The surreal deal at LACMA is Magritte after 5

“THIS is not a pipe,” indeed. But this is your wallet, and if you want to keep it a little fatter while seeing the Los Angeles County Museum of Art’s special exhibition “Magritte and Contemporary Art: The Treachery of Images,” the deal that saves you five goes down at 5.

Never mind that this is not Abe Lincoln; it’s still legal tender, and you can spend $12 or $15 (weekends) by waiting till twilight instead of paying the rather steep daylight freight of $17 or $20.

For those who think it’s all reet to skip Magritte (apologies to Jackson Browne’s “Late for the Sky” album cover), LACMA’s other galleries are “Free After Five,” as the slogan has it. The museum stays open till 9 Fridays, 8 other nights (it’s closed Wednesdays).

Other free stuff on the agenda includes a curatorial conversation at 8 p.m. Jan. 18 with John Baldessari, the noted artist who designed the “Magritte” exhibition, and a 7:30 p.m. Feb. 1 chat between museum director Michael Govan and artist Jeff Koons (advance reservations required for both). www.lacma.org or (323) 857-6000.

-- Mike Boehm