THE PETERSEN AUTOMOTIVE MUSEUM
OCTOBER 2012 THROUGH MARCH 2013
EXHIBITIONS & EVENTS AT A GLANCE (see below for more detailed information)
October 4 Cars and Comedy Gala
October 6 Discovery Day – LA BookPALS & Haunted Cars
October 8 Columbus Day - Museum Open
November 3 Discovery Day - LA BookPALS & Car Magnets
November 8 Tribute to George Follmer
December 1 Petersen Swap Meet
December 1 CARnival Family Fun Day
January 5, 2013 Discovery Day - Calendar Time
January 22, 2013 Gallery Talk: Streamline Moderne - From Science to Art
February 2, 2013 Valentine’s Day CARds
February 12, 2013 Gallery Talk: Alec Brooks - Engineering for Extreme Efficiency
March 1 & 2, 2013 Corvette Day
March 2, 2013 Discovery Day - Auto Placemats
Through Feb 3, 2013 Grand Salon- Sculpture in Motion: Masterpieces of Italian Design
Though May 27, 2013 Gordon R. Howard Gallery- Aerodynamics: From Art to Science
For full details on any of the exhibits or events listed below, visit the calendar section at www.petersen.org
NEW EVENTS
CARS AND COMEDY GALA
Thursday, October 4, 2012, 6:30PM– Cocktails, 7:45PM– Dinner & Program
Enjoy a night of laughter and fine dining, and support the Petersen Automobile Museum in their biggest fundraiser of the year! Includes cocktails, dinner, live comedic performances, a live auction and fun, fun, fun! Call 323-964-6355, email [email protected] for more information or to RSVP.
TRIBUTE TO GEORGE FOLLMER
Thursday, November 8, 2012, 6PM
Join us for an extraordinary evening honoring George FollmerMotorsport Hall of Famer, recipient of the Jerry Titus Memorial Trophy, and recent speaker at the International Motor Racing Research Center at Watkins Glen, NYand this tribute’s lively recognition of George’s competition years during which he rose from Cal Club racing on through USSRC, Trans-Am, Can-Am, IMSA, World Championship for Makes, USAC Champ Car, Indy 500, NASCAR, IROC, F/5000 & Formula 1. Call 323-964-6325 or email [email protected] for more information or to RSVP.
PETERSEN SWAP MEET
Saturday, December 1, 2012, 9AM–1PM
Petersen Museum Parking Structure
Find that missing part for your exotic, classic, or muscle car or motorcycle, buy a Christmas gift for the auto enthusiast in your life, or purchase a restoration project, or drive home in the car of your dreams! While you are here, learn how to properly detail your car at the Griot's Garage car care seminars going on all day! Griot's garage is the Official Car Care Product Provider of the Petersen Automotive Museum.
CARnival Family Fun Day!
Saturday, December 1, 2012, 1–4PM
Join us in the 3rd floor Discovery Center for a fun filled afternoon of games, arts and crafts, storytelling, tours, and much, much more! Let's take the time to celebrate kids and cars this year at CARnival Family Fun Day! CARnival is a drop-in activity, included in Museum admission, and RSVP is not necessary.
GALLERY TALK: Streamline Moderne – From Science to Art
Tuesday, January 22, 2013, 7:30PM
As the young science of aerodynamics was developing in the 1930s, the popularity of “streamlining” began to exert influence on many types of design. From vehicles and appliances to architecture and industrial design, the Streamline Moderne style reflected the growth and popularity of speed, travel and technology in the 1930s. Join John Thomas, President of the Art Deco Society of Los Angeles, as he presents an overview of the wide influence and variance of Streamline Moderne design beyond the realm of the automobile. Call 323-964-6347, email [email protected] for more information or to RSVP.
GALLERY TALK: Alec Brooks – Engineering for Extreme Efficiency
Tuesday, February 12, 2013, 7:30pm
Vehicles powered by very limited energy resources like human power, solar power, and batteries force a focus on energy efficiency. Alec Brooks, the Efficient Energy Systems CTO for the technology solutions provider AeroVironment, has spent his career pursing these goals in many areas of personal transportation including solar aircraft, human-powered land and water vehicles, the record-breaking GM Sunraycer solar race car, and the GM Impact concept car that paved the way for GM’s production electric car, the EV1. Join Dr. Brooks at the Petersen Automotive Museum for a presentation on the developmental partnership between AeroVironment and GM that began with the Sunraycer and culminated in the EV1 (on display).
CORVETTE DAY – Honoring the 60th anniversary of America’s favorite sports car
Friday, March 1 – Saturday, March 2, 2013
A dinner and cocktail hour will start the celebration on Friday, March 1. Included in the evening’s festivities will be a memorabilia auction and a panel discussion with special guests from the Corvette’s illustrious past. The big excitement will come on Saturday, March 2, when the Petersen will fill its 500-car parking structure with Corvettes of all eras for the Corvette Day car show. An exhibit of Corvettes will also be on display inside the museum, highlighting some of the most interesting Corvettes in Chevrolet’s history. Proceeds from activities will go toward supporting the Petersen Automotive Museum’s educational programming.
DISCOVERY DAY
Car Activities & L.A. BookPALS
First Saturday of every month, 1–4pm
Join us on the first Saturday of each month for arts and crafts, and at 2:30pm, actors from L.A. BookPALS read stories. The program is included in Museum general admission. Call 323-964-6308 for more information. Future topics include:
October 6, 2012 Haunted Cars
Scare your friends this Halloween by making your very own mini wooden monster car!
