In The Hall of Pure Intimacy: Charles Long and Justin Beal at Night Gallery

The use of space is an interesting topic in Los Angeles. Many artists hone the city's vast free space with their ability to get lost and go unnoticed. Others question the use of space for better relationships with nature and the environment of a car driven city. I'm most interested in the use of space and these seemingly characters it creates-- galleries in unusual spaces.

I talk about space because I find it fascinating that in Los Angeles certain galleries have found creative use of space, not to mention location. Night gallery is one of those spaces that has found that wave of in depth creativity, by opening a gallery in a Lincoln Heights strip mall. What used to be a party supply store now caters to artists and serves as an art gallery. However, Night Gallery is not the only space to follow these steps but neighboring Workspace Gallery, run by artists Paul Pescador and Daniel Ingroff, was the first to create this use of space in the Lincoln Heights neighborhood.-- (form follows function).

Night Gallery was a name I heard quite often, a visit had long been over due. To spark my curiosity artist Alex Staiger invited me to tag along one Tuesday night. It was a school night, past ten pm, I had homework to be completed, and had to wake up early the next morning, but this was my opportunity, to finally fully embrace Night Gallery.

Literally, in simplest form Night gallery is only open at night, with black colored walls that shake off the florescent lighting coming from a small room in the further back right corner of the space.

On this particular night artists Charles Long and Justin Beal took Night Gallery hostage for the opening of, In The Hall of Pure Intimacy. A crowd swarmed the parking lot, while inside, one was forced to make eye contact with one another in hopes to avoid heads to bump.



Charles Long


Charles Long, a current professor at The University of Riverside and represented by Shoshana Wayne Gallery in Santa Monica displayed the painting above. After moving from New York City, Long was quickly intrigued by the running industrial river we call, the Los Angeles river or the LA River for short. A river that plays a huge roll in our city, from humorous banter in it's usage of location to a landscape far too unfamiliar to those who were not raised in this city. Long's recent works, as already noted, retain inspiration from the Los Angeles River, through the collection of the river's debris-- Later, to be transformed into works.

An uncanny, nostalgic, relationship of the physical and the metaphysical resonates in Long's work. A reality or mirage we can all relate to.



Justin Beal


Justin Beal's sculpture in the other hand, blows an air of a dark Warhol. We can simplify Beal's work, or rather categorize it within the conceptualist bubble. One with consumerism (?), one that gets old, but retains it's shine. Don't get me wrong!, I'm a fan of Beal's work, as I find the boundaries he pushes rather humorous-- when installed for a public/spectator.


Several individuals are doing an amazing job and I often find those individuals are small galleries. Perhaps it's the hype of the new kid on the block, but I venture that's not the case. Innovative ideas at small scale entities have a stronger backbone of self creativity than those working towards commercialist driven goals. I found that strong backbone at Night Gallery, I've found that in Chinatown and I yet have to explore other corners of Los Angels to better understand the comical ways of a freeway bound city.


That being covered, Tuesday nights are usually for new openings. As I hear, every other day, a crowd may show up and it's a party, or no one will show up, but it's still where you want to be in Los Angeles!.


Night Gallery
Tuesday- Thursday: 10pm - 2am
204 south, Avenue 19
646 717 4925

Panel of The Muses at Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions

At sixteen Cindy Sherman was my idol, like any sixteen year old. In my world, every sixteen year old girl idolizes Cindy Sherman. My AP Art History class competed with other AP classes for the best representation. Both in test scores and class pride. We managed to create a hand sign that was more like a code of honor. Taking inspiration from Botticelli’s Venus de Milo and every other commissioned work by the Medici Family.

However, that was my taste of the limited works on a textbook, and the book was literally heavier than all of my other class books combined; thick and heavy. It wasn’t long after this that I was introduced to Chinatown’s Chung King Road, and ever since, I have grown a following towards the place. Once in Chinatown I expanded my palette by reading reviews, then learning of more artists. The file is still growing. I’m not quite sure why or how a liking grew. However, I do remember my first art museum visit. I was in third grade, the museum was MOCA, and they still had the van shuttle that would take you to the Geffen location in Little Tokyo. I believe they no longer do that.


Arely in High School: The nostalgic years!

If it wasn't about impromptu photo sessions a la Sherman in the school aisles. It was all about museum visits with my AP Art History class.

