Hauser & Wirth is a modern communal art gallery space that features a lot of different rotating art…read morepieces. This spot is located right in the heart of the Arts District and is free admission. There are multiple galleries to peruse along with a garden, restaurant, and bookstore in the vicinity as well. I stopped by to see the one Yoshitomo Nara piece they had on display before it would be taken down!

We were going to the Obscure Bar in the Arts District for the 6 cocktail we had no clue what at 8pm…read moreand while I had walked past this beautiful restaurant a few times roaming around the DTLA arts district, I had never actually eaten at Manuela's. This restaurant is set in the Hauser and Wirth art Gallery complex and since we got there early we toured the front gallery with an incredible assist from a docent named Michael who pointed out the most incredible pieces and steered us to the gallery at the back of the complex behind Manuela's. Both galleries are worth exploring. THE GENERATIVE UNIVERSE In the main gallery, there was an exhibition of one artist work: Keith Tyson. His work begins from the belief that the universe operates as a single generative system--a continuously shifting causal network in which forms arise, transform and dissolve. Originally trained as an engineer, Tyson was an early practitioner of generative art, often approaching artmaking through the logic of systems and natural processes, allowing a blend of chance, material behavior, mathematics and intuition to shape the outcome. The work was thought provoking and with the help of Michael the docent/guard, we learned the importance of the work moving from the natural world to the blend with technology to the technological.

Intimate and intense just a cool place to visit. It's in the arts district…read more Highly recommended

The Box is at the northernmost point of the hidden Chunk King road. It is definitely one of the…read morebest galleries in the Chinatown Arts District (CAD). Currently they are preparing for an installation which promises to be really cool. There were two guys setting up the installation and they let us in. They were not art snobs and that's a plus! The installation is comprised of interactive works of art. There are handles which you turn that makes the works of art come alive. This particular installation was pretty humorous in a provocative way in my opinion. The Box usually has very provocative art. Perhaps it is the gallery with the most controversial art in the whole CAD! The box has a pretty storefront. Parking nearby is $5 and up but if you are willing to walk a couple of blocks you can park for free in a little residential area to the north by Pho 87.

The Over the Influence Gallery is only a hundred feet or so from the large Hauser & Wirth Gallery…read moreon East 3rd Street in the LA Arts District. The exhibition is free in a massive space that looks closed but when you enter the large double doors this museum opens up into various rooms. The current exhibition is the collection of Eileen Harris Norton who lived in Venice CA and collected provocative and creative multimedia art by various young artists.

Cool space and fun art this time with space invaders and rubics cube…read more Highly recommended!

Her workshops are way better than MONA's. Knows what she's doing and students are kept on track to…read morefinish their projects. HIGH quality work produced in workshops.

I received a gift certificate for Lili's class as a present. I had no idea what I was in for! I…read moreleft with an evenngrrater appreciation for neon artwork and all of the details that go into it. It was fun to interact with other students from all walks of life and with Lili, Miho, Tom, Derlin, others who came into share their knowledge and skill. Lili has a great sense of humor, fantastic stories, and provides good guidance and information. She was also flexible with access to the studio for project work when work or personal schedules didn't align with class sessions. You do need to buy your materials, so it is a good idea to understand that cost so you can design and create the project you want. The final class art exhibit was alot of fun. The variety in the projects created was amazing. Great experience and so cool to work in a space filled with neon light! Loved my finish piece "Love Bulb Glow" Neon with LED on Mirrored Aluminum by Petrina Gooch. I will post a pic.

Embrace Los Angeles eclectic scene that spans about three miles long. A creative and cultural hub…read morewith a nice selection of eateries and coffee shops as well as cool A$$ murals. Now let me just say this, if you're one of those individuals who looks down on other people for their creative expressions or economic status then I don't think this a place for you, no apologies! My only gripe here is the parking because this place gets Hella packed! But since I'm an early bird I don't sweat it, LoL!!! They also have very interesting thrift shops and antique stores with a twist. Personally I enjoyed exploring around each corner since you never know if there will be a new mural popping up! So if you're open minded and cultural color blind then you should definitely check this place out. And that's my take on this Los Angeles gem, Peace...

