Hidden behind the facades of commercial properties in West Adams there is a burgeoning art scene. In addition to storefronts and buildings that artists have converted into their work studios, we have an art museum and several art galleries and alternative art exhibition spaces. You will also stumble upon Pop-ups, which are temporary exhibition spaces that suddenly appear and disappear in the neighborhood.
If I step out my door in Arlington Heights and go 2 blocks east or west in either direction on Washington Boulevard, I run into at least 12 art exhibition spaces that have regular or occasional open hours, not to mention all the private studios and art spaces that exist in other locations around West Adams north and south of me.
Heading east on Washington Boulevard from Arlington Avenue, I find one building housing three spaces; two art galleries and the private work studio of artist Ryan McCann, at 2426, 2424, and 2422 W. Washington Boulevard. This building was the former home of Eddie’s Laundromat. Though the building has been refurbished, there are still telltale signs that herald back to the building’s laundromat days.
2426 Set is an alt space — short for alternative exhibition space — started by Brendan Shea and Gabriel Fries-Briggs in 2015. With a background in architecture, they initially used the space as their work studio, producing furniture and pavilions. Brendan and Gabriel chose West Adams because of the affordability and availability of space in the area as well as its central location in the city. What they like most about the area, however, is the mixed land use of commercial and residential property. Brendan and Gabriel were drawn to the old houses of the neighborhood and its proximity to commercial manufacturing, such as kitchen supply, furniture making, re-upholstery and auto shops. They have found it beneficial to meet commercial manufacturers in the neighborhood to talk about problem solving and fabrication.
They eventually transitioned part of their space into an art exhibition area. Along with being a gallery, an office, a library and a workshop, 2426 Set sees itself as a laboratory where they explore art and architecture with an emphasis on Urbanism. “Our current mission,” says Brendan Shea, “is to expand architecture’s audience in Los Angeles by merging production and exhibition.”
Their latest project has taken the shape of book publishing. Their first book is called How to Level a Foundation. According to the book’s intro, it “explores how small institutions can have a direct role in changes in the urban landscape in Los Angeles.”
Most recently, 2426 Set collaborated with the Los Angeles Museum of Geography in presenting the exhibit The Homeless Amongst Us. The show was a mixed media exhibit presenting an intimate look at a homeless encampment through interviews with homeless individuals and a photo essay series depicting life on the streets.
2426 Set puts up shows every three months. For more info go to http://2426ww.com
Next door to 2426 Set and in the same building, is Big Pictures Los Angeles, at 2424 W. Washington Boulevard. This gallery was started by artist and curator Doug Crocco in 2015. The name of the gallery, Big Pictures LA, sounds like a production company, but Doug says he chose this name to poke fun at the hierarchy of high vs low art and how we consume it in a city dominated by the film industry.
The gallery’s mission, according to its website, is to be an open platform project space for art and cultural development. As Doug put it, “Typically, Big Pictures LA puts on four curated shows a year plus a few events throughout the year, like Artist as Muse, a series of experimental life drawing workshop/performance pieces by artist Elena Stonaker, or live experimental audio/visual music performances.” It is also a venue for Slamdance DIG to showcase digital media, including interactive and gaming in collaboration with the yearly Slamdance Film Festival.
Doug found this space in West Adams while looking for a studio to work out of that could also double as a gallery. He chose West Adams because “it’s affordable, there’s great architecture, and it geographically makes sense.”
Currently, the gallery is in between shows. It is open Saturdays 12-5 pm on active show dates and available for viewing by appointment. To find out more go to http://bigpictures.la.
Next, I head west on Washington. As I pass 3rd Avenue, I pass several small galleries/studios in one building, including 3307 and Ochi Projects, which are not open, so I stop at SHOOT THE LOBSTER LA (STL LA), at 3315 W. Washington Boulevard. You can find this hidden morsel of an art space adjacent to the entrance of the Copy Service Express. There is no huge signage from the front, which is consistent with the other alt spaces in the building and many of the galleries in the area as well. The exhibition space is tiny but the artwork is exceptional. I’ve seen several shows here since living in the area and have found the shows to be well executed and compelling.
