Beverly Hills Art Show: Held twice yearly across four blocks of Beverly Gardens Park, this free outdoor show draws 235 artists from around the world, showcasing painting, sculpture, watercolor, photography, mixed media, ceramics, glass, jewelry, and printmaking
- The public art collection: More than 80 permanent public artworks installed throughout Beverly Hills represent one of the most ambitious municipal public art programs in Southern California
- The Rodeo Drive Walk of Style: Introduced in 2003, this permanent installation of signature plaques embedded along the 300 and 400 blocks of Rodeo Drive honors style icons who have shaped fashion and entertainment
The outdoor and public art offerings represent the ways to enjoy the arts in Beverly Hills that are most democratic and most distinctly specific to this neighborhood.
Museums, Institutions, and the Broader Cultural Ecosystem
Beverly Hills itself and the cultural institutions immediately surrounding it give residents access to one of the most extraordinary concentrations of museum-quality programming in the country.
- The Paley Center for Media: Located on North Beverly Drive, the Paley Center houses an extraordinary archive of television and radio history
- The Frederick R. Weisman Art Foundation: Located in a private Holmby Hills residence and open by appointment, the Weisman Foundation houses one of the most significant private contemporary art collections in Los Angeles, with works by Kandinsky, Picasso, Léger, Basquiat, and dozens of other major figures
- Greystone Mansion and Gardens: The 1928 Doheny estate in the Beverly Hills foothills hosts rotating cultural programming, film screenings, and guided tours through its 18.3 acres of formal gardens
The proximity of Beverly Hills to LACMA, the Getty Center, the Hammer Museum at UCLA, and the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures means that residents operate within one of the richest cultural ecosystems in the world.
FAQs
What are the best free ways to enjoy the arts in Beverly Hills?
The Beverly Hills Art Show is the most accessible and genuinely high-quality free arts experience the neighborhood offers, drawing 235 international artists across every medium alongside live music and food programming. The city's permanent public art collection of 80-plus works can be experienced entirely on foot at no cost, and the commercial galleries along Canon Drive and Brighton Way are free to enter.
How does Beverly Hills' gallery scene compare to other Los Angeles arts neighborhoods?
The Beverly Hills gallery corridor is more intimate and walkable than West Hollywood's La Cienega Design Quarter or Culver City's gallery cluster, with a concentration of blue-chip international galleries that operates at a level more commonly associated with New York or London than a residential neighborhood. Beverly Hills' galleries tend to be smaller, more personal, and easier to engage with as individual spaces rather than as part of a large art district requiring significant time to cover.
What is the best time of year to experience the arts in Beverly Hills?
The spring and fall Beverly Hills Art Shows represent the most concentrated public arts programming the neighborhood produces. Gallery programming runs year-round, with Gagosian's exhibition calendar cycling through major shows throughout the year that are worth tracking in advance if a specific artist or medium is of interest. Greystone Mansion's programming varies seasonally and is worth checking directly for current events.
Contact Tracy Tutor Today
The ways to enjoy the arts in Beverly Hills are one of the most genuinely compelling arguments for living in this neighborhood. The world-class commercial galleries, ambitious public art program, landmark cultural institutions, and immediate proximity to LACMA and the Getty produce a quality of daily cultural life that is genuinely difficult to match anywhere else in Los Angeles.
Reach out to me at
Tracy Tutor and let's talk about finding the right home in Beverly Hills.
