The Abstraction Known as Art Walk
Ed Fuentes (Photo Illustration)
DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — Downtown Art Walk has always been an event open to definition and interpretation, so when Richard Schave tells you that "Art Walk doesn't exist," you have to understand that he views the monthly event as an abstraction.
Schave, along with wife Kim Cooper, resigned last month after just five months as the Executive Director of the event, amid reports of gallery unhappiness and a breakdown in communication between Art Walk management and the community. Specifically targeted was Historic Downtown BID head Russell Brown, who Cooper has accused of "bullying and interference" in Art Walk operations.
Perhaps, though, the core of the issue was simply a disconnect in management language.
Schave's Art Walk focus was on big ideas and overarching philosophies. He found his model for the event's management in a visit to the United Lodge of Theosophists, which hosts spiritual and philosophical discussions. The Lodge places no requirement on members to believe a certain way or to take any set responsibilities. "No one is in charge," Schave said. Yet, behind the scenes a non-profit handles the necessary gruntwork of keeping bills paid and the 1927 facility maintained.
"I realized at that moment that that was really my vision of what the Art Walk management should be," he said. By getting the management get out of the way, Art Walk could stay an organic event.
"My goal is to create policy so we can have one sentence or two sentences that when we throw the problem of 'food truck' at it, you get an intelligent response that's in line with what you believe."
While Schave focused on drafting wording that established Art Walk ideals, he did not consider it the organization's role to police participants.
"The Art Walk is not here to tell anyone what to do or what not to do. Hence, complaints that the Art Walk was not enforcing the distribution of liquor in galleries -- that's a job for the LAPD. The LAPD enforces municipal codes regarding alcohol. I don't do that. The Art Walk doesn't do that. I'm not as the director going to engage in a policy where we tell people what they can and can not do."
Art Walk founder Bert Green, who handed the reins over to Schave, approached managing the walk in a differently, finding that organizing "all this fun stuff" was what he enjoyed. "But the unglamorous side is trash pickup, alcohol issues, underage drinking, crowd control, safety," said Green. "The stuff that really is the nitty-gritty . . . of dealing with the unfortunate impact that large numbers of people bring into the neighborhood."
If no pressure was applied to make sure those participating in Art Walk know and follow ordinances, "you're creating an environment within which someone feels it is ok to flaunt the standards of the event that you have created," said Green. "It is your responsibility to do that [policing], absolutely."
Both Green and Brown praise the work Schave and Cooper did creating tours and curating Art Walk events. Still, as head of a BID that spends 75% of its budget on security and trash pickup, Brown takes issue with any management absence from policy.
"As it got really big, there didn't seem to be an understanding that a huge part of the management of the Art Walk was the logistics of the Art Walk," said Brown. "It was the trash, it was the vendors, it was working with the LAPD."
"If you don't have that clean and safe foundation, the rest of it can't grow."
"I think in many ways, they were moving in the right direction," said Brown. "I hope that there is a way to continue those."
As for Schave, he has an appropriately philosophical way of looking at the last month's events. "I decided to move forward in this direction and people are responding and acting accordingly," he said. "I just happened to be the person who all of this is getting acted out through."
"I genuinely believe this is just how it plays out. It doesn't have to be nice or pleasant."
springstreetlayabout on December 10, 2009, at 06:06PM – #1
This line is probably the funniest thing I have read all day: "He found his model for the event's management in a visit to the United Lodge of Theosophists, which hosts spiritual and philosophical discussions."
Why not just base your management style on fortune cookies?
phil on December 10, 2009, at 08:14PM – #2
Best part of the Art Walks are the food trucks! This site http://Mobilecraving.com helps keep track of all the food trucks.
out my wondow on December 10, 2009, at 09:42PM – #3
"He found his model for the event's management in a visit to the United Lodge of Theosophists, which hosts spiritual and philosophical discussions." OMG Richard please stop.
H.P. Blavatsky on December 10, 2009, at 10:37PM – #4
Theosophy, as the Wisdom–Religion, has existed from immemorial time. It offers us a theory of nature and of life which is founded upon knowledge acquired by the Sages of the past; and its higher students claim that this knowledge is not imagined or inferred, but that it is a knowledge of facts seen and known by those who are willing to comply with the conditions requisite for seeing and knowing. As the oldest tradition of human wisdom, Theosophy has been expressed in different ages by such as Krishna and Buddha in the East, by Pythagoras, Plato and Jesus in the West. Following these teachers, lesser voices have supported the central tenet of the philosophy — immortality through reincarnation or rebirth. Bruno van Helmont, Goethe and Schopenhauer, Shelley, Kipling and Masefield, Emerson and Whitman, to name but a few, have all upheld the doctrine given its full philosophical import in the Theosophy presented by H. P. Blavatsky.