STL LA is the west coast arm of the project space, STL NY, which stemmed from the traditional commercial art gallery, Martos Gallery, in Chelsea, New York City. Both a working studio and a gallery, it rebranded itself in 2016 as Shoot The Lobster, a project based gallery and a venue for pop-up exhibits. It sees itself as an “anti-white cube box” showing work that is “outside the norm,” including installation, video, and performance art.
STL LA is open Saturday and Sunday from 12-5 p.m. during a show run and by appointment. The next show will start around April 1st. For more info go to http://www.shootthelobster.com.
After leaving STL LA, I make a quick stop at a pop-up that has opened across the street, then proceed west to The Underground Museum, a storefront-turned-museum at 3508 W. Washington Boulevard. There I meet up with Justen Leroy, the museum’s liaison. He explained that originally this space was a live/work studio for renowned painter and installation artist, Noah Davis, and his wife, sculptor Karon Davis.
Justen told me, “This space was first called Inner City Avant Garde. The name changed to The Underground Museum when Noah Davis partnered with Helen Molesworth, the chief curator of MOCA, to bring works from MOCA’s archive to the ‘hood’ to fill the need, since no art spaces existed that were having the conversation we are having here now at the time…The overall intent of the space is to create a pipeline to the bigger world of museum life—without being an intimidating institution.”
Known for promoting world class art and cutting-edge African-American art, The Underground Museum emphasizes inclusiveness as part of its mission. According to Justen, its main mission is access. “It is a contemporary art space and a community space where people can view art as well as educate and uplift the community through community-driven events and wellness programs.” Along with its gallery, store and offices, there is the UM Bar, and in the backyard, The Purple Garden—an amazingly beautiful oasis of nature and art.
Sadly, Mr. Davis passed away in 2015, but he has left behind a tremendous legacy. Along with the museum and a volume of artwork, he left 18 curated MOCA shows all planned out for future exhibits at the UM.
The current exhibit, Non-Fiction, is quite good and thought provoking, with works by Kara Walker, Theaster Gates, Robert Gober, David Hammons, Deana Lawson, Kerry James Marshall, Marion Palfi and Henry Taylor. According to the website, “The exhibition explores the black body and its relationship to history.” Justen describes the show as an “ode to victims of racial violence and an (expression of) resistance.” This exhibit ends in March.
I’m looking forward to their next show in April entitled Artist of Color: Our Take on How to Access Color in Our Community and How to Access Color in Contemporary Art, with works by Felix Gonzalez Torrez, Dan Flavin, Michael Asher, and Noah Davis.
The Underground Museum is open Wednesday – Sunday, noon–7 p.m. Admission is free. For more info go to http://theundergroundmuseum.org.
After the Underground Museum, I head north to Venice turning east down the boulevard. I find START Los Angeles at 2270 Venice Boulevard just east of Western. You can’t miss it as the building’s wall facing Western Avenue lends itself as a canvas and a wall for hire.
START LA was founded by WAHA members, Steve Wallis and Eileen Ehmann. Having lived in Harvard Heights for 20 years, they could not find two things they craved in the neighborhood: good coffee and art. So when they had the opportunity to purchase this distressed historic commercial property in 2016, they went for it. They divided the building into a complex of three spaces—a pop-up gallery, an alt space, home to Monorex and its various projects and the future site of Alibi Coffee Co.
“Much attention has been given to restoring residential buildings in West Adams but less so to commercial spaces,” Steve told me. “This building was built in 1922 in the style of ‘streetcar commercial’ which was typical for the area, especially around transit lanes. (The streetcar rail line ran down 16th Street which was later renamed Venice Boulevard.) This type of building is very utilitarian with little ornamentation, so many are neglected and unattractive. But some owners and businesses are beginning to realize their plain beauty and are starting to restore their exteriors, much to the benefit of the commercial corridors.”
Interested in preservation, Steve and Eileen were able to save the original transom windows in the two storefront spaces. When they purchased the building, the windows were boarded up on both sides with plywood. They removed the plywood and discovered a set of six transom windows, many with the original glass. They had to retrofit the windows and replace some of the glass before rehanging them. Now these windows add natural light and character to the rooms. When they removed the dropped ceiling in the space they found another ceiling above it. They took the second ceiling down and discovered that the original building had skylights, which is another restored architectural feature.