So why am I going crazy about myself?! I promise there’s a good reason.

Some of you may be familiar with the Los Angeles based blog: Fine Arts L.A.. I will admit I wasn’t until I was introduced to the site by the very own Josh Morrison, the editor in chief of Fine Arts L.A, when Josh approached me with the offer of participating on a panel he was organizing later on that month.

Never before had I met an art blogger, and yes, and L.A. based art blogger not one of the many popular New York based blogs. I’m not quite sure about the demographics of blogs, but I sure know that if in Los Angles you will occasionally meet a blogger. And it seems as if most L.A based bloggers are in between the demographics of food or entertainment; entertainment not hosting an art feed. Meeting a fellow L.A. based art blogger was already a good sign to the process that was ahead.


LACE: It's Still a Blur

Our panel: "Panel of The Muses" took place in the colorful abyss of Hollywood. At Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions, an artist run gallery on foot since the late seventies. Instantly when I found out our panel will take place at LACE my demeanor grew. Skip Arnold, Dawn Kasper, and many other artists that I look up to had participated or have/are involved one way or another with LACE. It couldn’t get any better, but it did get better.


Panel of The Muses: Josh Morrison, Freddi Cerasoli, Arely Villegas, Lee Foley, Paul Pescador, Daniel Ingroff


Panel of The Muses consisted of four diverse individuals of the Los Angles art community: Lee Foley director of Actual Size Gallery, Paul Pescador artist and co director of Workspace Gallery, Freddi Cerasoli of Cerasoli Gallery, and Daniel Ingroff artist and director of Workspace Gallery. Overall, the panel was a healthy diverse body of individuals with Los Angles art cred.

Paul Pescador has been on the top of my list:Los Angles Based Artist to Lookout For!!

Pescador’s performative work intrigues me, since the artist takes on the role of observer rather than performer. Observation also serves as a type of performance!.


Joshua Morrison served as moderator and asked questions surrounded in the on going problem of Los Angeles dispersed communities, that no sense of community seems to exist or survive. The raising question of the night explored if an arts community even existed in Los Angeles.

We were all quickly to agree that a community in Los Angeles might not fully exsist, but it does thrive. Since Los Angles has no actual central core as per say New York City. Art Galleries in Los Angeles are literally dispersed into different communities and neighborhoods-- from the west side to the east side. You're either apart of one or two, but as a creative community we do try to close this gap. As Freddi Cerasoli pointed out: " I have proposed several ideas to nearby galleries in Culver City and everyone looked at me like I was crazy" ... when trying to organize a more steady Culver City Art Walk. It's just that "do it alone" attitude of Los Angles that aides and damages any scene in our city.

Workspace Gallery in Lincoln Heights has set to fix the problem by choosing to move in to a space you normally wouldn't expect an art gallery to exist in Los Angeles. Blum and Poe are not next door, but rather a normal working class community surrounds the space. Not only that, but Workspace has conducted projects such as, Nice to Meet You: Over , which explore SPACE, community, and interaction.

Lee Foley and the rest of the Actual Size Gallery family, resided in the windy city of Chicago before moving to Los Angeles very own charming Chinatown neighborhood and establishing Actual Size, one of Chinatown's galleries run by young creative individuals-- Lee Foley herself is only twenty five. Actual Size program is by far top scale. Even participating in this years MFA Grad Cal Arts show -- Box Scheme. Foley, spoke about the importance of working as a business rather than going down the difficult road of a non profit. Not to mention the hard times for non profit spaces in our city as of lately.

As for myself, I try to not shy away from any situation. After all, I do not seek social status, but rather the pleasure of having the right to be surrounded by the sole proprietor of life: art!.

Many complain about our city's lack of awareness to the arts, and others venture every weekend into the labyrinth of the Los Angeles Art scene. Woody Allen was wrong when in Annie Hall he comments: "I don't want to move to a city where the only cultural advantage is being able to make a right turn on a red light" - .

Los Angles is a one of the world's leading hubs for Contemporary art, as Angelenos we have to learn how to navigate, and embrace the raw labyrinth of the city that we live in.

June was one of the most memorable, and hectic months of 2010: Finals, meeting internationally known artists that have just arrived from their shows in Europe, hanging out with art collectors, artists, friends, gallery owners, participating panelist, art gossip... And I can only see greater and bigger months ahead in my constant relationship with the Los Angeles art community.