Downtown Art Walk Names Joe Moller Its New Executive Director
Eric Richardson
Newly named Downtown Art Walk Executive Director Joe Moller
DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — Downtown's largest monthly event has found its new leader. The board of the Downtown Art Walk has named Joe Moller its new Executive Director.
The six-year-old Art Walk became one of Downtown's biggest stories in September, when then-Executive Director Jay Lopez announced that the event would be shut down for the rest of 2010. That statement was denied by the board of the Downtown L.A. Art Walk non-profit two days later.
The turmoil led to a great deal of discussion about the event's future and its value to the growth of Downtown Los Angeles. One month after the first events broke, the board announced that Downtown property owners would be contributing $200,000 toward the hiring of a full-time Executive Director.
Moller, an event producer who describes himself as a long-time Art Walk attendee, acknowledges that the event has gone through growing pains. "As an experience, it's still great," he said Wednesday. "My take on what's happened to date is that there have been a lot of people who have their own ideas as to how the Art Walk should grow ... and there hasn't been an opportunity on an organizational level for those voices to come together and converge on a direction."
"The conversations have been about keeping the doors open and keeping the lights on, and that by nature is not a growth conversation."
Moller's events company produced the launch of the new Santa Monica Place, as well as the Hollywood Film Festival and the opening night gala for Outfest. He will continue to consult as Joe Moller Events, but will now turn his full-time attention to Art Walk.
Figuring out how to make the Art Walk organization sustainable is Moller's first priority. "After we've accomplished that goal, we can then direct the conversation to things that are more artistic in nature, things that are less housekeeping," he said. Moller acknowledged that the event has responsibility for the costs of services like trash pickup, but said that it will take time for the budget to be in place to pay for them.
For some residents, the second Thursday Art Walk has become an event seen more as being about food trucks and bars than about art. Moller said that the organization does have a role to play in regulating what goes on at Art Walk, though he noted that there are definite limits to the group's power. "We're not a sovereign entity. We don't have guns or badges, so we're limited in scope as to what we're able to do or not do."
"I think it's our obligation as an organization to help achieve the greatest positive impact to the greater Downtown area that we can through Art Walk," he said. "If that's figuring out a way to work with the food trucks and their hundreds of followers who have helped Art Walk grow and who also spend money at galleries and restaurants and businesses, then we're doing our job."
Moller believes that the Art Walk will grow to involve more of Downtown, but not necessarily right away. "Before we can begin to develop a strategy on how to develop this larger footprint, I think we first need to get it right with where we're at now," he said.
The January 13 Art Walk will be Moller's first in his new job, but don't expect to see much change right away. "I'm going to go with the board and we're going to walk around and take notes and look at the entire playing field," he said. "From there we'll go back to the boardroom and figure out what's working well and where opportunities for improvement exist."
"January to February you may not see a huge amount of changes," he said. "But as we approach the summer and later in the year I'm looking forward to the Art Walk being more rewarding and arts focused."
Just a week after the January Art Walk, Lopez and gallery owner Edgar Varela are planning the first Art Weekend LA, the quarterly event that Lopez said the Art Walk would become in that infamous September announcement.
Moller said that he supports other efforts to bring focus to Downtown and its arts scene. "Any group that's willing to invest their own time and resources in bringing attention and other community members is a good thing for Downtown," he said.
Guest on December 22, 2010, at 04:26PM – #1
Take it away Kim Cooper...........(sorry, I had to)
Guest on December 22, 2010, at 04:35PM – #2
Still glad that we won't be bombarded by promos for Ed varela fine arts and Bert Green fine arts as the only destinations for art events downtown now that theres actually a seperation.
Guest on December 22, 2010, at 04:40PM – #3
I get it #2... first I was confused at your comment! Seriously, do we always have to see Bert Green, Edgar Varela, and Jay Lopez in the same article as Artwalk? It's as if blogdowntown is actually still trying to give these sheisters some shred of credibility or attachment to the very thing they tried to destroy? Shouldn't those guys be banned? Anyone knows they tried to take Artwalk and the opportunities for themselves and lost when the Board fought back. NO SHAME!
David Markland on December 22, 2010, at 05:15PM – #4
Weird, comments 2 and 3 seem to talking to each other, but are from the same guest. And on a Arts Walk comment thread, no less!
Guest on December 22, 2010, at 05:44PM – #5
guest #2 is Don Noyes More, AKA Howie on the Hill. More hatred and lies. Friend and abetter of the criminals Julie Rico and Kim Cooper. Sad.
