this is an incredible place and I almost always have a great time here one time I went, and the staff were chatting really loudly for a long time, inside one of the galleries, and NOT about art , so that was an exception. And another time, I could hear walkie-talkie-radio traffic loudly inside the galleries, and that was also an exception. Other than the exceptions above, I really love this museum read more

If I went to a university that had an on campus museum, I'd never graduate. Fowler had been on my list of LA museums to visit for a while. While smaller than I thought (which is in part because a couple of the exhibits were closed), I enjoyed my time there. There was an extensive display of silver from different centuries from various parts of Europe and America, and it was interesting to see the differences between Irish, Russian, and American silver designs. My favorite exhibit was Intersections, because it shows comparatively how various cultures use art to memorialize and process life stages. It's beautiful to see how cultures meld the tangible (art and creative expression) with the intangible (prayers, grief, etc.) UCLA is already a beautiful campus, so it's no surprise that there is a lovely courtyard in the middle of Fowler. Parking structure 4 will be the closest lot to this museum. read more

I thought I added this picture to my original review and I'm trying to just update it but it's not letting me for some reason however, I wanted to make sure this picture got posted... Such a great guy I have not been to Maude but I have been to Gwen... Those are his restaurants. He was refreshingly, funny, and a truly genuinely good guy. He deserves all the success he has. read more

Fowler Museum - Chef Curtis Stone - Museums Near Me - Los Angeles, California

I attended a LA Times food event and had some time before to explore the exhibits. The space is so gorgeous and I really love all of the art and paintings here. The courtyard is small yet picturesque and they do such a wonderful job of integrating plants and nature into the space. We indulged in food and wine and really took in our surroundings while doing so. We also went to the screening room, which was very spacious and had comfortable seating and superb sound. Parking is easy in one of the visitor lots on campus. read more

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This place is an honest, hand to van Gogh, sensation! I went there as part of bigger Westwood/UCLA day, and this place was the surprise I am most happy to document. The Fowler is located within UCLA, and it is free, so it is a wonder for most to access, which makes it even more special. The art within is accessible, intriguing, invites engagement, and most of it all wonderfully modern. It can engage the person who views art as pretentious, old drawings of people who died in the past. My favorite piece was in the Fire is Kinship exhibit. I did not get the name of the art piece, but I did take both a picture and a video of the work. The video also captured the music that surrounds the artwork. It was the perfect music to underscore the work. The artwork is roses in fire colors--- red orange, and yeloow mostly. While you lay down in a big circle red couch, you could look above and feel the flowers fall gently. They did not, they were held by strings. But, still, I felt a gentle rain of fire flowers fall. But instead of burning my skin, the fire cleansed. I can imagine the rapture changing with these falling flowers. Direct flames will consume the evildoers of the world, and after the first wave of flames cleansed, the second wave would be this gentle rain of fire flowers that healed and soothe the ones who remained. Overall, the fire flower rain was meant for a purpose that was good, it was a warm light, not fire with ill-duties to complete. This place had three or four pieces that invited flights of imagination because they were small spectacles that arrested the attention and then released to worlds unknown. Another example of art that arrests, is the thumping fire heart amidst different colored maracas. The thump, thump of the heart was life's noise making itself known. Another great piece of work, was the replica of a sand ritual. It was guarded by a student who worked at Fowler. Young kinds, ran into the sand, and tried to play with it. Makes sense, kids know sandboxes in parks, if they see a sandbox in a museum one can easily assume why they want to play inside. I stood outside the sand circle. And meditated with the help of the music surrounding the work. The work compelled me to imagine myself in a desert, while I sat in heat that did not scorch, and prayed to a turquoise blue sky. The sand and its rock and other geometric intricacies, worked together to create the ease of flow of the piece, that allow my words to reach the sky. This museum offered escape of though, the works were that eye-catching and thought-provoking. The museum also had this outdoor space. It is not a garden, but more of a courtyard. In the middle was a fountain. Inside the fountain, there was a fly that probably went into the water and likely drowned. I took a picture and posted it to the Yelp. For some reason I thought that the moment created art sponsored by nature and humanity's work. The fly, the water, the hands's of people, created a small moment of death. Me noting it here creates a funeral. The fly will be remembered. Two were there, just chatting, drinking tea, and eating pastries. The courtyard in the middle of Fowler can be used for different reasons. The museum has also wonders. For instance, in the Fire exhibition, I heard a news segment from the mid 90s (I think) about a fire that was started by a lost hiker. The hiker was lost and wanted to use a fire to signal his location. But the fire was not spread. The fire did its worst. The police gave people minutes to evacuate. The television segment explained how different laws, weather conditions, and the Santa Ana winds all conspired to make the first strong and unstoppable. In a museum new segments become informative and educational, in my bedroom news become depressing. Why? Obviously, context matters. This place is not huge but it has a lot to see. It had a Coco-eseque dia de los muertos wedding, with a dog too. It had black and white Japanese koi with red eyes. Spooky in a non frightening way. It hard art from around the world in the form of statues, clothes, weapons and rings. The more I think of what i saw, the more I feel like I did not see or explore it enough. It is a wonder and a sensation and definitely a visit., and for me at least a second and a third. After I will assess., anew. read more

