Shopping in crowded stores not your thing today? Here’s a stress-free suggestion: Stop by Pasadena’s Norton Simon Museum for a closer look at a new Vermeer on loan from the National Gallery of Art in Washington and catch the Marcel Duchamp installation before it closes next week. more ›

HIP HOP CULTURE:* Kids and adults tonight can sample and try out the four elements of hip-hop: turntables, dance, spoken word and graffiti art at the Ford Amphitheatre’s J.A.M. Session tonight. Culture Shock Los Angeles, in collaboration with established artists Man One (Crewest Gallery) and DJ Hapa (Scratch DJ Academy), will host “Hip Hop Shock,” at 7 pm tonight. The event is free. more ›

We're big proponents of the idea that art is in the eye of the beholder. Questioning the definition of art is nothing new - Marcel Duchamp and his gang with their altered Mona Lisas, Jasper Johns with his flags and Ballantine Ale cans, and Richard Lair with his Thai Elephant Orchestra are but a handful of artists who have forwarded the idea that art is where you find it. In the city, there's a... more ›

The Hammer Museum has free admission all summer. And it's air conditioned. Of course, the galleries are organized around a central courtyard, but last weekend, when the rest of the city was as scorching as it was today, that little courtyard felt like an oasis of shade and calm. Parking in the building costs $3 with the Hammer's validation, or there's a Metro Rapid stop right outside. They've also got some cool nighttime events going this summer, including this indie rock concert series. more ›