The LA art scene has exploded. During my week out west, every conversation’s synopsis was the same: LA has grown up and it is here to stay. From museum-level spaces to artist book signings, open studios and New York gallerists buying up some west coast real estate – you could feel the need and elation for a thriving art community.

Frieze + Felix Art Fair both had some incredible artists and exhibitions: Commonwealth and Council at Frieze, Volume Gallery and Nina Johnson Gallery at Felix to name just a few. The fairs were busy, digestible and friendly but almost felt lackluster in comparison to the events and shows throughout the city itself.

Melrose + Mid-City

Nazarian / Curcio hosted a panel with Summer Wheat and Diedrick Brackens. Tappan lit up Melrose with the gallery’s brick & mortar and Luke Chiswell solo exhibition. Harpers’ group show featured Kristopher Raos and Mimi Jung which in palette were united but in practice, offer an incredible juxtaposition.

Nino Mier mesmerized with Tyson’s uncanny sketches (see my post here). Carpenter’s Workshop welcomed me with a private tour of Vincenzo’s jaw dropping designs. Sean Kelly had the perfect mix of materials with two shows and Ochi Gallery had a morning brunch with Devin Farrand while Lilian Martinez stole the show at Frieze.

Additionally along Melrose we have Francis Gallery in from Bath, UK. They also recently opened their second ever location, choosing LA as their mainstay with a beautiful new group exhibition reminiscent of another time smack in the middle of the strip mall aesthetic we love to hate in Los Angeles. Yet, the wabi-sabi feeling within the space resonates with the broader ethos of the the west coast character. A perfect addition to the mix of shows on.

Downtown + East

The Bendix Building opened its doors on Saturday night for open studios. The family-owned building is full of spacious sun-drenched studios with artists like Caitlin Carney and Mary Little. 

Night Gallery literally blew me away and I’ve seen my fair share of blue-chip galleries. The space felt completely unpretentious at the end of an industrial street in the most southern part of the Arts District. Wanda Koop’s expansive landscapes had room to breath as if the space was literally built for them. 

Canadians in LA

Northern Exposure at Praz-Delavallade was an incredible selection of Canadian galleries and artists. The space was unusual and the owner was charasmatic and excited by the visitor’s response to the show. Karice Mitchell and Jennifer Carvahllo offered a perfect dichotomy in figure. Praz-Delavallade also shares a courtyard with Anat Ebgi who not only had an amazing booth at Frieze but stunning paintings by Karyn Lyons.

Felix & Frieze

Standouts at Felix for me were – Dee Clement’s work at Nina Johnson, which almost immediately sold out. Ridley Howard’s small scale portraits at Marinaro and Motohiro Hayakawa’s drawings at Jack Hanley Gallery (they were $150 a piece and yes I regret not collecting one).

Rob Pruitt’s White (suicide) painting at 303 Gallery and Hernan Bras’ work at Victoria Miro both stopped me in my tracks at Frieze. I saw many classic favourites as well: Wolfgang Tillmans, Grace Weaver and Danielle Orchard but too be honest… I see them every time.

Being kind is cool
Honourable mention: Rhett Baruch Design held an incredible salon in Los Feliz bringing together artist, advisor, designer and real estate. It was essentially a beautiful (gothic style) house party where you could collect everything inside.

People were kind, inviting and eager to discuss artwork, artists, galleries and projects. The sunshine was truly invigorating. Full Takeaway on the blog soon. If you want to learn more about a specific artist or get in touch about advisory, reach out below.