What Is Mavis Pusey’s Mobile Images at the Hammer, and How Do You Visit the Opening-Day Walkthrough?

Short answer

Mavis Pusey: Mobile Images is a survey of the Jamaican-born artist’s geometric abstraction at the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles, with more than 60 works. Its regular exhibition dates are October 11, 2026-February 28, 2027. Curatorial assistant Jessi DiTillio leads a free walkthrough on Sunday, October 11, at 1 pm. The program is not ticketed; capacity is limited and admission is first come, first served.
There is also an earlier public opportunity: the Hammer’s free fall celebration on Saturday, October 10, from 8 to 10:30 pm includes the exhibition. That evening event is separate from the members-only daytime preview and Sunday’s walkthrough.

Key facts

• Venue: Hammer Museum, 10899 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90024, in Westwood.
• Exhibition: October 11, 2026-February 28, 2027.
• Admission: free. Advance reservations are not needed for ordinary museum visits; groups of 10 or more should register as a self-guided tour.
• Regular gallery hours: Tuesday-Sunday, 11 am-6 pm; closed Monday. The museum closes at 2 pm on Saturday, October 10, before the evening celebration.
• Sunday walkthrough: October 11, 1 pm, with Jessi DiTillio. Free, no ticket, limited capacity, first come, first served.
• Weekend parking: the museum lists a $9 flat rate in its garage. Parking is separate from free admission; space is limited for the celebration.
• Practical details checked October 8, 2026. All times are local Los Angeles time. Recheck the walkthrough page before going.

Who was Mavis Pusey, and what does the exhibition bring together?

Mavis Pusey (1928-2019) made abstract paintings and works on paper across a career of about 50 years. The Hammer describes her practice through connections to fashion, printmaking and the urban environments of the cities where she lived. Mobile Images brings artworks together with photographs, personal notes and archival materials, rather than treating geometric abstraction as an exercise in shape alone.
The exhibition is co-organized by the Institute of Contemporary Art at the University of Pennsylvania and the Studio Museum in Harlem. The Hammer describes it as the first major museum survey of Pusey’s work and life. Its account of her Broken Construction series, from the 1960s to the 1990s, connects destruction and renewal to societal change.

How can you start looking at Personante?

The Hammer illustrates its walkthrough page with Personante, an undated oil painting on canvas from a private collection. In that photograph, red-orange angular bands meet dark outlines, green rectangles and circles, and purple-gray forms. A large rounded form near the center has an angular cutout. This describes the published photograph, not a firsthand gallery visit or a guarantee that the painting will be on a particular wall.
One question to try is: which shapes seem to hold the composition together, and which interrupt it? Follow a band across the surface, then see where another shape blocks or redirects it. Compare that observation with a label or archival material in the exhibition. The museum’s account of Broken Construction offers a context for asking about disruption and rebuilding, but it does not establish that Personante belongs to that series. Its date and series membership should not be invented.
This is an editorial looking prompt, not Pusey’s stated intention. Cultural mediation provides a language for linking a viewer, a work and its context. Adaptive cultural mediation is Antre’s own term for an approach that starts with the person’s language, prior knowledge and questions. It is not the name of the Hammer’s program.

Should you choose Saturday evening or Sunday afternoon?

Choose Saturday’s celebration if you want an evening with galleries open late and music in the courtyard. It is free and open to the public, 8-10:30 pm. The museum says an RSVP helps it gauge attendance, but does not guarantee entry: admission remains first come, first served. Food and drink are available to buy.
Choose Sunday if the curator-led walkthrough is your priority. Arriving before 1 pm leaves time to find the program and ask staff about the queue, but does not guarantee a place. If it fills, the exhibition continues through February 28; the walkthrough itself is a one-date event.
For separate LA outings, see the ICA LA visitor guide and the October galleries and open-studios guide. Check each venue’s current dates rather than treating these as one nearby route.

What should you know about access?

The Hammer lists accessible ramps at its Wilshire Boulevard and Lindbrook Drive entrances, accessible parking on P1, and elevator access to the gallery level. All galleries are accessible to wheelchair users. Portable stools are available from gallery staff. If a queue is not accessible for you, ask a Visitor Experience Ambassador about alternatives. For specific needs, consult the accessibility page or contact accessibility@hammer.ucla.edu; do not assume a particular accommodation is arranged for the walkthrough.

FAQ

Is Mobile Images free?

Yes. Hammer admission is free, as is the Sunday walkthrough. Parking and purchases are separate costs.

Do you need a ticket for the October 11 walkthrough?

No. The Hammer says it is not ticketed, but capacity is limited and entry is first come, first served.

Can non-members see the exhibition on October 10?

Yes, at the public fall celebration, 8-10:30 pm. The daytime preview is a separate members-only event. The museum closes at 2 pm before the celebration.

Do you need to know abstract art already?

No prior study is needed to try the looking question above. Begin with what you can see, then use the exhibition’s labels and archival material to test your reading rather than search for one required answer.

Sources

• Hammer: Mavis Pusey: Mobile Images, exhibition dates, artist context, series, organizers and artwork count.
• Hammer: Curator Walk-through, Sunday time, leader, capacity, ticketing and Personante caption/photograph.
• Hammer: Fall Exhibitions Celebration, Saturday public hours, exhibition access and RSVP conditions.
• Hammer: Member Preview, separate members-only daytime event.
• Hammer: Hours & Directions, admission, regular hours, October 10 early closure, address and parking.
• Hammer: Accessibility, entrances, gallery access, seating and queues.
  All six official pages read October 8, 2026. Looking prompts are editorial suggestions, not artist quotations. No firsthand visit is claimed.

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