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This museum is in the middle of the UCLA. It is free, and access for everyone. Who likes more anthropomorphic and sociology, will have fun. You can learn about many different tribes of Africa, Canada, historic objects from the Royalties as well as. The silver section is beautiful. Enjoy to walk around too! read more

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Fowler museum is a gem inside the UCLA campus. They always have interesting exhibits which rotate. Added plus - admission is free for students! This is an excellent venue to host events (a few spaces include the amphitheater, courtyard, and terrace). I hosted an event on the outdoor terrace for about 100 people. The space is gorgeous and it was great working with Libby. the events director. We really were able to transform the space for a formal event. Would highly recommend visiting and checking out this museum! read more

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For a very small free museum, it's got a lot of cool stuff inside. Located on the UCLA campus, parking is kind of weird and you do have to pay 6 to 8 dollars to park your car on campus. The museum is not very big we spent around 30 minutes to 45 minutes in there and that was more than enough. There are several cool pieces that I took photos of. The interior is definitely a little bated, and probably need a remodel soon. But for a free museum, we weren't expecting too much. read more

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Was fascinated with all the stuff I saw in this museum. A lot of the stuff on exhibit I've never seen before, so it's pretty educational. read more

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FOWLER Museum at UCLA The Fowler Museum was founded by UCLA Chancellor Franklin D. Murphy in 1963. Within the span of 50 years, the Fowler Museum has become one of the nations's premier repositories of World arts. The collection of art focuses primarily on Africa, Asia and the Pacific, and the indigenous Americas. The Fowler's holdings are distinguished by their diversity in art. 70+ beautiful cultural pieces of art. Remarkable individuals, their innovative thinking, and the generosity of collectors and donors have contributed to the development of the Fowler Museum. Visit the museum and become part of a cultural experience, be encapsulated by its trendsetting art, beauty, and celebrate its 50 years of great historical existence. read more

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The museum has a wealth of artifacts and the perfect quiet ambience that allows you to just peacefully wander and learn. The exhibits had something from all parts of the globe---Vietnam, the Congo, Russia, England, Germany, Ireland, Armenia, and so much more. It was delightful to see art from my own culture! read more

It's unfortunate that the Fowler is tucked like a baby within UCLA's campus. As nice and respectable as the building is, it's a way-way-way-too-small one-floor museum with a huge, stellar collection -- almost all of which doesn't see the light of day. Move the Fowler to a more visible location and give it more square footage then this museum would be one of most compelling art museums in the United States. With that said, if you can figure out how to get here, the 'Fowler at Fifty' is an exhibition worth the effort. Nearly 1,000 items from the collection are on view and it shows off what this museum is all about: indigenous art of Africa, Asia, the Pacific, the Americas, and even some European items to round it all out. read more

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They have wonderful new exhibits here, so I had to check them out. I love this museum on UCLA's campus. Last time I visited it, I underestimated it, I thought it was smaller than it is. I also wanted to come back and browse slowly their permanent collection, revisit it.I'm glad I did, it's a nice collection if you';e interested in history of civilizations from all over the world. Great new exhibits. There aren't too many people around, so it's quiet, nice, relaxing, you can take your time. Love their inner courtyard. Nice visit, if you study at UCLA, it's a must! It's free and cool! Great museum, cool building, nice campus (stumbled into a Native American festival on the way which was fun to check out). If you live in LA and haven't been to Fowler, check it out next chance you'll be in the area. read more

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It was a day to museum hop and this was one on the list! We walked the UCLA campus to get to the museum. There is no admission price. It's an intimate space but with plenty to see. We took our time checking out the exhibits. I didn't know they had such a large collection of silver pieces (Reflecting Culture)! The courtyard is beautiful with a small fountain. Consider this museum to fill half your day. read more

