Museums Los Angeles

Here are the locations, hours and prices of the politically themed cultural events going on in Los Angeles during the Democratic National Convention: "Madison Avenue Goes to Washington: The History of Presidential Campaign Advertising," Museum of Television & Radio, 465 N. Beverly Drive, Beverly Hills. Wednesdays through Sundays. 3 p.m. Ends Nov. 12. $6; senior citizens and students, $4; under age 12, $3. (310) 786-1000.

Art, drama, film and TV reflect--and, some would say, shape--the nation's social climate. So as the delegates, pols and protesters come to town for the Democratic National Convention, politically themed exhibits, screenings and performances arrive too. One such production is "Madison Avenue Goes to Washington: The History of Presidential Campaign Advertising" at the Museum of Television & Radio.

Democrats are known for espousing commitments to social equality. So, for Democratic conventioneers, any list of essential art sites in Los Angeles would ordinarily begin with "America Tropical," the volatile mural on downtown's Olvera Street painted in 1932 by Mexican master David Alfaro Siqueiros.

Handblown goblets in jewel tones with delicately sculptured stems stand next to imposing chunky glass vases. Large bowls, ladles and boxes in natural woods contrast with highly polished wooden bowls. Molds for butter and gingerbread are carved with floral patterns as intricate as lacework. The richness of handmade objects for use in everyday life is the compelling motif of a show titled "Treasures of Slovenia: Traditional and Contemporary Craft and Design," on view through Sept.

The Autry Museum of Western Heritage and the San Diego-based Native Voices Theatre Company have announced a three-year initiative to cultivate new stage work by--and about--Native Americans and provide opportunities for Native American talent. The program, the largest of its kind, was launched with a $13,000 grant from the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs. It is expected to cost about $100,000 a year in cash and in-kind contributions, plus the cost of productions.

Saturday mornings, Los Angeles kids can leave behind their everyday personas, and for two hours be magically transformed into cowboys, English sleuths, crusaders, hard-boiled detectives, subterranean creatures or evil blob aliens. But these kids aren't assuming new identities via the Internet or performing in films or on stage. They are discovering theatrical ambitions the old-fashioned way--using spoken words and sound effects to create a new version of an old genre: dramatic radio plays.

In what backers said was a step to address the needs of young people, the Los Angeles City Council on Wednesday approved a plan to build campuses of the Children's Museum at Hansen Dam in Lake View Terrace and in the downtown Art Park near Little Tokyo. Approval of the $1-a-year leases for the two sites came after an hour of often heated debate over a proposal, ultimately approved, to require construction to begin at Hansen Dam within five years.

In what backers said was a step to address the needs of young people, the Los Angeles City Council on Wednesday approved a plan to build campuses of the Children's Museum at Hansen Dam in Lake View Terrace and the downtown Art Park near Little Tokyo. Approval of the $1-a-year leases for the two sites came after an hour of often heated debate over a facet of the plan that requires construction to begin at Hansen Dam as a condition for the lease for the downtown site.