Theosophy is not a “Faith,” for “Faiths” may be changed; but, being knowledge which each can make his own, it is not dependent upon dogma or revelation. Theosophists do not demand acceptance of Theosophy; they point out its principles and their applications. Theosophy makes certain statements, but not as statements to be believed. The object of Theosophy is to teach man what he is, through showing him the necessity of knowing for himself and becoming his own authority.http://www.ult.org/
jose on December 11, 2009, at 12:49AM – #5
lets focus on the good all the art walk has brought us who live the neighborhood.. RETAIL!!!!! and SAFETY!!!!! lets get real people.. yeah politics will always be there.. and we always learn to deal with them and survive them.. the art walk needs to GROW GROW GROW and become bigger than it already is and bring more RETAIL ..
Kevin Lynn on December 11, 2009, at 01:52AM – #6
December Art Walk: http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=219490632441&ref=nf
Kim Cooper on December 11, 2009, at 09:54AM – #7
Art Walk Collaborators remember working with Richard Schave and Kim Cooper:
In memory of the five fascinating months when Richard was the Executive Director and Kim was the Curator of the newly formed Downtown Los Angeles Art Walk non-profit, we are honored to share these words of thanks from volunteers and participants.
Despite the smears you may have read elsewhere suggesting that we were disconnected from the management, safety or community aspects of the event, the fact is that we lived, breathed and brainstormed to solve these issues, and formed dozens of valued partnerships to make Art Walk safer, more successful and more meaningful to every participant.
This was what was really going on at our manifestation of the Art Walk: incredible people were coming together and working very hard to make something wonderful happen in the city, and to fix the aspects of the Art Walk that were broken or neglected. It's sad that some in the community didn't want to be part of it, sadder still that they didn't want anyone else to be able to enjoy it either.
But here's the thing about magic: you can't stop it once it's out of the magician's hat. All this good work was not for naught, and the relationships formed at Art Walk are going to survive and transform us into the new decade. We thank all our wonderful collaborators, and can't wait to see where the magic takes us next. Stay tuned to the Esotouric weekly email list if you'd like to join us.
MAJA D'AOUST (Philosophical Research Society): I had a tremendous experience working with Kim and Richard on Art Walk. I found them to be very accommodating, present and interested in ensuring everything went smoothly and safely, and extremely involved in all the proceedings. There were many personal issues and questions I had to ask them during the process, which they dealt with immediately and effectively every time. I found them to be courteous and concerned with everyone involved and constantly asked people if they needed help, volunteering their aid. I had a wonderful experience providing Salons for the Art Walk events and it was a direct result of Kim and Richard's participation in them.
STEPHEN COOPER (Professor of Creative Writing, CSU Long Beach): Working with Kim Cooper and Richard Schave on the November 2009 Los Angeles Art Walk John Fante Salon was a delight. From the time they originally proposed the idea, through several helpful phone and email planning discussions, and culminating at the SRO event itself on the third floor of historic Clifton's Cafeteria, the experience was smooth and rewarding. All I had to do was show up and talk with an engaged and appreciative audience. Kim and Richard did everything else, with efficiency, smarts and class.
MIKE THE POET (tour guide, author): Over the last four years I have had a ball leading tours through the monthly Downtown Los Angeles Art Walk. I have led tours though the Art Walk just about every month since March 2006, with the exception of the month I went on my honeymoon and two other months when I had important poetry gigs at universities. The tours have evolved from beginning on DASH buses to 55-passenger buses and most recently walking tours. Over the last year and a half I have had the pleasure to work with Richard Schave and Kim Cooper of Esotouric Tours. They are two of the only people I have ever encountered that love Los Angeles as much as I do. Collaborating with them on the Art Walk Tour has been an unforgettable experience. Their devotion to sharing the real Los Angeles is unmatched. Anyone that takes a tour with Esotouric (Richard and Kim) will receive a historically accurate tour as well as a damn good time. They are professional and still manage to be whimsical. A tour with Esotouric supersedes the typical boring tour and sheds new and fascinating light on the City of Angels.
THESSALY LERNER - THE UKULADY (musician/ Hippodrome host): I worked for over 9 months on the Downtown Art Walk’s free shuttles and it was always a privilege and a pleasure to work with Kim and Richard. They worked their fingers to the bone for Art Walk, always unpaid and underappreciated. To blame them for any shortcomings of Art Walk is outrageous, shameful and misdirected. I was privileged to work with them for over a year and I admire the countless hours of energy and time they poured into the broken machine of Art Walk. I am particularly appalled that they have been misrepresented to have been contemptuous of seeking corporate funding to support programming. No one is more an advocate for artists to get paid than Kim and Richard and they were constantly brainstorming how to harness corporate funding. Art Walk is a huge event, and blaming Kim and Richard for public safety issues at largest public event within Skid Row is ridiculous. It’s like declaring Obama responsible for George Bush’s Iraq. Iraq was a mess long before Obama came around, as was Art Walk before Kim and Richard. Kim and Richard had many great ideas to make Art Walk more accessible and give it higher visibility amongst Angelinos, and it's Art Walk's and L.A.'s loss that the dysfunction of the Art Walk and Downtown community and Art Walk board seem to have caused their resignation. I hope that Art Walk’s board grovels at Kim and Richard’s feet, begging them to return, because their collective energy, creativity and dedication to art and artists, is unrivaled.
