Art Walk Preview for October, 2009
Ed Fuentes
DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — With Halloween just weeks away, let's imagine Downtown Art Walk founder Bert Green as the scientist who created the creature that now runs rampant in the streets. After dark, he closes the doors of his gallery and finds refuge at the Farmers and Merchants Bank, once a month cleverly disguised as gallery space.
Meanwhile, the new caretakers of Art Walk listen to the original intent of the second Thursday of the month and are finding new ways to introduce Downtown as a tamed beast, complete with walking tours and an official blog.
There are those who find Art Walk as an event in crisis, writing in print that it's now at a crossroads (which we have been saying for a year). Looking for an angle, they declare Art Walk dead -- much the same thing said by a youthful Art Walk goer miffed that the gallery he walked into is not serving alcohol.
But in truth, Art Walk isn't dead. It may seeking a new purpose, and may have been better off with Green's year-old idea that the name be changed to a Culture Walk, and a new art walk that features opening receptions for an art buying public be held on a weekend.
At the time, that suggestion brought out the Downtown villagers carrying pitchforks and lit torches wanting Art Walk to keep its name.
That's because Art Walk was about always about showing Downtown and Gallery Row as a safer place, and wasn't created for the purpose of just buying art, so says the mad scientist himself.
Somehow I feel there will be enough people in the streets, and galleries, declaring that the monster that is Art Walk isn't dead.
Cue in flash of lighting and clap of thunder, and shout "It's alive! "It's alive!"
FANTASTIKA, FUTURA, GROTESKA gets into the spirit with a "celebration" of science fiction, horror and fantasy. Featured artist is Erik Jerumanis. Special showings for Art Walk from noon to 9pm and Saturday, October 31st (Halloween), from 6pm - Midnight. Norbertellen Gallery (215 W. 6th, Suite #11)
Graffiti Spirits is Man One's first solo exhibition in five years. After featuring other artists, he deserves to be in his own spotlight as he shows works from 1992 to the present. Crewest (110 Winston)
"Th!inkArt of Chicago and Paris guest curates this exhibition of contemporary French artists who are blazing a trail with an existential angst entwined with humor about mortality." BGFA (102 W. 5th)
Traces of Being: Iran in the Passage of Memories runs until November 21. "These memories capture more than moments in time—they bear witness to unprecedented change and inspire new interpretations of the past, which, in the end, create Traces of Being." A panel discussion with the artists will be held on Saturday, October 17th, at 3pm and a preview of Robert Adanto’s new documentary film about contemporary women artists from Iran will be shown on Saturday, November 7th. Morono Kiang (218 W. 3rd)
The coffee house that gets it, Lot44, opens the Artrium for Julian Toro. (257 S. Spring)
EVAH HART: GROWTH AVENUE is a multi-year photographic study of midwestern domestic rituals as well as the "vertiginous experience of grief, loss and death. As she documents her brother’s terminal illness, Hart’s tense, pressurized detachment bears the psychic weight of great longing and nostalgia." Deborah Martin Gallery (209 W. 5th)
The Search for the Visceral Realists is the first U.S. retrospective for the controversial Latin American conceptual art collective known as the Visceral Realists. Curated by York Chang, in collaboration with Federal Art Project and Pink Cloud Events. Runs until November 14. Federal Art Project (316 W. 2nd)
Natalie DeJohn on October 07, 2009, at 07:12PM – #1
Of course it's alive! I don't think the dedicated art walkers would let it die. I love the artwalk!
Li on October 07, 2009, at 07:31PM – #2
I don't get all this angst about Art Walk. Is it not a good thing that it's attracting huge crowds? I understand the gallery owners being frustrated because they aren't selling art on Art Walk night, and Bert Green's idea to rename the event makes sense. But big crowds downtown is a good thing, people.
Carlyn on October 07, 2009, at 10:48PM – #3
Don't miss this: Scent • Paul Pescador at Oct. Artwalk
7:00pm - 9:30pm compactspace Gallery (next to Pussy and Pooch)
105 E 6th St. • 90014
Los Angeles, CA
renatta tellez on October 08, 2009, at 10:22AM – #4
Dont't forget DUBLAB AT THE DOWNTOWN ARTWALK! Celebrating their 10 year anniversary with a retrospective of Dublab's original art exhibitions, as well as some new work! + Live t-shirt printing by HIT+RUN. CONTINENTAL GALLERY, 4th @ Spring DUBLAB.COM
Justin Sullivan on October 08, 2009, at 12:13PM – #5
The Downtown News article referenced here was a little heavy handed and quick to sensationalize the death of artwalk. I'm not sure that's the case either, and I appreciate hearing your viewpoint.
If, in fact, the original idea of the artwalk has evolved or deteriorated beyond recognition and it's causing a problem for people it should be addressed. However, it seems to be going along pretty well. More people come to downtown which drives business and helps to make the neighborhood safer.
Nobody wants to ruin the experience of living in DTLA. But this is one of the high points of the month for a lot of residents. So there's got to be a middle ground.
Jim Winstead on October 09, 2009, at 05:47PM – #6
i think it is tremendously glib to say that gallery owners are frustrated because they aren't selling art on art walk night. it is an enormous strain for small businesses (gallery, retail, whatever) to deal with the size of the crowd that the art walk attracts now, especially when your stake as a business in the neighborhood doesn't involve packing up your table or driving your truck away at the end of the night.
Joe on October 09, 2009, at 06:05PM – #7
I'm supposed to have sympathy for small businesses because they can't handle the very kind of activity they need to survive? Does DTLA need more failing, closing businesses?
If the businesses are struggling to keep up, there are plenty of unemployed (homeless, even) bodies around here to help them make money.
Robert Banuelos on October 09, 2009, at 06:38PM – #8
i dont think its the size of the crowd but more so the intentions of the crow. thou there are many people who do go with the intent to support the artist and galleries, part of the crowd and businesses that now go attend to make a quick buck and could careless about the art community as well as people who see the event as a big party.