THE CULTURE LIST

See Inside the Broad, Los Angeles’s Newest Art Museum

Plus, New York book fairs, rare paintings straight from Spain, and more from the week in culture.

Every week in the Culture List, Vanity Fair editors present a ruthlessly curated selection of parties, art openings, exhibits, and mustn’t-miss events. This week includes L.A.’s newest art museum, Oktoberfest, and an all-star artistic collaboration at the Park Avenue Armory.

The Broad Museum

221 S. Grand Ave

Los Angeles

Opens September 20

One hundred forty million dollars later, Eli and Edythe Broad finally have a new building to park their art collection with the opening of The Broad (pronounced “brode”) in downtown Los Angeles.

Their first exhibit, which includes works drawn from the museum’s permanent collection, including Twombly, Warhol, Kelly, and Koons, has been met with so-so reviews, with Christopher Knight of the Los Angeles Times saying the show “doesn’t gel.” But, a slow start doesn’t mean a slow finish: with a reported $200 million endowment, the museum will soon emerge to be a major player in the art market.

NY Art Book Fair and Brooklyn Book Festival

MoMA PS1 and various locations

New York City

September 18 through 20

There are thousands of bookworms in the Big Apple this week with the arrival of two major book events: the NY Art Book Fair, presented by Printed Matter, in Queens, and the Brooklyn Book Festival. Don’t worry, there’s no need to choose, with the NY Art Book Fair running through September 20, and the Brooklyn Book Festival picking up the same day. For Brooklyn, Jonathan Lethem, Edwidg Danticat, Salman Rushdie and Joyce Carol Oates are all scheduled to speak.

“Treasures from the House of Alba: 500 Years of Art and Collecting”

Meadows Museum

Dallas, Texas

September 11, 2015, through January 3, 2016

European aristocracy comes to Dallas with the arrival of “Treasures from the House of Alba,” a showcase of the noble family’s most important artwork. Many of the pieces, by artists such as Rubens, van Gogh, Rembrandt, and more, are leaving Spain for the first time ever. Presented thematically, a particular highlight of the exhibit promises to be the section that focuses on Duchess Doña Teresa Cayetana’s relationship with tortured Spanish painter Francisco Goya, who painted the royal’s likeness multiple times.

Oktoberfest

Theresienwiese

Munich, Germany

September 19 through October 4

It’s time to eat, drink, and be merry in Munich, Germany, where Oktoberfest kicks off this week. No, it’s not just for debaucherous college students spending a semester abroad—as foodies willing to wonder slightly off the beaten path will be rewarded with a slightly calmer experience, without skimping on the beer and sausages.

Tree of Codes

Park Avenue Armory

New York City

September 14 through 21

Tree of Codes, a Jonathan Safran Foer–inspired dance collaboration between artist Olafur Eliasson and choreographer Wayne McGregor at the Park Avenue Armory, has become the talk of the town with its dazzling visual-arts components and choreography (performed by members of the Paris Opera Ballet, nonetheless). If that’s not enough to draw you in, a score by composer Jamie xx promises to have you tapping your foot all night long.

COLLAPSE

Next Wave Festival

Brooklyn, NY

September 17 through 19

Can the Mississippi River dead zone ever be alluring? Experimental production COLLAPSE is certainly doing their best to try. By LA band Timor and the Dime Museum, the "multimedia glam-rock meets classical baroque concert" seeks to start a bold conversation about our effect on the environment, all with the help of avant garde costumes and unorthodox musical sounds by Kazakh-American opera singer Timur Bekbosunov. Bring your vegan friends.