Bowers Museum offers free admission to ‘Eternal Garden’ for SoCal Museum Free-for-All day

The Bowers Museum in Santa Ana will join more than 30 museums and cultural institutions in Southern California in this year’s Museums Free-for-All day. The regionwide tradition welcomes art and culture lovers to enjoy free general admission to participating museums on March 16.

As part of the free-for-all day, Bowers Museum will offer free general admission that will include full access to its featured exhibition, “The Eternal Garden: Titanium Art by Aka Chen.”

“We’re proud to welcome our community for this special event,” Bowers president Sean O’Harrow said in a statement.

Featuring the work of renowned Taiwanese artist and founder of Akachen Jewelry, “The Eternal Garden” is organized by Bowers Museum, with major support provided by the Taiwan Academy of Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Los Angeles and the Ministry of Culture (Taiwan). Additional support is provided by Anne and Long Shung Shih and AUO Display Plus America Corp.

Chen is known for crafting luxury sculptures from titanium, using the precious and innovative material to create bending branches or textured rocks encrusted with rare gems like diamonds, sapphires and pearls. At Bowers, the exhibition uses Chen’s sculptures to create a radiant garden that imagines a gilded world in which nature’s beauty gets drenched in opulence.

Chen opened his jewelry studio in Taipei in 1989 and has famously incorporated elements of Eastern philosophy into his work, particularly Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism. The sparkle of morning dew or the colors on a butterfly’s wings seem even more breathtaking when reimagined with rare gems. Chen’s work has been collected by European royal families and worn by Hollywood celebrities, and although the artist’s work has been showcased globally, Bowers has the honor of hosting his debut solo exhibition in the U.S.

“Free-for-All is the perfect chance for visitors to explore ‘The Eternal Garden’ and experience Chen’s breathtaking fusion of art, nature and philosophy before it closes April 13,” said O’Harrow.

“The Eternal Garden: Titanium Art by Aka Chen” features titanium sculptures with rare gems like diamonds, sapphires and pearls.

(Courtesy of Aka Chen)

Free admission at Bowers also includes eight other exhibitions, including “Art of the Pacific” and “Ceramics of Western Mexico.”

“The Museums Free-for-All has become a touchstone for our community, a time to try something new or return to an old favorite,” said Alexa Nishimoto, SoCal Museums President and Marketing Associate, in a statement.

Museum-goers should keep in mind the free-for-all day applies to general admission, not specially ticketed exhibitions. Regular parking fees apply at each museum, and some may require advance reservations. Participating museums include the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, the Getty Center and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. A full list of museums can be found at socalmuseums.org.