Artist Shinique Smith traveled from New York to Los Angeles a few times this year to meet with students at Charles White Elementary School, to talk to them about her work and to invite them to help her make one of her hanging sculptures: fabrics mashed together, then suspended to look like unwieldy creatures. LACMA's education department spearheaded this effort, called “Firsthand,” and the best thing about it is that work Smith picked out from LACMA's collection — a bold, red and pink women's suit by Yves Saint Laurent, a ruffle-top evening dress by Bill Blass — has been on view at the elementary school's gallery along with collages by students there since February. 2401 Wilshire Blvd.; through July 19. (213) 487-9172, lacma.org.

Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays-Sundays. Starts: Feb. 9. Continues through July 19, 2013

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