JAVIER CABRAL (tour guide/food blogger): Working in conjunction with Kim Cooper and Richard Schave made my walking tour "The Rise of LA Food Trucks" become an overnight success.
LUCAS GONZE (guitarist, Hippodrome performer): I had a great experience playing music on the Hippodrome during Art Walk. There was a remarkable sense of community; people met and mingled in a way you'd never expect. I especially liked the safety that the bus created for people who would otherwise have walked from one corner of the Art Walk to the other.
MICHELLE MILLS (journalist, San Gabriel Valley Tribune): When I first learned that Richard Schave and Kim Cooper were taking on the Downtown Los Angeles Art Walk I was intrigued, as it was a big task to wrangle. Since then, I have watched it grow and become a unique event revitalizing a too-often overlooked area of L.A. Schave and Cooper offered walking tours, a bus and other ways of making the event more interesting and informative for both those new and familiar with the area. It is Art Walk's loss that the couple have resigned. I wish both parties the best.
RUTHANN FRIEDMAN (singer-songwriter, Hippodrome performer): The Art Walk is linked forever in my mind to Kim Cooper and Richard Schave. It was their energy and enthusiasm that swept many of us along. They will be missed.
SARAH TROOP (attendee): Schave and Cooper are Los Angeles treasures. The concepts and experiences they brought and implemented to the Art Walk were unique and unforgettable to anyone who has attended. Their mutual love and passion for Los Angeles, it's history, it's culture and certainly the people make me LOVE this city.
JOHN TOOMEY (attendee): I have known Kim Cooper and Richard Schave for years and have been continually amazed at their organizational and managerial skills. They excel at the talents traditionally associated with non-profit arts organizations, and ALSO (which is rare) know how to manage a business. Their love for, and desire to share their delight in our city is unparalelled. Art Walk will be very, very lucky if it can find someone else of their caliber.
ED ROSENTHAL (tour guide/poet-broker): Esotouric's involvement in the Art Walk was refreshing and inventive. I loved doing tours from Clifton's. I haven't caught up on the politics, but to me the Art Walk is about downtown and its history, not about the galleries or the property owners... I enjoyed their involvement very much and my tours which they created were a great success.
Portia on December 11, 2009, at 11:18AM – #8
Such self-glorification!
Joe on December 11, 2009, at 01:13PM – #9
The conflation of "journalism" and masturbation.
Howie on the Hill on December 11, 2009, at 01:20PM – #10
How dare the Art Walk management/BID trash Kim and Richard! And often behind the scenes and spreading vicious gossip.
Do the power hungry people at Art Walk and BID always need to trash and burn the best, most creative, and effective in the community? The behind-the-scenes horror stories continue. I'm also calling for a FULL audit of the Art Walk and BID operations now,...like by an outside source. I would personally like to see a complete printout of the Art Walk and BID business credit cards.
If you don't "Go with the flow" with these Art Walk-BID bullies they will try to destroy you in public...and guess what? That's what they are attempting to do. They have done it with others and other groups in Downtown. = Spreading lots of untruths like they are doing with Kim and Richard. We should get the mayors office involved and maybe the District Attorney's office.
Amen Kim!!
Howie
Bert Green on December 11, 2009, at 02:56PM – #11
Howie-
What untruths are being spread about Kim and Richard? And how do you audit a group that has NO money? Credit cards? Are you serious? What credit cards?
The only people that the BID ever paid for anything Art Walk related was to Kim and Richard, for their bus and the docents. Nobody else ever received a penny. Everyone volunteers their time. In the few months they ran the event they failed to raise any money except for payments they received from the food trucks they invited and took money from.
What I find surprising is the amount of unsubstantiated vitriol leveled against the BID and the Art Walk board. Kim and Richard appointed that board, it is hardly some evil creation of the property owners. That same board decided to seek a new director, and instead of working with the community, Kim and Richard walked out and have waged a smear campaign against this community. Their pettiness is astounding. Their own board decided that they had mismanaged the community relationships necessary to keep the Art Walk functioning. The very people they invited. Not the BID, not DLANC.
Managing a huge public event is a lot of work and takes money. The BID has, for many years, provided support on the form of trash pickup, political support to City Hall, and many other things, and to have that contribution be portrayed as a power grab or as some kind of corruption is total bullshit. I have attended every meeting, public and private, regarding Art Walk for 5 years and I have never seen you or any of the other people claiming damages at any of those meetings. You have no idea what you are talking about and are being manipulated by Kim Cooper's sour grapes and unprofessionalism.
