What to Know
- "Accidentally Wes Anderson: The Exhibition" at the Santa Monica Art Museum
- $20 per person (other ticketing tiers available); tickets are available through June (select dates)
- Admire over 200 travel photographs in ten themed rooms; the rooms' themes include Doors, Hotels, and Los Angeles
When fanciful photos dubbed "Accidentally Wes Anderson" began showing up in social feeds around seven years ago, fans of the celebrated filmmaker were instantly transported into his quaint-ified movies, frame by frame.
That's because the eye-catching snapshots, which weren't taken by the quirkily minded, corduroy-sporting, singular-of-vision auteur but rather by optimistic travelers and movie mavens, captured a particular je ne sais quoi associated with Mr. Anderson's whimsical work.
Or call it "je ne sais Wes," if you prefer.
Get Southern California news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC LA newsletters.
The bright, often autumnal colors, the stark symmetry found in each frame, and the unabashedly retro hallmarks of visually thrilling films like "Moonrise Kingdom" and "The Royal Tenenbaums" were found within these fun photographs, which were shared on the "Accidentally Wes Anderson" feeds.
Now the social media phenomenon has entered the real world via the Santa Monica Art Museum, where "Accidentally Wes Anderson: The Exhibition" is on droll display through June; tickets are available for purchase on select dates.
Experience-making company Fever co-created the event alongside Accidentally Wes Anderson; EMS Entertainment is producing the exhibit, which features over 200 travel photographs displayed in ten themed rooms.
The Scene
Want to find new things to do in Los Angeles? The Scene's lifestyle stories have you covered. Here's your go-to source on where the fun is across SoCal and for the weekend.
The themes include Hotels, yes, and Lobby — not surprising choices, if you're a fan of Mr. Anderson's "The Grand Budapest Hotel" — as well as Los Angeles.
"We are thrilled to bring this exhibition to Los Angeles, our first large-scale exhibition in the U.S.
and we couldn't think of a better city to debut in." says Wally, founder of AWA
"Our tiny team loves getting lost in all the amazing photo and video submissions the AWA community sends our way, and we cannot wait to share a beautifully curated selection with the City of Angels."
"Our mission has always been the same, since we started AWA in 2017 – to provide a daily dose of delight and inspire a sense of adventure and curiosity for all that wish to participate, we hope that this experience can do just that for everyone that visits."
Don your corduroy, your knit cap, your tracksuit, or some Margot Tenenbaum-style eyeliner and journey through this cinematic, step-inside travelogue now.