Steve and Eileen operate the 1200 sq. ft. pop-up gallery, a permanent exhibition space that is available exclusively for temporary art shows, community gatherings and other events. The pop-up gallery sign, “__________@StartLA,” is designed to be customized to include the new event name.
Toward the back of the complex is Monorex, a creative agency and artists’ collective primarily interested in the creation and exhibition of street art. Started by Terry Guy, Monorex is a full-time office and a part-time event space. It is also home to his other projects; High Rise Murals, Secret Walls and School Walls.
Monorex is famous for creating artwork for the video game, Grand Theft Auto, and other big projects with world-renown street artists, like Buff Monster, Ron English, and Tristan Eaton. According to Terry’s website, “Over the past decade we have commissioned over one thousand artists from around the globe. We pride ourselves on discovering young unknown talent and offering them a chance to shine in the commercial world.”
Inside Monorex, the gallery is open as an alternative art space for exhibitions, events and as a rental venue. A lot of activity happens here. Terry tells me that tonight the space will host a drink and doodle club. Every month the venue turns into a battleground for a live art competition/show called Secret Walls. Terry has been producing what he calls, “Global Illustration Battles,” for about 10 years in 80 cities in countries all over the world. If you like to watch artists create freestyle artwork and you like the thrill of competition then this is the show worth seeing. Live art battles pit one group of artists against another group to draw or paint with a monochromatic palette within a time constraint. The event includes DJs, drinks and the audience participates in voting for the winners.
Terry puts a percentage of his profits from events like these back into the community. Inspired by the success of Secret Walls, he has created School Walls, a workshop to teach kids about street art and the various paths to making a career in it. The workshop culminates in a live art competition among the children. Clinton Middle School was the first to participate in this workshop.
Outside the gallery is the parking lot, which is also part of the Monorex venue. The walls surrounding it offer a large canvas for rotating art works from visiting street artists on a weekly basis. This has led Terry to connect local building owners with artists to install public art on the commercial buildings in the neighborhood. “These murals have proven to be wildly successful in abating unsightly graffiti (and the tagging wars they beget),” says Steve Wallis. He continues that the murals “have given Harvard Heights residents an exciting new streetscape to complement their community. Kids and their parents—as well as people from around the city—can be seen almost daily taking pictures of these colorful and exuberant murals, which rotate in content as new artists visit Los Angeles.” Eileen Ehmann concurs and adds, “The art effect enhances the neighborhood’s pride in the community. The artwork might not be to everyone’s taste, but it is young, playful, and engaging.”
To find out more about Monorex go to http://comemeetrex.com. To find out about upcoming shows for Secret Walls, follow them on instagram @secretwalls and to find out more about START Los Angeles go to https://www.instagram.com/startlosangeles/
I have only scratched the surface exploring the galleries and art spaces in the West Adams district, not to mention the many artists’ work studios. When talking with the founders of the various galleries mentioned in this article, everyone agreed that the art community’s presence here is somewhat invisible to greater Los Angeles, but they expect it to grow. The guys at 2426 Set foresee the area becoming better known as a pocket of creativity in the near future. The owners of START Los Angeles emphasize that after living in the community for 20 years, their investment has both beautified the neighborhood and has facilitated a dialogue with both commercial and residential neighbors in the area.
“We are growing as a point of reference as an arts community,” says Justen from The Underground Museum when discussing the future of art galleries in West Adams. “There are galleries popping up without causing gentrification—without exploiting or ruining what’s happening here. Small galleries are coming in and surviving. Pop-ups come and go—but what makes the galleries in West Adams successful, it seems to me, is these are hidden gems within the community. Hidden gems are beautiful.” He continues, “How you preserve what’s happening here makes it feel like your community, and that stays yours. Keep it calm, cool, not too flashy, or someone will bite into it and will want a piece of that, and that changes the area and the community. No longer is the gallery for the community but for people outside of the community, who do not talk or want to interact with the community, and that separates us further. Keep it human focused, balanced, genuine, respecting the community with the interest of reaching out to the community instead of just reaching outside the community. We live here. We want to be invited.”
For now it’s our little secret.