There was no reason for Kim and Richard to walk out. They could have remained and continued the programming that they are very good at. Nobody disputes that their content was great. But we are now all paying the price for their bitterness in the form of a public campaign against the Art Walk. People who care about their community do not do that.
Howie on the Hill on December 11, 2009, at 03:24PM – #12
Dear Bert
We disagree on every point. But unlike the traditions of Art Walk/BID we have a forum here in which we can freely express our thoughts. Thank you for yours. BTW: you are one of those people.
Bert Green on December 11, 2009, at 04:37PM – #13
Howie-
Disagree on what? You have not offered a single fact. I asked you what untruths you referred to, and to clarify what exactly what you are accusing the BID and Art Walk board of. The fact is, there is no behind the scenes campaign.
Kim Cooper on December 11, 2009, at 05:01PM – #14
I support Bert Green's right to express his opinion about the Art Walk, something which he knows and cares a great deal about. However, he is mistaken on numerous points that he makes in comment #11 above, and it's in the interest of clarification that I point these errors out.
Art Walk management did not invite the food trucks to Art Walk; they came because they follow the crowds citywide. With the approval of the Art Walk board, we did reach out to many of them after the fact asking if they would be able to support the event through sponsorship. Not a single food truck became a sponsor in the few weeks after the board approved the concept of one-off monthly sponsorships for vendors at the event and November 9, the date when we were forced to resign. Perhaps some have signed on since then; I hope so.
However, sponsorship money was raised from community businesses --$6500 in $500 increments from July-November. If anyone wishes to know who these sponsors are, they can see their names and links in the right sidebar on the Art Walk website. And they are supposed to be receiving monthly email blasts about their businesses as part of their sponsor package, so whoever runs the Art Walk should try to get on that next month. Unlike the Art Walk under its previous management, no funds were provided by art galleries, to whom the new non-profit offered free support and publicity in recognition of their contributions to the event and the tough economic times.
You are also mistaken about the Art Walk not having credit cards. There was in fact a single bank card which was used for purchasing supplies by me, the non-profit's former Treasurer. All expenditures have been accounted for through November 9, and the card has been destroyed.
The BID certainly did pay someone other than Richard and myself. As soon as it became clear that we would be taking over the management of the event, but several months before we actually did so, we withdrew as the paid ($200/month) hosts and curators of the Hippodrome Shuttle, and Thessaly Lerner, aka the Ukulady, took over that role and its small honorarium. We did this in order to avoid even the impression of any conflict of interest.
We have no bus. As you are aware, Bert, since you were there the afternoon we facilitated the introduction to the customized school bus which became The Hippodrome, the bus belongs to American Transportation Systems, and until shuttle service was discontinued in November, AmTrans was paid directly by DLANC. An additional $30/month in the form of a driver's tip was provided as reimbursement to the curator/host, who fronted this sum.
Bert, in an email to the Art Walk board shortly before we resigned, you accused the Art Walk's management (which was Richard and me) of "financial irregularities" regarding the BID shuttle funds, and you cited Russell Brown as the source of your information that a performer (who could only be Ms. Lerner) was complaining about not receiving payments in a timely fashion. No one else performing on that bus was paid, though I wish they had been. I can only assume you were misinformed about the BID's support of the shuttle host/curator, and the fact that the Art Walk was not receiving any money to pass on to vendors. You also perhaps are unaware that the BID regularly failed to pay shuttle invoices upon submission, and often required multiple requests to do so.
Finally, Bert, you are wrong in your belief that my grapes are sour, or that I am unprofessional or bitter, that I have expressed any public vitriol towards the Art Walk's three remaining board members, or that I do not care about my community. I care enormously about Downtown and about the Art Walk, or I would not have worked so hard, and put up with so much dishonesty and hostility from the small group of folks who want to control things that don't actually belong to them, but to the community.
Looking back over some of the attacks that we suffered while trying to help the Art Walk grow, I can't help but think about the karmic ramifications of the Bill Eiseman story. This was a previously cordial gentleman who first startled us when he verbally attacked Richard in Arts Committee before we even ran the Art Walk. He then showed up at DLANC in September to say that he represented a newly formed gallery owners group (which seems to no longer actually exist, if it ever did) and who with no budget or business plan, requested "all of" the money DLANC had allocated for a free Art Walk shuttle service be reallocated to his group. By November the shuttle was discontinued, and that $500 was supposed to be used for gallery marketing, although at last Monday's DLANC meeting the same amount was quietly put into the general fund. And then around Thanksgiving, Mr. Eiseman's gallery shut without notice, and he left the state, leaving the artist John Santerineross perplexed about the location of $15,000 worth of artwork and books which were supposed to be on display in Todd/Browning through this Art Walk. LAPD Art Theft detectives are on the case, and it is hoped that Mr. Santerineross' work will be returned to him, in full and in good condition. As for Mr. Eiseman, he's not here anymore. But the shuttle funds have been diverted to nobody's benefit, and at last night's cold, wet Art Walk, there was no warm and welcoming Hippodrome Shuttle to convey attendees to outlying galleries. Seems to me like the community only loses out when these kinds of games are played. What a shame!
