The Library will be closed on Monday, October 14, 2024, in observance of Indigenous Peoples’ Day.

The Library's catalog, e-media, databases, and cardholder accounts will be unavailable for several hours beginning Monday, October 14 at 6 a.m. for maintenance.

No Prior Art: Illustrations of Invention

September 14, 2024 to May 11, 2025

This new exhibition at Central Library's Getty Gallery and citywide program series explores the intersection of art, science, and invention. From historic artifacts to new contemporary artworks, this project features an eclectic range of stories that explore the nature of human creativity and celebrate the inventive spirit.

Inspired by and drawing from the Los Angeles Public Library's patent and intellectual property resources and how the library provides opportunities for active creation and invention, No Prior Art features the work of more than a dozen artists and inventors, many with ties to Los Angeles. The project includes work from Mixografia, a multigenerational art studio that invented and patented a unique three-dimensional printmaking process; Pippa Garner, a trans artist whose outrageous inventions act as an exploration of the body and a critique of consumerism; and KAOS Network, an Afrofuturistic innovation lab in Leimert Park founded by artist/filmmaker Ben Caldwell, among many others.

 



Upcoming Events


LED light and circuit attached to conductive material; words No Prior Art
October 24, 2024 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Let your creativity shine with LED stickers! Learn the basics of circuitry and explore various conductive materials. Join us in creating...


a young child builds a horse with clay
October 30, 2024 10:30 AM
Kids will play with clay and explore “cause and effect” by creating textures in the clay with different objects like leaves, flowers, maíz...


Ceramic Art crafts
November 20, 2024 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Come learn about the development of the technology that is ceramics from the Mesoamerican time period to today! Participants will create a...


Clay ceramics
December 5, 2024 3:30 PM
Come learn about the development of the technology that is ceramics from the Mesoamerican time period to today! Participants will create a...


No Prior Art logo
December 10, 2024 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Take a dive into the world of sustainable, unique mending. Transform one well-loved (stained, ripped, etc.) item using techniques such as...


hand made mobile art
January 25, 2025 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Bring your artwork to life! Learn the basics of circuitry while you create unique and interactive artwork using motors. In this hands-on...


cardboard peices for building on a chalkboard background
February 15, 2025 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Plan, design, and prototype! Learn to use woodworking tools and techniques to design and build a functional stool or chair. Working alone...



Southern California’s landmark arts event, PST ART, returns in September 2024 with more than 60 exhibitions from museums and other institutions across the region, all exploring the intersections of art and science, both past and present. Dozens of cultural, scientific, and community organizations will join the latest edition, PST ART: Art & Science Collide, with exhibitions on subjects ranging from ancient cosmologies to Indigenous sci-fi, and from environmental justice to artificial intelligence. Art & Science Collide will share groundbreaking research, create indelible experiences for the public, and generate new ways of understanding our complex world. PST ART is presented by Getty. For more information about PST ART: Art & Science Collide, please visit pst.art.


PST Art: Art & Science Collide, presented by Getty
Lemelson Foundation logo
National Endowment for the Arts logo
Library Foundation of Los Angeles Logo

This project would not be possible without the generous support of Debra and Norris Bishton, Hope and Stephen Heaney, and Abby Sher. Further support was provided by The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, the Peck Endowment for Cultural Programs, and the Steve and Judith Krantz Foundation.

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