Art, like all the other cool things in LA, is moving east with a new cluster of art galleries staking a claim in Hollywood.
For contemporary art, there used to be only two hubs in LA: Venice and Culver City. You could find fine art galleries in WeHo and street art galleries downtown, but for contemporary art, the West Side had a monopoly. That is changing rapidly.
Kelsey Offield opened Gusford Gallery on Melrose at La Brea in February 2013. She was one of the first to bring contemporary art to Hollywood, preceded only by a few big names willing to take the risk on uncharted territory.
Renowned dealer Perry Rubenstein moved his operation from New York to Hollywood in June 2012. Just after, Regen Projects, a veteran LA gallery, moved from West Hollywood to Hollywood, becoming neighbor of Rubenstein.
There’s a sense that momentum is building.
“It’s only been a year at most, but you can see it,” Offield says.”You can feel it happening.”
So why the exodus? Offield, previously based in London, took a long time deciding where to open in LA.
“In Venice, there’s no space,” she said. “It’s too expensive to operate a gallery for newer artists. Culver City is already so established, that there’s no room to break new ground.”
The remaining options were Hollywood and the Arts District in DTLA. She felt Hollywood represented the more practical option, separated from the old guard, but not too far away. “We wanted to be like the redheaded stepchild of the fine art galleries in WeHo,” Offield joked.
Rumors of further growth of the Hollywood cluster are swirling, and there are more openings on the way to back them up.
Abbott Kinney art staple Aran Cravey is leaving for Hollywood, with a gallery scheduled to open in December. Her website’s front page is now only a photo of a hand taping a piece of paper to a wall. The paper reads, “Moving.”
Follow Isaac Simpson on Twitter at @Isaco525