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Every time i visit this museum, i always find something in the permanent collection that i hadn't noticed or appreciated on prior visits. Viewing these artifacts in text books does not do the sculpture's, textiles,masks, and pottery any justice. To gain more appreciation and understanding of these relics, i highly advise those to study up on the religious and cultural context of the items in the collection before visiting. You can also bring your headphones and listen to the museums "Audioguide" (located on their website's "Exhibitions" page, under "Interesections: World Arts/Local Lives) while viewing the work. The rotating exhibitions are equally as enjoyable to view! read more

Fowler Museum - Saya Woolfak's "ChimaTEK Life Products" from the "Disguise: Masks and Global African Art" 2016 Exhibition - Museums Near Me - Los Angeles, California

We were in the Westwood area and Stephen gave me the tour of UCLA, which so happens to be where he works. After visiting his office, we came across the Fowler Museum. While Stephen has been here many times, it was my first visit, and I was quite impressed with this small museum. They have 2 permanent collections and 2 rotating exhibits. The courtyard, located in the middle of the museum, is quite tranquil. You can view the entire museum in an hour or so. There's even a quaint gift shop, with fair trade items. Admission is free, but they happily accept donations. read more

Fowler Museum - Tranquil courtyard - Museums Near Me - Los Angeles, California

If you're going to visit the campus, take a peep! It's an easy square to go through fairly quickly. You'll have to check-in your backpack in the front. read more

A little disappointed in that museum. Not super into their collection and it was very small. I'd rather go to brand or Getty if I wanna see beautiful things. read more

I like history so this place is nice! They have rotating exhibits so they keep it fresh. They also use multimedia within the museum so there's videos, pictures, and interactive displays. Admission is free but they are closed on certain days of the week so check beforehand read more

Lovely place on the beautiful UCLA campus. If you are a non-student try and go on a Sunday, parking will be easy and you will have plenty of elbow room. The museum is intimate, with nice displays and well lit. They have a large amount of security staff. Not really sure why. A lovely little museum on a lovely large campus with plenty of room to enjoy the exhibits. read more

Fowler Museum - Drums!!! - Museums Near Me - Los Angeles, California

I'm giving the Fowler Museum, has a whole, four stars because I do like their exhibits & its free!. They have a new exhibit titled: The Art of Hair in Africa. It is a very small exhibit that showcases combs and hair pins from several African countries such as The Congo, Nigeria, South Africa, Ghana, and I believe Kenya. This is my issue with the museum..it is on the UCLA campus so there many professors and grad students whom are either from an African country or who have traveled to a one on many occasions. How is it not possible that they are not able to get more items for their shows; either via lending or donating from such people who are associated with UCLA - a well renowned University? Plus, there are many Africans who now call Los Angeles and other cities their home. It would have been better if they could have found a way to represent more countries than just five(5).. read more

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Amazing and free!! It has some neat and unique stuff and is just very cute. It's kind of hidden though. I was at UCLA for 2 years and never knew about it. Maybe I didn't look hard enough but in any case, now that I know where it is, I'm definitely going periodically to check out new showcases! read more

I cannot believe this place is right on campus for students to enjoy. And it's FREE. It's a small building, but that's the charm of it - easy to navigate and intimate. You walk in and all the exhibits are in a circle with a beautiful, serene courtyard in the middle of it all. The native/historic permanent collections are pretty cool, but I prefer the feature exhibits and modern art. I saw a pretty fascinating exhibit: X-Voto--The Retablo-Inspired Art of David Mecalco. I LOVED the Ethnic Studies exhibit -it was TOO PERFECT and relevant to what is going on right now. I saved the best for last after i explored all the exhibit rooms, the courtyard was very bright, clean and quiet- really an escape from the campus hub-bub. I think everyone should take advantage of this being right on campus read more

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Its a free museum in the heart of ucla's north campus, and it's beautifully maintained. From the outside it looks small but it's actually pretty big inside, and you can easily spend upwards of an hour looking at all the exhibits. On the weekends they'll often have activities for smaller children in the center of the museum read more

I went to the Fowler Museum several years ago to check out some temporary exhibits. One exhibit contained some artifacts on a people in Africa. Another exhibit contained photographs documenting Japan post-earthquake/tsunami disaster. For the record: Hours vary for the museum. Free entry to the museum. read more

