LACMA takes its celebration to the streets with a massive art parade down Wilshire Boulevard

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Spacesuits and caveman costumes will mingle with giant helium balloons, an “Auntie Altar,” marching bands and a 1959 Cadillac on Saturday, as 1,400 painters, performers, dancers, students and artists make their way down Wilshire Boulevard for the Art Parade, a grand opening weekend event organized by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and gallerist Jeffrey Deitch.Participants will walk down Museum Row, under David Geffen Galleries, past “Urban Light,” and loop around Fairfax Avenue.Nearly a mile of Wilshire will close for the event.Some will carry large-scale banners inspired by Shepard Fairey’s Obey campaign and emblazoned with sociopolitical messages; others will hoist a disco ball shaped like the new museum.

Performance artist Amy Kaps plans to literally wrap herself in the U.S.Constitution.

Meanwhile, 99 performers led by artist Gary Baseman and dressed as black cats will create a purring “sound bath” as they stroll down the street.The procession, scheduled from 6 to 7 p.m., caps the museum’s all-day Block Party, part of its grand opening weekend being held Thursday through Monday to celebrate the recently opened David Geffen Galleries.The Block Party includes food and live music and DJ sets by Roosevelt Cordova, Flying Lotus, DJ Harvey and others, as well as free admission to the new building.The parade also fulfills a promise.

When construction on the galleries began, LACMA Director and Chief Executive Michael Govan pledged to neighbors that the main thoroughfare would not be closed during the building process.“I joked, even then, that we’re not going to close Wilshire Boulevard,” Govan recalled.

“But when the building’s done, we’re going to close it for a party.”Los Angeles County Museum of Art’s new David Geffen Galleries represents the riskiest leap taken by any L.A.institution this century.Govan said the parade marks the culmination ...