Located right next to Little Tokyo, I'm not often here, but once in awhile, we swing by to get some…read moregood food or there's a pop up gallery event that I want to stop by (in this most recent case, we went to the Ryoko Kui/Dungeon Meshi exhibit at Art Share L.A. It's possible, if you're vigilant and lucky enough to swing around and find street parking in this area of LA. Again, just be wary of your surroundings and variables. I've heard stories of friends and mutuals cars getting broken into. Neat wall and street art here. Lots of pop up street food vendors too. Had some yummy Brazilian BBQ and burgers here before. Food-wise, I'm a fan of Prince Street Pizza, Urth Caffe, Tsujita, and Wurstkuche. A bit higher end restaurants than what you'd find next door, but that does mean it does get busy. So parking might get even tougher in an already busy area. I'm not one for the retail they have here, but there are some clothing stores, art and book stores. Great to stop by if you haven't before or just to swing around for food.

Came here for the Ryoko Kui "Dungeon Meshi: Delicious in Dungeon" pop up. I do a panel at anime…read moreconventions called "Food Reviewing Dungeon Meshi" where I analyze and review the dungeon floors from the series along with the monsters and dishes they cook, then give real life recommendations to where you can find these dishes in SoCal, so I HAD TO GO HERE. And you know, bring my past Yelpies awards so I can do what my boyfriend calls, "grosshikatsu". We got tickets beforehand online via Eventbrite. I suppose for more busier days, you have a time slot you book and enter. By the time we went, they were sadly already out of commemorative dishes. Also unfortunately, I had no idea that they had a stamp rally with Kinokuniya (would have been nice if there were signs or it was much more publicized -- actually, even when we went to Kino after, they were already out of the stamp cards), but after the kindness of the staff and some convincing and us dying from the heat, they understood our situation. Parking is awful as many such Little Tokyo cases are, but even more so during the weekend and during some events going on in the area, so either be ready to circle around or pay up and make the walking journey here. Getting in is easy, staff scan your QR code ticket and you get a free random post card. One side of the gallery was Ryoko Kui's other works with art drafts, sketches, some translated manga panels, information and background to her works, very nice if you're not familiar with her doujinshi or works outside of Dungeon Meshi. The other side of the gallery was all Dungeon Meshi. You are not allowed to take or record photos of the TV's showing the anime, but everything else seemed to be fair game. The gallery showed various art from scenes in the series and other standalone art of the characters in the world of Dungeon Meshi, the original and final cover art for the manga volumes, a written interview with Ryoko Kui, and much more. Afterwards was the real treat of the visit, all of the photo ops from the animated series, including replicas of the dishes from the series as well as the information of the monsters that were used for the said dishes. PERFECT MATERIAL FOR MY PANEL MIND YOU. Great for photo ops, I loved the color, attention to detail, the 3D aspects of seeing the dishes in front of you, and the detailed back drop and information for the dishes too (like floor 1 hot pot having the scorpion and mushroom cut outs), seeing the walking armor, love the frog photo op and much more. It only covers season 1 of the anime, but, again, perfect for the panel that I host and makes me even more excited for season 2. After the photo op area, there are some cut outs and food models for the concept art of the exhibit itself. Crazy to see that I'm taller than Marcille and my height in comparison to the main cast. Then of course, there's the gift shop at the end. Bonus goods if you spend more than $25, if you share on SNS, and sadly, of course things were already sold out. Solid visit and worth going out of our way to visit (I mean we're obviously otaku too, so kill 2 birds 1 stone in Little Tokyo), and definitely if you are a fan of the series, a foodie, or BOTH like me! NOTE: Since the pop up is in the summer, it gets SUPER hot in this art space. I don't think there's really strong AC in here so lots of fans on the ground and you will get warm. RIP to the cosplayers I saw here.

All over DTLA in what once were run down commercial areas, now public art, art galleries, cafes,…read morecoffee houses and unique stores have sprouted up. After the Grammy Museum which is in the Staples-Crypto Center/LA Live area that kick started the renovation of part of downtown after the theaters at the Music Center, I drove over to Art Share LA, an art gallery, theater and communal housing for artists. They had an exhibit of various artists working in the entertainment industry for Disney, Star Wars and other related animation work. When I walked in I really thought there was someone playing piano. Great space to enjoy art emerging artists.

I visited this gallery this weekend specifically to see an artist I was interested in. What I liked…read moreabout it was the fact they had this artist there. There are a lot of smaller name artists out there that need a place to start and I feel like this would be a good gallery for them. You won't find really high priced pieces, just a bunch of affordable art. If you're starting out collecting or don't have a huge budget this would be a great place to come and pick something up without paying a fortune. The girl working was really nice and friendly. I would def go back for another show if there was an artist I had interest in. I hope this gallery stays around and keeps putting on shows for up and coming artists.

From the owner: Arts District. Downtown LA Art Gallery featuring street art, fine art, board culture, polaroids,…read morephotography, screen prints, and whatever we feel like. Visit our boutique featuring swag, prints, jewelry, and black metal greeting cards. Live working black and white photobooth. Art work not for your mom.

