Museum of Latin American Art

Though MOLAA may be situated on the same property as the Balboa Amusement Producing Company, the busiest silent film studio of its era, history is conspicuously absent from this venture, which is forward-thinking from the structure it occupies to the art it contains. Founded in 1996, MOLAA had an eye-catching expansion by architect Manuel Rosen in 2007. This addition more than quadrupled the museum's overall exhibition area and featured a neat sculpture garden.

The Long Gallery houses the majority of the permanent collection, which includes pieces by one artist from each Latin American nation. Although it would be helpful to provide a bit more context for the captions, many of the works speak for themselves. In particular, pay attention to El Salvadorean artist César Menéndez's slightly enigmatic Canción al Silencio ('Song to Silence'). Additional attractions include a variety of temporary performances, a schedule of special events, and the Viva Café, which presents Latino adaptations of American classics (chicken caesar salad with black beans and a chipotle-tinged vinaigrette). a pleasant outing.

Google Rating: 4.5/5.0
Location: 628 Alamitos Avenue, Long Beach, 90802.
Contact: www.molaa.org
Phone: 562-437-1689
Price: $10 general admission, $7 for seniors and students, children under 12 free.
Opening hours: Wed, Thu, Sat, Sun 11am-5pm; Fri 11am-9pm