Skirball Cultural Center Changing Exhibitions

Don’t miss the Skirball Cultural Center’s changing exhibitions, on view through September 3!

Blacklist: The Hollywood Red Scare

Learn all about the Hollywood Red Scare—a not-so-distant period in US history when Americans’ rights to free association and assembly were under attack by our own government.

In October 1947, Hollywood figures were called by Congress to testify about allegations of Communist propaganda in American films. Although evidence was never found, ten moviemakers were sent to jail for contempt of Congress and the film industry became the first mass employer to adopt an employment ban—known as a Blacklist—against employees because of their political beliefs. Explore the legacy of the Blacklist and reflect on the parallels between then and now.

Peter Krasnow: Breathing Joy and Light

Get lost in the organic forms and vibrant colors of paintings by Peter Krasnow, a Jewish immigrant from Ukraine who spent more than half a century living and working in Atwater Village, Los Angeles. His works are inspired by the language and folktales of his Jewish heritage, the plant life of his home and studio, and the shining optimism of Southern California. The exhibition features an original soundtrack by dublab that interprets Krasnow's life and work through music.

Chloë Bass: Wayfinding

Explore the Skirball’s lush outdoor campus and engage with artwork that poses questions about human relationships. Created by artist Chloë Bass (b. 1984), Wayfinding is organized into five sections—each anchored by an open-ended question presented on a large, mirrored sculpture. Offering an exercise in emotional wayfinding, the exhibition invites us to examine ourselves and how we exist with others.

Images from left: Rally for the Hollywood Ten, featuring the Ten and their families, 1950. Courtesy of the Wisconsin Center for Film and Theater Research; Peter Krasnow, Casa Verdugo (1923, repainted 1963). Oil on board. Gift of Peter and Rose Krasnow. Skirball Cultural Center. Photo by Robert Wedemeyer; Chloë Bass: Wayfinding installation, photo by Robert Wedemeyer.