Ballerina Clown

Venice, Marina Del Rey & Playa del Rey


Even the artist, Jonathan Borofsky, has questioned the taste of this landmark sculpture of a ballerina in a bearded clown mask perched above the corner of Rose Ave and Main St. But he also says – and it's hard to disagree – that it represents the Venice vibe: eclectic, gender-fluid and blending classical technique with a street performer for the masses.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Venice, Marina Del Rey & Playa del Rey attractions

1. Binoculars Building

0.06 MILES

Formerly known as the Chiat/Day Building, this Frank Gehry–designed office building is home to Google and, thanks to its eye-catching architecture and the…

2. Axiom Gallery

0.35 MILES

This spacious contemporary-art gallery featuring sculpture and canvases spread over two rooms always makes for a fun wander.

4. Jadis

0.4 MILES

Don’t miss this homespun, steampunk-paradise museum and shop, grinding with old gears and spare-part robots, antique clocks, concept planes and cars, old…

5. California Heritage Museum

0.52 MILES

For a trip back in time, check out the latest exhibit at this museum housed in one of Santa Monica’s few surviving grand Victorian mansions – this one…

6. Venice Boardwalk

0.59 MILES

Prepare for a sensory overload on Venice's Boardwalk, a one-of-a-kind experience. Buff bodybuilders brush elbows with street performers and sellers of…

7. Edgemar

0.66 MILES

A shopping mall like no other, this was designed by Frank Gehry, whose signature LA work is Walt Disney Concert Hall. It's a relatively early design of…

8. Venice Reconstituted

0.66 MILES

Perhaps Venice's signature mural, it depicts an updated version of Botticelli's Birth of Venus, painted by Rip Cronk in 1989.