Bert Green on December 11, 2009, at 05:47PM – #15
Kim-
I stated above the the only monies paid to anyone for the Art Walk were for the bus and the docents, and I stand by that. The fact that you changed the payee to another person is irrelevant, or the fact that the bus payments went to bus company is also not the point. I did neglect to mention DLANC along with the BID, and that was an error. DLANC reprogrammed these funds because of repeated complaints from the community regarding the bus. It did not function as originally requested, and repeated attempts to discuss the situation went unanswered. Gallery owners complained that instead of delivering visitors to them, it acted to try and steer them away. In addition, DLANC's allocation of funds for the shuttle were to have been for startup funds, not permanent support. Once you formed a nonprofit corporation you are responsible for your own fundraising. By not returning phone calls and emails over several months, we at DLANC had no choice but to assume you were not interested in continuing the funding.
The funds have NOT been "quietly put into the general fund," the monies have been reprogrammed by DLANC Arts into marketing the downtown cultural landscape, using the new Gallery Row street signs as a centerpiece for a graphic identity and marketing campaign. That does not cost as much money as the bus did, so excess Arts Committee funds ($500) were moved from Arts to Outreach, so that Outreach could continue their work, as they had run out of money. Had you attended any arts committee meetings you would know this.
I am also in communication with both Bill Eiseman and John Santerineross, and am working to help them solve their issue. The "theft" you claim is nothing more than poor communication. Your tendency to broadcast falsehoods at the drop of a hat is disturbing.
Kim, you have spewn and continue to spew vitriol against many members of our community. The fact that you have spared some of the Art Walk board is not the point. As the founder of the Art Walk I am interested in maintaining this community. By publicly attacking its members, rather than having any real dialog with anyone but your cronies, you have proven to me that you do not care. The only "games" being played here are yours.
Kim Cooper on December 11, 2009, at 05:54PM – #16
Not returning phone calls and emails for several months? That's simply not true.
Bert Green on December 11, 2009, at 06:07PM – #17
Kim, yes it is true. Just ask any of the gallery owners, the DLANC reps, and many other people, who came to me irate the entire time you ran the Art Walk, complaining about you and Richard being non-responsive. From the minute you took over, you ignored all of my phone calls and email for months. I tried to reach you repeatedly. I have all the emails.
When people did hear from you, it was in the form of a dictate. There was no discussion, no dialog, and no community feedback. Questions went unanswered, requests ignored, feedback was not welcomed.
The fact remains that YOUR board asked you to step down. If, as you say, none of this is true, then why did you leave?
Lining up your friends to denounce this community, like you did above, is divisive. "Iraq was a mess long before Obama came around, as was Art Walk before Kim and Richard." WTF? This is pathetic and sad.
Anonymous Newcomer to Downtown on December 11, 2009, at 06:09PM – #18
Wow. Whoever this Kim Cooper person is, she should deal directly with the people she has issues with rather than spew crap here that very few of us downtown residents really care about. What we want is a great night of terrific art, culture, social life and food.
And, last night was that. It was a perfect cool evening for wandering around the neighborhood, getting in the community spirit and see art and friends. A great night to WALK -- who needs a bus.
Julie Rico on December 11, 2009, at 07:22PM – #19
Dear All,
The point that Bert is trying to purport is based on a premise, that was based on the fact, that information was not provided to the dealers about Richard and Kim. An emergency meeting was held and Bert was there with all of the dealers. When I asked at that September meeting, "Who is this Richard and Kim, anyway" the reply I received from Bert was well "Richard was the only one that volunteered to take over the responsibilities of the artwalk." Unfortunately, I did not ask the next best question which is but WHO ARE THEY, what are their qualifications? So his statement here "Gallery owners complained that instead of delivering visitors to them, it acted to try and steer them away." was based, I think, and correct me Bert if I am wrong on this, on a meeting wherein we the dealers were left in the dark about all of the amazing accomplishments that Kim and Richard had made on our behalf. Yes there may have been a real lack of communication on their part. But there was an even larger lack of communication from our leaders telling us what the real story was about the artwalk board. In addition, at the one meeting that was held to discuss Richard and Kims new role it was like a lynching meeting of Richard and Kim. Based on the fact that the website went down for a few days. I was kind of freaked out too, yeah. I did not know anything about Richard and Kim and the artwalk website was down. Three days later it was back up and much better and way more interactive. So the meeting that was a sort of mob mentality meeting was based on a little bit of information and indictment of some amazing people. Yeah we dealers were all in the dark, all except for a few of our leaders. They were all there, and little to no information was shared with us at that meeting. In addition, a few people took over the role of overseer to the artwalk board. Cynthia from the Patricia Stein Gallery, Deborah Martin and Shane from Pharmaka. I found out recently that after that meeting in September that all three of "our leaders" decided to not take on their leadership roles for one reason or another. NONE OF THEM communicated this to the rest of us, from September till just this week. And only because I started to write to people about this situation. I have stated all of this to say this. The dealers need representation on the artwalk board. Anyone that thinks otherwise is JUST WRONG! You should all just shut up and get to work. Straighten out the problems which is lack of communication. Get some smart art dealers on your artwalk board and move on to a meeting wherein we can accomplish things for the artwalk! GET REAL! Plus I love smart people and Richard and Kim may be a little odd but obviously their heart is in the right place. From all of the others posts I see no one that exhibits the intelligence and passion that these two oddballs ooze. Give them a chance! Julie Rico
Julie Rico on December 11, 2009, at 07:38PM – #20
btw Julie Rico has had art galleries in Los Angeles since 1988.