November 3, 2012 Car Magnets
Keep your refrigerator door deCARated with a clever car magnet!
December 1, 2012 CARnival Family Fun Day
Let's take the time to celebrate kids and cars!
January 5, 2013 Calendar Time
Create a kooky car calendar and prepare for the new year!
February 2, 2013 Valentine’s Day CARds
Send a Petersen pop-up card to a loved one!
March 2, 2013 Auto Placemats
Decorate a road trip placemat and take home something cool to eat on!
ONGOING EXHIBITIONS
AERODYNAMICS: FROM ART TO SCIENCE
Gordon R. Howard Gallery
Through May 27, 2013
During more than a century of innovation, automobile manufacturers have dreamed up some unusual body designs. From strange to stunning, the large majority of them were created in an effort to increase driving performance by reducing wind resistance. When a network of high-speed motorways began to blanket the world, the need for genuine advances became ever more important and scientific experimentation yielded vehicle shapes that were becoming increasingly sophisticated. The Petersen Automotive Museum exhibition Aerodynamics: From Art to Science will present an entertaining and enlightening visual overview of the landmarks of aerodynamic design. From the quirky 1928 Martin Aerodynamic and pioneering 1940 BMW 328 Mille Miglia to the latest ultra-efficient concept cars of today, more than a dozen vehicles will be on hand to illustrate how the art of streamlining evolved into the science of aerodynamics.
SCULPTURE IN MOTION: MASTERPIECES OF ITALIAN DESIGN
Through February 3, 2013
Grand Salon
From the grand classics of the 1930s to modern supercars of today, Italian designers have influenced the look of automobiles on a global scale. The Petersen Automotive Museum exhibition on Italian design will explore the many ways in which Italian coachbuilders and manufacturers have contributed to the evolution of the automobile from a collection of disorganized parts to a single, visually appealing unit. Already well aware of the Italian contribution in the look of clothing, art, and architecture, museum visitors will be fascinated to learn that the country that gave the world Michelangelo and Botticelli also gave it the designers responsible for the exotic and inspired automobiles we have now come to expect from Italy.
DUESENBERG SHOWROOM
Through March 3, 2013
During the 1930s, a decade in which style, quality, exclusivity, and performance sold ultra-luxury cars, the Model J Duesenberg stood alone. No other car built anywhere in the world was more powerful, glamorous, or expensive and its luster has not dimmed with time. The three vehicles on display in the latest Petersen Automotive Museum exhibit exemplify the distinctive qualities that have come to define the Duesenberg marque. They also help us understand why “It’s a Duesy” has become so popular an expression among those seeking to describe anything truly extraordinary.
THE ARTWORK OF FRANCOIS BRUÉRE
Through November 4, 2012
Art Wall
While one of Bruére’s early influences was American painter Norman Rockwell, Bruére’s subjects are predominantly automobiles, from concours award winners to Le Mans victors. He has contributed poster art for important concours such as Meadow Brook and Villa d’Este and painted original artwork for numerous car manufacturers, including BMW, General Motors, Harley Davidson and Jaguar. In addition to his painting, he creates bronze and aluminum sculptures and has designed several motor bikes. He is also a member of the “Maison des Artistes”, the largest association of visual artists in France.
IMAGINING THE FUTURE: The Southern California Automotive Design Studio
Presented in Cooperation with Art Center College of Design
Ongoing Exhibit
Visitors will see a comparison of a 1930's studio with a modern-day studio with various examples of the creative process in 2-D and 3-D form from different points in California's rich automotive history. Design demonstrations by Art Center students will occur in the exhibit on the second and fourth Sunday of every month from approximately 10am-3pm.
HOT WHEELS® HALL OF FAME
The Hot Wheels Hall of Fame at the Petersen Automotive Museum, features Hot Wheels® full-size and die-cast cars, original models, wooden patterns, injection molds and drawings of original vehicle designs.
ALTERNATIVE POWER: Lessons from the Past, Inspiration for the Future
From the highly styled 1963 Chrysler Turbine to the General Motors EV1, automobiles equipped with innovative propulsion systems are presented to illustrate the growth of alternative vehicle technology.
MAY FAMILY DISCOVERY CENTER
Open Tuesday–Friday, 10am–4pm, and Saturday & Sunday, 10am–5pm
The May Family Discovery Center is an interactive learning center that teaches basic scientific principles using the fundamental elements of the car.
SPECIAL FEATURES AT THE PETERSEN
SPECIAL EVENTS AND FILMING – Please call (323) 964-6348 or visit www.petersenevents.org to host your event or shoot film at one of LA's most exciting venues!
BIRTHDAY PARTIES – The Museum offers a wonderful venue for children’s birthday parties. Party guests can enjoy all three floors of the museum including the May Family Discovery Center. For more information or to book your party, call 323-964-6373.
SCHOOL TOURS – Taking a field trip to the Pete is an excellent way to teach your students about the history of Los Angeles and its intertwined relationship with the automobile. Students learn basic scientific principles and their applications as they explore hands-on activities in the Discovery Center. School Tours focus on history/social science, visual arts, and science & technology. Call (323) 964-6358 for information and reservations.
GROUP TOURS – A docent-led tour is available to groups of ten or more – (323) 964-6346
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES – Come and be a part of the Petersen’s “Pit Crew”. For an application or more information call – (323) 964-6358, email [email protected], or visit www.petersen.org.
MUSEUM STORE – Excellent souvenirs and gifts for auto enthusiasts (323) 964-6328