Broad Strokes

The Broad Museum might be the most instagram-worthy museum in the world. The contemporary art museum opened to major fanfare last month in downtown Los Angeles where opening festivities kicked off with two VIP galas, attended by the art world glitterati including mega-collectors Mike Ovitz and Wendi Deng Murdoch; artists Julian Schnabel, Takashi Murakami and Jeff Koons- all of whose pieces are represented in the Broad collection- Reese Witherspoon and Owen Wilson; as well as former President Bill Clinton- who Broad personally gave a guided tour. The most powerful philanthropist is Los Angeles, Eli Broad self-named and self-financed his $140 million art museum, making it his mission to transform a stretch of downtown into the sort of tourist-worthy museum mile, or arts center, that enriches other cities.

Broad helped to create two leading institutions in LA, the Museum of Contemporary Art, and the Walt Disney Concert Hall- both within walking distance- and has written sizable checks to neighbors like the Los Angeles Opera. His new museum- a space-age building wrapped in a thick mesh skin designed by the architects Diller Scofidio + Renfro, with its blue-chip collection of contemporary art and free admission- is already drawing in eager, art loving, and starchitect loving crowds in masses. Tickets are available through an online reservation system but getting yourself inside the Broad may not happen until Thanksgiving.