Brady Westwater on December 11, 2009, at 07:45PM – #21
Bill Eismenan had announced to his artists he was closing when his lease expired and he was moving the gallery to another city - including the artist in question. Then, just before he moved, he could not reach one out-of-state artist by email or phone - so he placed the work in storage in LA and drove back East.
By the time he arrived at his destination, someone had filed a claim against him and I talked with BIll when he got there and I then emailed the artist back and forth at the exact same time Bill was talking to someone on the phone who said that the artist could not be reached. But since this person instantly knew what each of us had just said - it was clear we communicating with the same person at the same time.
So there was miscommunication but it appears that whoever we had communicated with on that day and who had filed the complaint was not the same person that BIll had been communicating when he consigned the work and whom BIll called and sent emails when he was leaving - which were never returned - which is why he had to put the work in storage.
And this all happened in 72 hours on Thanksgiving Weekend and as soon as Bill was contacted on what to do with the work - it was returned.
tl on December 11, 2009, at 08:03PM – #22
art walk sucks. sorry to say, but it does.
Julie Rico on December 11, 2009, at 08:40PM – #23
tl
Thank you for your incredible insight into this complicated matter.
The artwalk benefits artists in a real way. This is about culture and the life of culture.
Julie Rico
kj on December 11, 2009, at 09:41PM – #24
i clicked on this story to find something out about this event as i live DT---and got commenters who are fighting like children--consider brevity people--nobody gives a sh** about all your pettiness.
Whoa, Nellies on December 11, 2009, at 09:58PM – #25
It's piling up quick down here:
1) "the monies have been reprogrammed by DLANC Arts into marketing the downtown cultural landscape, using the new Gallery Row street signs as a centerpiece for a graphic identity and marketing campaign."
the downtown cultural...what? Nagel, please!
Let's not trumpet too loudly about gratuitous signage for an overrated collection of galleries, few of which are even on Spring Street where most of these Euro-inspired signs appear. These attempts at bolstering "cultural landscape" are thinly veiled methods to increase loft and commercial property values and stimulate a lagging loft and commercial property cash-scape.
2) "The artwalk benefits artists in a real way. This is about culture and the life of culture."
Is this a line of dialogue from "Artwalk : The Sit-Com"?
If any artists are benefitting, then those few artists (and their gallerists) are lucky. Serious collectors do not come to downtown galleries, especially on Zoo Night when the street are choked with suburbanites and skinny jeans'd faux-hemians.
Artwalk benefits the restaurant and bar business and THEY should be the ones paying for trash pickup, including the mobile trucks. The increase in dining options remains one of the best parts of the night if you live down here.
"This is about culture and the life of culture." -- No, Senora Weeniez, this is not about culture. This is about commerce and the life of commerce. It's another example of using the "art" word and idea of "art" and how "art" dupes people into believing they're getting fed "culture" but really, it's about injecting more commerce into an economically-challenged Downtown.
Doughnut get it twisted.
Jordan M on December 11, 2009, at 11:13PM – #26
I love art walk! Thanks to everyone that has made/makes it happen
Benjamin Pezzillo on December 12, 2009, at 12:18AM – #27
#25 "The increase in dining options remains one of the best parts of the night if you live down here."
No, the proliferation of food trucks in the last several months has become the worst aspect of Art Walk in the nearly four years we have lived in the Historic Core and the five years of Art Walk I have known.
When it comes to dining on Art Walk night, for the last year or so we generally leave Gallery Row because all of our favorite spots have become too crowded for our tastes or any expectation of TLC with our meal. The food trucks do not add to the landscape of options for us.
Instead, the trucks have clogged Art Walk with pedestrian jams and are accountable for a dramatic increase in trash and food waste that has stressed the event's relationship with the community (even among the event's intellectual supporters).
