May at LACMA

EXHIBITION OPENING The Magna Carta On view now through May 5 In celebration of BritWeek, an original Magna Carta from the Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford, is on view at LACMA. The Great Charter granted by King John on June 15, 1215, and reissued throughout the thirteenth century, set key limitations upon royal authority. A landmark in the history of democracy, it remains to this day an important symbol of freedom and the rule of law. Learn more about the Magna Carta at LACMA See Ironclad, a film about the Magna Carta, May 5 See BritWeek film Beyond Time: William Turnbull, April 30 This exhibition is organized by the Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford, as part of Brit Week 2011, and is made possible by Qualcomm and John Wiley and Sons. Additional support is provided by Irwin and Joan Jacobs.

LATE NIGHT AT LACMA The Inquisitive Musician May 7 | 8–11:30 pm Late Night at LACMA brings together art, music, and after-hours access for an intimate experience in the museum unlike any other. This night features a performance of The Inquisitive Musician, a concert with text, in which self-taught and academically trained artists battle in the "struggle for precedence" in a contemporary spin of an age-old satire. A set by DJ Teebs, an acclaimed film by media artist Luke Fowler, and beer garden round out the night. Learn more and purchase ticketsRSVP on Facebook

EXHIBITION OPENING The Mourners: Tomb Sculptures from the Court of Burgundy May 8–July 31 This beautiful and emotional exhibition features nearly forty sculptures from the tomb of John the Fearless (1342–1404), the second duke of Burgundy. The tomb included an elaborate gothic arcade with a solemn processional of alabaster figures of monks and clerics. These sculptures, known as the mourners, are small-scale embodiments of late medieval devotion and are shown wringing their hands, drying their tears, lost in solemn contemplation, and hiding their faces in the deeply carved folds of their robes. Learn moreCatch the opening lecture for the exhibition, May 8 See a dance performance based on The Mourners, May 21 Check out all current exhibitions Purchase the catalogue The Mourners was organized by the Dallas Museum of Art and the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Dijon, under the auspices of FRAME (French Regional and American Museum Exchange). The exhibition is supported by a leadership gift from the Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Foundation. Additional support is provided by the Florence Gould Foundation, the Eugene McDermott Foundation, Connie Goodyear Baron, and Boucheron. Major corporate support is provided by Bank of the West. This exhibition is supported by an indemnity from the Federal Council on the Arts and Humanities.

FILM SERIES The Elemental Cinema of Terrence Malick With the much-anticipated release of The Tree of Life this May, acclaimed director Terrence Malick will enter his fourth decade as a filmmaker. One of cinema's greatest poets, his films capture the immediacy and wonderment of someone exploring uncharted terrain. All films begin at 7:30 pm.May 12—Badlands, Q&A with Sissy Spacek May 13—The Thin Red Line, Q&A with Jim Caviezel May 14—Days of Heaven, Q&A with Jack Fisk May 20—The New World, Q&A with Jack Fisk and Jacqueline West Learn more and purchase tickets View a calendar of films in May The 2010-11 film program is made possible by the generosity of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association®

MUSE ARTWALK May 14 | 12–8 pm LACMA Muse's major annual event attracts audiences of all ages to the museum for a day and night filled with live music, dance performances, large-scale installations, interactive art projects, and a number of unique happenings in neighboring galleries along Miracle Mile.Learn more

FREE TALK Two Centuries of Black American Art: A 35th Anniversary Roundtable May 14 | 2 pm In 1976, LACMA presented Two Centuries of Black American Art—one of the first museum exhibitions recognizing the importance of African-American artists. David Driskell, professor emeritus, University of Maryland, and one of the nation's foremost scholars of African American art served as curator; he returns to LACMA to reflect on that groundbreaking exhibition and the state of African American art today. Joining him in the discussion will be LACMA curators Franklin Sirmans, Austen Bailly, and Brooke Anderson, as well as Bridget Cooks, assistant professor of African American Studies, UC Irvine. No reservations required.Learn more

SPECIAL EVENT The Art of Wine—Burgundy: The Wine of Kings May 14 | 6 pm In conjunction with The Mourners, LACMA presents the fourth installment of its popular Art of Wine series. The evening includes an exclusive tour of the exhibition, followed by a tasting of wines from Burgundy—considered so important that Philip the Bold issued an edict in 1395 safeguarding its quality. Barbara Baxter of Planet Wine will share information on Burgundy's winemaking tradition and sommelier Philippe Marchal will introduce five wines to be sampled, all from the prestigious winery, Maison Louis Jadot. Each wine will be accompanied by a carefully selected amuse-bouche or hors d'oeuvre. This event sells out fast so be sure to reserve your tickets.Learn more and purchase tickets

EXHIBITION OPENING Tim Burton May 29–October 31 This major retrospective explores the full range of Tim Burton's creative work, both as a director of live-action and animated films, and as an artist, illustrator, photographer, and writer. Taking inspiration from pop culture, fairytales, and traditions of the gothic, Burton has reinvented Hollywood genre filmmaking as an expression of a personal vision. Featuring over 700 drawings, paintings, photographs, moving-image works, storyboards, puppets, concept artworks, maquettes, costumes, and cinematic ephemera, Tim Burton is expected to be the must-see exhibition in L.A. this summer (more than 800,000 attended at MoMA!). Learn more about Tim Burton Join LACMA now and see Tim Burton for free Have Tim Burton sign your exhibition catalogue, May 28 Purchase the catalogue This exhibition was organized by The Museum of Modern Art, New York. The Los Angeles presentation was made possible in part by LACMA's Wallis Annenberg Director's Endowment Fund.

SPECIAL EVENT Target Free Holiday Monday May 30 | 12–8 pm  In honor of Memorial Day, LACMA is offering free admission, plus family activities, performances, and special gallery tours—all for free! Please note that admission to Tim Burton is not included with Target free admission.  Learn more

STARK BAR AT LACMA Spring Happy Hour Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday; 4–6:30 pm  Through the end of the month, come to Stark Bar for the Spring Happy Hour and get $6 cocktails, $5 select wines by the glass, and $12 for any flatbread and Copper Hook beer combo.View menus for Stark Bar and Ray's

MORE AT LACMA... Free Jazz at LACMA concerts continue every Friday night Screenings of French film Hadewijch on May 6 and 7 Artist Walead Beshty talks with LACMA's curator of photography May 8 Free Korean furniture making demonstration on May 8 Mother's Day brunch at Ray's on May 8  Talk by Amelia Saltsman, author of The Santa Monica Farmers' Market Cookbook, on May 8 Latin Sounds, LACMA's free outdoor concert series, begins May 28

IN THE COMMUNITY Mark Morris Dance Group May 5–8 | Music Center's Dorothy Chandler Pavilion Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance at the Music Center welcomes the first-ever collaboration between the Music Center and LA Opera. Mark Morris Dance Group performs L'allegro, Il Penseroso ed Il Moderato, featuring 24 dancers, world-class vocalists, and instrumentalists. Learn more. UCLA Live presents Lucinda Childs: Dance May 6–7 | UCLA Celebrating more than three decades of Lucinda Childs' acclaimed creative vision, UCLA Live presents a revival of the acclaimed choreographer's visually arresting Dance, originally created in 1979 and set to music by distinguished composer Philip Glass. Learn more.