Show & Tell: Harry Smith Archive

Art Making & Talk

Harry Smith with Butterfly, 1965. Photo by John Palmer. Harry Smith Papers, Getty Research Institute, Los Angeles (2013.M.4), Gift of Harry Smith Archives

Friday, May 29, 2026

12pm

Getty Center

Research Institute

Free

Tickets are free, but required for event entrance. Your event ticket will also serve as your Center entrance reservation. Please note, there is a fee for parking.

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About

Celebrate Harry Smith’s (1923–1991) birthday and the closing weekend of Brain Drawings: The Art of Harry Smith, on view at the Philosophical Research Society, with a special guided viewing at the Getty Research Institute of material by the artist, musicologist, filmmaker, and esoteric icon. Through objects from the Getty Research Institute’s collection, including Smith’s paper airplanes, tarot cards, pop-up books, and string figures, exhibition curator Rani Singh will share insights into Smith’s experimental pursuits and radical nonconformity that has inspired bohemians and artists for generations.

The celebration continues with drop-in art-making stations inspired by Smith’s whimsical personal collection of paper airplanes.

Brain Drawings: The Art of Harry Smith is open through May 31 at the Philosophical Research Society.

Visit the Getty Research Institute's Exhibitions and Events page for more free programs.

    Know Before You Go

    Duration

    Material viewing time: 30 minutes
    Art Making: Available from 12–2pm on a drop-in basis

    Planning your arrival

    Please bring your tickets with you and have them open on your mobile device or printed. Your event ticket is also your entry to the Getty Center and will be checked upon arrival as you go through security before taking the tram or walking up the hill. We recommend planning to arrive at the Getty Center at least 30 minutes prior to an event start time to allow for time to park and ride the tram up the hill.

    Your ticket will also be checked at the event entrance.

    Event check-in

    Meet in the Getty Research Institute lobby.

    Seating

    Unless otherwise noted, all seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis. We recommend arriving early to guarantee a seat. Unclaimed tickets may be released 15 minutes prior to the event.

    Accessibility

    Wheelchairs are available for free rental on a first-come, first-served basis at the Lower Tram Station above the parking structure and at the Coat Check Room in the Museum Entrance Hall.

    Assisted listening devices are available for this event. Please request one from our Visitor Services associates when you check in.

    For more information on how we can support your visit to the Getty Center, learn about accessibility at Getty.

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