(Attended 01/30/16 SA @ 6:00pm): "Oh brother, where art thou!?"…read more
I snuck into the Downtown Art Center Gallery while on a "break" from my volunteer duties at the 2nd Annual "Night On Broadway" street festival along Broadway St. in Downtown Los Angeles. Truth be told, I've walked past this gallery space on numerous ocassions as I crawled - I meant roamed - this street from bar to bar and other fun businesses in the area and not once entered. However, it was at first glance the gobs of color http://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=7QEzwGX01lRKKt9c9hZHrw&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw against the snowblind walls that drew me in http://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=VkQgpIt2N8QX2Y8s1C03pg&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw. Would this one exhibit warrant a return visit!?:
THE EXHIBIT: PAPERLAND TWO (January 14 - March 04, 2016) http://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=0SqCeJ34mxLJuJJsH_SZ3Q&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw
Borne from an earlier installment of PAPERLAND exhibited here in 2013, this exhibition further extended upon the themes and proceses found then and was dedicated to the spirit of the zine and the ethos of communality and "Do-It-Yourself" aesthetics. The exhibition also included a number of prints showcasing a dynamic range of works by a group of emerging Los Angeles-based printmakers, as well as multiple editions of paper sculptures http://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=dCWIFe4FRzlI5Jh9EPeUgA&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw, http://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=Fzl5C45b0oCqLc2MwSWt0w&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw, http://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=hUpkfcE63-_TPsulXZpY0w&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw. The ethos of creative collaborative practices and the democratic nature of the self-printed and distributed publication have carried through to inform the latest iteration of this exhibition. PAPERLAND TWO included zines and prints http://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=6yYkYb4idJLH3Cal9HE1_A&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw by select local small press publishers, including SPACE CAMP, Tiny Splendor, Never Press, and more, and featured images from nearly 50 exhibiting artists.
Service - There was only one young gentleman throughout who manned the front counter as he happily greeted me and said to ask him if I had any questions about the exhibit - rock on! I had no questions so I went exploring and meticulously looked at each piece of art with the standard "high brow" demeanor of one hand that rubbed my chin while I stood and stared from all sorts of angles with and without eyes squinted. As I left, the same young man thanked me for visiting and wished me a good night. Heck...if EVERYONE in customer service was as cordial as this chap the world would be a better place to shop! Great job!
Parking (Free this instances; Varies) - I was volunteering for the "Night On Broadway" event this same evening in which parking was FREE. Otherwise, there were a ton of parking lot and structure options in and around the general vacinity with rates that ranged from $5.00-$20.00 based wholly on the distance traveled and time arrived. Plenty of 2-hour limit meters on all surrounding streets (valid until 6:00pm nightly). Additional options were a driving service like a taxi, Lyft, or Uber or Go Metro with a station at nearby Pershing Square.
Atmosphere, décor, ambience - [DISCLAIMER: This would change from one exhibit to the next] Stark white antiseptic walls fit for an insane asylum housed by strait jacket-wearing guests, colorful fragments of artistry were hung at times in small huddled clusters http://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=rqy514ymcNLMvwwcWEY-MQ&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw or carefully displayed upon trippable blocks between two separate wings. A high open rafter ceiling gave the sense of a tall space where fluorescent lighting sucked your soul right from your eyes; otherwise, large glass front walls easily captured glorious beams of sunlight during the day. Flyers, postcards, and other promotional items were strategically placed for your taking pleasure. There were no TVs nor music playing in the background. http://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=MjO2uxmFuk1K76jvbq0abA&userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw
Attire - Totally casual, so I would normally be in a t-shirt, boardshorts, and flip-flops.
Overall, the Downtown Art Center Gallery was cool for my first time, but my enjoyment was solely based on the exhibit and how the space was configured to work with it. After all, at its basis it was simply a medium-sized square facility that was molded by creative hands. My return depended upon future exhibits and/or if admission were free. But I'm a lover of the arts so it had my attention; and, as with art my opinion was purely subjective. I found fairly good value based on the prices, service, and experience noted above (TOTAL paid experience was around $0.00; no tip required). And, my credit card of choice was accepted...AMEX! 3.5 STARS