Guest on December 22, 2010, at 06:51PM – #6
Terrific. Now we have to re-live the whole Kim Cooper v. Bert Green (et al) crap again. Enough PEOPLE. Move on already.
Guest on December 22, 2010, at 08:08PM – #7
I am happy for the Artwalk!
Guest on December 22, 2010, at 10:31PM – #8
I like what this guy had to say. Sounds good!
Guest on December 22, 2010, at 10:34PM – #9
Congrats Art Walk! Joe Moller sounds like a solid guy.
Accessory Loft on December 22, 2010, at 11:20PM – #10
Finally! The board got objective and hired someone who has a proven track record of success organizing and promoting creative events. I'm an artist myself and I'll be the first to admit that most of us are not the best business people, so I'm really happy to see someone creative and business savvy (who is not an artist, but appreciates art) in this role! I am looking forward to seeing what direction Joe goes in. I already like that he's not making empty promises and admitting that it will take some time to see change. I have a good feeling about this one!
Customerservicesm on December 23, 2010, at 08:36AM – #11
Wish him luck, there is so much great potential.
Guest on December 23, 2010, at 10:49AM – #12
Every art gallery should keep some especially priced items, be it a craft or sale table. No one should walk out of the store without wanting to buy something. Museums have gift shops. People want to buy. Give them something they can afford. The more expensive items will find their buyer eventually.
Thomas K Nagano on December 23, 2010, at 12:06PM – #13
Congratulations to the Art Walk Board and Good Luck to Joe Moller.
I hope there's organized non-alcoholic mixer to introduce and discuss his vision and common goals for the diverse demographic of our Downtown Los Angeles.
Thanks to the Art Walk Board of Directors for their hard work in finding a quality Art Walk Director - TK
Guest on December 23, 2010, at 01:16PM – #14
Yawn
Guest on December 23, 2010, at 02:10PM – #15
Double yawn.
Guest on December 23, 2010, at 05:02PM – #16
The bottom of this whole dilemma is...the galleries have to make enough money to make this whole art walk worth what it takes to have it. Anyone who can make it productive is a winner. Money always assuages.
i believe the whole dilema
Guest on December 24, 2010, at 11:32AM – #17
As President of the new HISTORIC DOWNTOWN MERCHANTS ASSOCIATION and the owner of FLEA most of the merchants in our group have seen our sales drop by as much as half during art walk thanks to Joe Lopez's little prank. There just isn't the numbers of people that we used to see. It appears that the only types of people that attend lately are those who aren't exposed to any media so never even heard about Jay Lopez and the press behind his unauthorized announcement.
We look forward to being allowed to join the rest of the community in having a voice in the future of Art Walk. Congratulations to Joe Moller.
Ginny Brideau (@ginnycase) on December 24, 2010, at 02:52PM – #18
Guest #11: Who is the president of the HDMA and owner of Flea?
Guest on December 24, 2010, at 05:00PM – #19
What's Flea?
Guest on December 24, 2010, at 11:35PM – #20
just what we need -- store owners and merchants calling the shots on art walk. Blame Jay Lopez if you want but the reason traffic is down 75% is cuz Art Walk is no longer about art. It's over folks. Move on.
Guest on December 27, 2010, at 02:23PM – #21
art walk is the best night to get out of downtown
Guest on December 27, 2010, at 06:16PM – #22
I think Artwalk is better now. Less chaos.
Guest on December 27, 2010, at 09:28PM – #23
Funny how "the art walk" evolved into "Art Walk." Kinda like your younger cousin who refers to "the prom" as "prom."
Guest on January 12, 2011, at 01:40AM – #24
I hope someone does some investigating about this. Why did they really hire Joe Moller? He has no experience or rep in the art world it would be almost impossible to understand much less attract credible arts programming. It's too bad the because the downtowns art rep will just continue to erode.
So why did they hire him? Is it because they thought he would be a good fund raiser? ( I have a feeling it is) Which begs the question are they paying this guy or is his pay based on the revenue he is able to generate? Because hiring someone who's primarily would demonstrate where the Board's true intentions lie (and its not in improving the art culture)
Why call it an Art Walk at all there's no one associated with it who actually knows anything about art and by Hiring Moller its clear they plan on keeping it that way. No wonder theres a spin of event
Guest on January 12, 2011, at 01:42AM – #25
I meant to say
"Because hiring someone who's primarily a fund raiser"
Guest on January 12, 2011, at 07:34AM – #26
GUEST 17 LOL Downtown is controlled by a few thug politicians, who go around intimidating everyone. Most of the them are gay-check it out. By selecting M they have selected someone they can control.