Art Walk Wrap: July 2010
Ed Fuentes
WINDOW SCENE: Gallery-goers became window dressing for an improvised cafe on 5th st.
DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — It has become fashionable of late to bash the monthly Downtown Art Walk as a night of mayhem. Some of that reputation is deserved, but improvements over the past few months and the event's ever-growing crowd's make it clear that the night is anything but a fad.
So what do gallery goers wear on the night to be seen in Downtown's Historic Core? We took a spin around Gallery Row to find out.
Guest on July 14, 2010, at 07:48AM – #1
Art walk has become a cheap excuse to get together in downtown.....it has no longer become about the art, but about going out to drink and eat at the food truck which, i must say trumped the art this past thursday......Its sad to see art walk become such a corporate sell out, I remember its modest beginings when the galleries would give people free wine at each place contributing to creation of a community amongst downtowners......now its just a circus, and it makes me sad.
Guest on July 14, 2010, at 08:29AM – #2
As a gallery owner I half agree with guest #1. During the day and until around 7 p.m. art walk is about the art. Then the crowd changes and it becomes "a cheap excuse to get together" and party. (Not that there is anything wrong with that.) But, please people when you are in art galleries behave. Artist work long and hard on there work and damaging it or stealing it is WRONG!
Guest on July 14, 2010, at 05:41PM – #3
when i first moved to downtown 3 years ago i enjoyed artwalk, it was about the art and the people. now i can't even walk down the street without running into a line of drunks waiting for a food truck and over hear comments like "where is the art?" i like that they have taken a parking lot and put little booths in it on main but if they are gonna keep having the food trucks why don't they have a parking lot just for those too so when i come home from a long day of work i can actually get into my own building!
derblut on July 14, 2010, at 07:36PM – #4
Make of it what you want people. The art takes a backseat for some people but they're coming out to downtown, spending money and enjoying themselves. If you want to avoid the crowds, come a little earlier. I look forward to it every month.
Btw, good job getting some of the food trucks in a little parking lot instead of on the sides of the street, I think that helped congestion.
DawnC on July 14, 2010, at 10:37PM – #5
That's right, go early for the art. Or better yet go to the opening of the exhibits the weekend before. I'm still glad art walk is going on. I see more and more people in the streets on the weekends between art walks and I really think it is starting to bleed over. This is what we wanted right? A real downtown that people come to for not only art but other nightlife as well. Still, I like to go early to avoid the crowds and actually enjoy the art. I've even picked up a few pieces. If you really want to make it about art, buy something!