A bit small. It's in the UCLA campus so I've been there countless times for class. Not the most spectacular but definitely interesting a good place to festered especially since it's by the bottom of Jan steps where you can lounge outside on the grass. read more

This is a pretty cool museum located on the UCLA Campus. We came by this weekend to check it out. The exhibits we saw were very cultural from all over the world and very interesting. There were lots of Asian, African, New Zealand, Mexican, South American items on display. My favorite exhibit would probably be the silver metals exhibit where the metalwork was very detailed and intricate. The courtyard in the middle of the building is very cool and relaxing. The museum itself is very modern and top notch. Park in Parking Lot 4 off Sunset Blvd at Westwood Plaza. Parking is $3 per hour. read more

Even though I was a student at UCLA, I never really took advantage or even really acknowledged that the Fowler museum was there to be enjoyed. What's worse is that I often associated the Fowler with the Hammer museum and wouldn't even realize there was a difference between the two. I think that speaks to the Fowler museum's location right next to Janss Steps on the UCLA campus. If you were or are a student at UCLA, you'd pass by it several times without ever going in which would be rather unfortunate as it is a quaint and really pretty nice museum. I went here last Sunday as it was the final day of the Steeped in History: The Art of Tea exhibit and as an avid tea drinker, I knew I had to catch it before it was too late. Although the museum is small, this particular exhibit had enough to pique your interests and also to lay some knowledge as well. Check out the photo tour on the website (http://www.fowler.ucla.edu/incEngine/?theme=fowler_main&content=information_manager&information_manager_id=88) I expected more of an interactive exhibit with more about teas as opposed to the history of tea but it was an intriguing exhibit nonetheless. The people working at the Fowler are extremely polite and helpful as well and best of all...the museum is FREE. Parking can be steep at 9 dollars for the day but they also have pay-by space at Lot 4 which is practically beneath the museum. Also, you can do what I did and park in the surrounding neighborhood on Gayley Ave. or Landfair and then walk to the campus. It's not too bad, and it'll feel like a brisk walk on a comfortable Sunday afternoon. Plus, because the museum is only open 12-5p on Sunday, you can soak up the different parts of the campus. Or, you can bone up on your knowledge at the museum and then bone up on your fitness at the Wooden center right after...which is what I did with my buddy Stephen who was none too happy about being dragged to the exhibit (I couldn't find anyone else to go with me, sorry dude). All in all, a great way to spend on Sunday afternoon. read more

First things first: If you've never been to UCLA, you park in the general garage by turning off Sunset onto WESTWOOD. It was really tricky for me to find parking the first time. Pay-and-Go or all day pass for $9. This is a quaint little museum with four distinct rooms that branch off the central square courtyard. This way you can easily just walk from one exhibit to the other. The staff are helpful in offering information on the exhibits as well as directions for the rest of the campus. What really surprised me was the quality of their own collection as well as their presentation of the traveling exhibits. At the time I went, there was a collection of silver jewelry from Taxco, Mexico. The floor layout, lighting, and visual presentation of the pieces was worthy of a much larger museum. It's free, so you can't go wrong. However, expect to pay between $6-$9 for parking. That's where your ticket price comes into play. read more

Since I was at UCLA over the weekend, I popped into the Fowler to check out Street Art: Photographic Elevations of Los Angeles, Paris and Berlin. The exhibit is displayed on the walls surrounding the central atrium and I thought this made the works seem a bit disjointed and flat. The panoramic photographs of street art scenes (mostly graffiti art) were visually interesting, though lacking substance and depth--unfortunate since the subject matter is so culturally rich. The Korean ceramics show surprised me. The displays are stunning and worth seeing while you're there. I don't know who handles the plumbing over at the Fowler, but the entire gallery space smelled like a public restroom. Thank god I had a cashmere scarf with which to cover my nose while I was inside. read more