I don't fault anyone for trying to make a buck. But the situation recently with the food trucks feels like Art Walk is at risk of becoming a victim of its own success and (much like the other major issue in the Historic Core, over-filming) that's not good for anyone.
CJ on December 12, 2009, at 01:53AM – #28
I am not involved with the Art Walk but know the resignees and would suggest that anyone who considers having them involved, pay close attention. They seem to cause dissension in every new venture they get their hands on. Many times I've seen them drive wedges between people who clearly cared for each other, never a second thought to the grief left behind. I've seen them take over business, money and innocent minds. They want control and will say & do whatever in order to get it. They will steamroll over those who try and stop them and video tape their 'good deeds' along the way. I've tried to comment on this in the most civil way that I can.
Julie Rico on December 12, 2009, at 05:30AM – #29
We live in America part of what happens here will always be about commerce/cultural in the landscape of the artworld. Its a sort of paradox Whoa Nellies. '
This month I was fortunate to help produce with OG and his friends the first Skid Row Artists Collective event called Hidden Treasures. Numerous cultural and commerce positive stories came from this effort.
You obviously do not have a gallery nor work with artists who benefit from the artwalk. I can assure you that although there is much commercialization there is also culture that needs support. The artwalk has produced thousands of positive art stories. There is no doubt about that. If good things happen for the restaurants and bars, great!
john santerineross on December 12, 2009, at 08:11AM – #30
Dear Brady Westwater, I do not know where your getting you facts from but they are all wrong. If you are going to publicly post what are suppose to be facts to defend your friend, Mr. Eiseman then at least they should be accurate. Here are the facts plain and simple. My show was to run from Nov. 11 to Dec 5th. (according to my contract with Mr. Eiseman. If he knew the gallery was closing why make the show run to Dec 5th. also there is a clause in the contract that states the work is to not be moved from the gallery premises without my written permission.) I was never ever told that the show would have to end early for any reason. The way i found out that the gallery had been closed was a phone call from a friend who went on Friday Nov.27th to see the show and reported back to me that the gallery was literally gone. empty of all furniture, books and my art. I tried over the course of 3 days to reach Mr.Eiseman with the only form of communication i had available , the gallery phone number and the gallery email. for 3 days, after trying these methods i did not receive a response. No one knew anything and i NEVER received an email or phone call during those 3 days . I was advised to phone the police for advice on what to do. What would you have done Mr. Westwater????? That Monday i called and from that moment on the LAPD handled everything. I never filed a complaint, or pressed any charges, all i did was call the LAPD and ask what to do. and here we are now. I am waiting to hear from the Detectives who has instructed me to let them handle it. so i sit here hoping to get my 19 pieces of art back and hoping its in good condition. Perhaps no criminal intent was meant by Mr. Eiseman but it was handled very unprofessionally by Mr. Eiseman with total disregard for me and in violation of the contract we both signed . So get your facts straight Mr.Westwater.
bbrown on December 12, 2009, at 11:11AM – #31
I've lived in the Historic Core for four years and the upside changes have been terrific. I ventured out last week and happened to overhear an artist in conversation with a young boy about the inspiration for his work. That interaction, to me, is worth the effort of Art Walk. But this isn't Chelsea. It will take another five to ten years for things to really gel and for collectors to put DTLA on their “must-see” map or come closer to, for example, what Chinatown galleries have to offer.
The current vitriol on this blog is unfortunate, unprofessional and a waste of time. I suppose its part of growing pains. You certainly can't expect someone to manage this event without being adequately compensated for what now seems, at best, a thankless task. From what I hear anecdotally – a good percentage of the monthly crowd are not interested in the arts. So what do they want? How can we take advantage of that? I would suggest retaining a marketing firm to discern what visitors really want and how that can be reconciled with artists, residents and business needs. There is no strategic plan here from what I can see. You can't be everything to everybody, without a business plan and without paid, professional leadership.
Howie on the Hill on December 12, 2009, at 11:38AM – #32
A "Thank You" to Julie Rico and all the other Gallery owners that have struggled through very difficult times and changing AW management, to deliver art and culture to the people of Los Angeles; an amazing job! And Julie is really a special caring person.
Now we need some real leadership, strategic planning based on reality, and level minds. Kim and Richard never had a chance with the powers that be. They just won't give up. It's now time to work together and walk a step beyond the personal hurts and warring parties.
With all the amazing talent and love of Downtown by so many people we should be able to make Art Walk one of the hottest places to visit west of the Mississippi.
Been There on December 12, 2009, at 12:08PM – #33
That was inspiring, Howie on the Hill (Don Noyes-More). Now how about taking it further by ceasing to attack downtown people (like Eric Richardson, Bert Green and Jim Winston) and downtown businesses (like Blossom).
You've already pulled the stock photos. That's a good start. Now let's "work together and walk a step beyond the personal hurts and warring parties."
