Founded by Dr. Armand Hammer, the museum was originally built to house his private collections of old master and 19th-century European paintings. It became part of UCLA in 1994, and since 2014, admission has been entirely free to the public.story

Stampede is a visual survey of the ever-moving kaleidoscope of systems of labor, building, and destruction, inspired by artist Christina Joseph's research on the Underground Railroad. Joseph, a Los Angeles-born artist currently pursuing her MFA from UC Irvine, uses ceramics to address themes of identity, history, beauty, and labor.
'Built In' is a group exhibition of newly-created, site-specific works that richly engage the built-in architectural and historic elements of the VDL House (1932 / 1965). Showcasing work by 32 artists, designers, architects, and creative practitioners, the exhibition celebrates the possibilities inherent to residential programming by inviting participants to dialogue with various structures intrinsic to the residence.