I guess one of the coolest things about going to UCLA is that there's a museum on campus. And it's not just your average library exhibit either, it's a legitimate museum! No big deal, I guess (but it actually is). Recently the Fowler Museum has hit its 50th anniversary (happy birthday, Fowler!) and is currently showing over eight new exhibitions as part of its Fowler and Fifty celebrations, which show a diverse variety of collections from different cultures. However, my favorite exhibit currently is definitely the Intersections exhibit that has been running for quite a while now, my first time seeing it was last year; but according to the website, it's been running from at least 2006. They have the usual artifacts, but I love the video ethnographies/histories they have. It really allows you to see, almost like through mini window into cultures from all over the world and I think it's really cool. Admission is free, for EVERYONE. WHAT?! My only gripe about this place is the limited/random hours they have sometimes. I mean, they're not that random but sometimes I'll drop by and it'll be closed (Monday and Tuesday). Either way, this place is truly a gem and one of the most under-rated places on the UCLA campus, especially for its cultural value, maybe because it lies right under the shadow of neighboring Royce Hall and Powell Library. :( Probably one of the best times to visit is right now with all the Fowler at Fifty exhibitions happening, so don't miss out! read more

Small museum set among the enormous grounds of UCLA. Exhibits are frequently updated and I have seen good photo exhibitions- it does nto get too crowded so you can stop and stare- great! Closed on MON AND TUES New Collection is really thoughtprovoking. Women and Water, African writing systems and so on.... read more

Lol I just remember coming here during freshman year of college, aka way back in Fall 2005, for an extracurricular project for my Education course. Free admission and right on campus, so Fowler Museum was a go for me. Well, the only thing I remember about it was the condom exhibit.... which was interesting... full on gowns and dresses made out of thousands and thousands of condoms.... that is all. Oh wait, I also bought a CD filled with African songs. Why, you ask? I'm not sure....... read more

Very interesting museum, very diverse. Came here a couple months ago and was impressed with the art.

They only had 3 of their 4 exhibit halls open when we came here, and the first two exhibits (silver and desert paintings) weren't very exciting. Their third exhibit blew us away though - Intersections: World Arts, Local Lives. It's definitely worth coming to this museum just for this exhibit. They have artifacts and objects from cultures in Africa, the Pacific Islands, and Central America. Some of the pieces have an incredible amount of detail (I think the masks were my favorite). It's a very well-done and well-organized exhibit. The only downside to our visit was that It was pretty difficult to find parking. I probably should have read George R.'s review before coming here... that definitely would have saved us half an hour. Go to parking garage 4 and use their Pay-N-Go parking. read more

Exhibitions: The Fowler Is a beautiful place. Insightful and intriguing. They have a nice patio/atrium area with a fountain that is peaceful to listen to. They have a beautiful silver collection on display right now (as of Oct.2014) and an exhibit on tapestry/embroidery. Atmosphere: Has the feel of a college student art gallery. Gift Shop: Very lovely, a bit steeply priced. Often they coordinate their trinkets with what they have on display in their exhibits. read more

Nice little museum on the UCLA campus. Admission is free, although parking is a pain in the you-know-what. $10 for all day parking. Two hours will run you $6. The hours are a little funky. Best bet is to go on a Thursday when they close at 8pm There's always something interesting at Fowler. We showed up in the middle of a jazz concert. As of this review, there's an exhibit about the people of the Benue River Valley of Nigeria. I think KCRW has some stuff here too. The Fowler is a nice bit of culture on the Westside. Recommended. read more

When I saw Marshall Field on the map, I was expecting to do some department store shopping and buy Frangos. Oops. Not the same Marshall Field. (And if you get this reference, you're probably a Bruin from Chicago.) Since I couldn't shop, I wandered next to Royce Hall and found the Fowler art museum. The Fowler contains four galleries that are easy to navigate. They contained a diverse range of subjects, but the permanent collection focuses on art from Africa and Central America. Like the Hammer, it's free, but parking is not. Our visit took a rather fast 30 minutes because this was not my kind of art and why it took a lengthy 25 years to visit for the first time. read more

I was at UCLA waiting for a friend so I decided to check this place out. It's pretty cool if you're interested in cultural anthropology. There's alot of statues, fabrics, and photographs. The desk people were hella nice so it made my experience great aside from the cool exhibits. read more

Nothing beats free admission! I was on campus for a commencement. While I waited for the commencement to start (we went super early to stake out good seats), I stopped by the museum. I enjoyed the exhibits in the museum. There was an exhibits on the Art of the Austronesians (Indo-Pacific people) and I learned that aborigines from Taiwan are actually Autraonesians who didn't leave; whereas the rest of them traveled all over the Indian and Pacific Oceans and settled in other countries. Being Taiwanese, it was interesting to learn that piece of information. The other exhibits were also very nice. The museum store was a bit small but it has many clearance items. You can walk through the museums in an hour if you are not reading each sign. The middle courtyard area has a nice fountain. I would love to visit again to see other exhibits. read more