Jeremy Kasten on December 12, 2009, at 12:13PM – #34
I'm going to try to keep this brief, as the dialogue has already gone all over the place.
First I must say I was upset to read this article in the blog we all consider to be the standard-bearer of news in the neighborhood. It did remind me, on the other hand, that blogs are not newspapers and are not held up to the standards of journalism that a paper or major news source is expected to be. Obviously I do not agree with the barely-below-the-surface point-of-view but I do find it strange that the article seems to go out of its way to show the "wackiness" of only one of the sides of this situation. Perhaps Bert Green is the most unwacky fellow ever. But as a reader of his now defunct blog (http://bgfa.blogspot.com), I doubt that. So boo on blogdowntown.
Now to address a few things:
Bert, we don't know one another (although I do look forward to it - I love meeting folks in the neighborhood!) but as one of those “paid” docents you mention (I did tours of downtown for October and November Artwalks) I guess I was unaware I have a check coming to me. Please do let me know where to invoice. Richard Schave did not make me aware that it was a paid position. I am so excited!
Also, let's be honest - "I have attended every meeting, public and private, regarding Art Walk for 5 years and I have never seen you or any of the other people claiming damages at any of those meetings." Well, yes. That is great. We're all very grateful. But know what? That is your choice. And still as a community member it's MY right to express my "sour grapes" at the cavalier attitude you seem to have towards folks that don't fall in line with your (at times seemingly hateful) way of thinking. I resent that my expressing distrust for the political machines in my neighborhood that have been run by folks like you - folks with gobs of time on their hands for "every meeting, public and private, regarding Art Walk for 5 years" - is met with nastiness. This is the American political process. It is often the gadflies on the sidelines bitching about the political machine that effects a change.
However, good sir, I am no "crony" and suggesting that Miss Cooper and Mr. Schave are "lining up your friends to denounce this community" makes it seem that folks like me who live down here and have a thing or two to say about the community are merely a bother to you and your way of thinking.
Lookit, Bert, I'm sure this is all been blown out of proportion and you're a swell guy. I love Artwalk and I love downtown and I DO appreciate the work that goes into all of this. So thanks for being the Ray Kroc of Artwalk. I gotta tell you, though, maybe, just maybe, PRETENDING not to loathe every community person who has, as you tell them, "no idea what you are talking about" would serve you better. It seems like you can't even control yourself when you say things like that in the comments of a downtown blog. Also, calling folks "pathetic and sad" seems, well... you get the idea, right? It's not simply your downtown anymore. So let's play nice, okay? And please, if someone says that your accusation is wrong and backs it up, don't repeat your accusation louder. That's weird, right? Like a crappy cable news outlet defending it's narrow perspective. Maybe better to move on. Let's make this work and get past these growing pains. I do feel that these painful episodes are healthy and good. We are defining the downtown and the Artwalk that we want and expecting more accountability. I can only see this as a positive thing, right, Bert?
To #18 Anonymous Newcomer - Welcome to downtown. It was only a few years ago that I moved here and didn't care one tick about these "issues" and only wanted "terrific art, culture, social life and food". That, my friend, might change for you. You're already reading local blogs and commenting on them. When something happens that effects your ability to enjoy "terrific art, culture, social life and food" - something, say, that makes you wonder how to fix it, the convoluted and strange politics of downtown will become more important to you.
Julie, We, also, don't know each other but I appreciate your sense of humor and your insights into all of this. Yay for that. I thought it was very brave of you to mention on the newdowntown yahoo group that Schave and Cooper were "shone to us art dealers and gallerists as inept and without merit" before you'd met or spoken to them. That's heavy. In terms of what Bert has expressed concern about, namely those who "waged a smear campaign against this community" it sure seems like the gallery folk you describe did exactly that. Putting people in place to run Artwalk and then holding secret "lynching meetings" seems very anti-community. Who are these terrible Gallery Leaders and why are we not calling them out for the disservice they've done to downtown by treating it like a giant slam book? I hope you and the gallery folk are looking at Art Walk now as part of a bigger picture of our neighborhood and our community. It is only but becoming LESS myopic that these events will flourish in the new downtown.
Thanks, y'all, for caring enough to fight for what you believe in. I look forward to continued conversation, debate and excitement from you all. This is a huge part of what makes our little corner of Los Angeles my very favorite.
Howie on the Hill on December 12, 2009, at 12:25PM – #35
Been There, and we know who you are, you must be sitting and flaying about in all this. Perhaps you need a good book, fiction. Your little kingdom is falling apart. See you can't even ID yourself.
Eric Richardson (@blogdowntown) on December 12, 2009, at 01:40PM – #36
Obviously this is still a hot-button topic for those involved. I'm closing off comments so that this back and forth doesn't continue, but if there are clear points that people want to make I'm willing to take them via email and consider posting them.