Funky co-op with lots of fun trinkets. A bit pricey but fun to look around in…read more Parking is hard to find as there are a lot of spaces here that say no parking but there are definitely cars parked in front of the sign. No taking photos inside (there are a bunch of different signs telling you this) so it's hard to describe what's for sale. Fun to take a gander inside if you happen to be in the area and find a parking spot but probably not the most exciting place to go for specifically since you'd have to fight traffic and very confusing parking rules to get here.

Had lunch at Urth Caffe with my daughter after the gym (still in our gym clothes) while walking…read moreback to our car we came across this cute looking store. Walked in, liked some things and bought some things. As we were ready to leave we noticed the wall in the back with the art displays. They have a beautiful piece with what looks like a woman in a turban or headpiece. They also have it painted on the wall. Considering it's permanently on the wall, think safe assumption, the woman behind desk would know the history of the painting. She said she didn't. And not in an I just work here kind of way but in a snobby tone. We got the impression she judged a book by its cover...like I said we were in gym clothes. She made it clear she had no interest in wasting her time on us. I'd like to go back and support the independent artists but not at the cost of a snob. I asked because I was interested in purchasing the painting but not after that encounter.

An Art Walk in Los Angeles should be expected to be a scene where culture and artful expression…read moreknows no boundaries and embraces established techniques, modern absurdity and the limitless quanity of weird in the globe to produce what moves emotion or in other words to produce art. And my recent trip to the Downtown LA Art Walk was exactly that a collection of techniques, practices, talents, mediums, and modes of communication that came together and landed to create an amorphous experience that was shaped, like clay, to create visual and sensory craftwork. There were different galleries offering different works. I will begin this review by naming some of my favorite. There was this gallery showing photography that was enhanced, played, or showcased light and that is where I found the dinosaurs of Cabezon come to life by the angles of a camera. I clipped the picture of the drawing (art inception) and it shows a long neck dinosaur that I want to call a jirrafasuaraus but I know that is wrong, walking toward a twilight colored horizon-- where the low of the sky was orange, layered above by a lemon-yellow strip of sky, then followed a soften almost transparent orange, with the rest of the sky being a early evening blue. I could not tell that the picture was fake. I do not want to say that I thought that Jurrasic Park was real, but, the picture did make me feel that the dessert has seen dinosaurs walking toward lovely sunsets. Another favorite was a negative of a picture of what looked like a swan floating in water that was completely black, like a swan swimming on black construction paper. But the only visible parts of the swan was is feathered body, its long neck, and regal tail. I could not see its eyes, I could not see its beak, I could not see its crest up high. The swan was averting the lens of the camera and yet the beauty of the swan was evident because its pure white ruffles were silent against a black backdrop. I could continue naming the pieces I like and why, but then the artwalk would becoming an art viewing. So I will conclude that I also saw a woman wearing a ruffled vest that dragged to the floor. It was inconvenient and kind of bulky, and maybe drag dirt along the train, but this was also art. I point that out because the show attracted people with style, and style on a body, is art, as everyone knows. There was also an apartment building that opens its doors. It offered a fondue fountain, chocolate, pool table, blackjack, and a giant arcade machine where one could play spade invader or pac-man. So the engagement level of Art Walk expanded to art one could make on the spot. And if you wonder how one makes art at a pool table--- then I suggest seeing a video of a player using a stick to make a ball jump to avoid one ball and hit the other. The movement is a type of ballet jump (a piroutte) that is prompted by a stick propulsion. If that is not artistic expression, then, a person living in a glass box suspended in air above the ground isn't either. As I walked the streets of LA, I also saw a truck that had four spotlights. I have always seen events that are signaled out by spotlights but now I know that these spotlights are ambulatory, and kind of, yes, art in their own way. They rose lights to the buildings side and to the night sky. The movement was a type of dance light, and I defy anyone to prove me wrong because at its core, art can never be truly define by words because, on its own, its a visual language.

Fun experience going into these private artsy businesses and checking out their collection. This is…read morea well planned art walk where maps are included. You essentially just get lost going from one art studio to the next. It's everything about art into one event. Traffic can be difficult but once you're in, it doesn't even matter anymore. This was a fun experience.

It's a free museum. How people gonna complain about free, especially in a prime area like Little…read moreTokyo. You got spare time to spend a lazy day? Go spend it regulating your blood sugar levels from that hearty ramen/sushi lunch by walking around the Geffen Contemporary. They definitely get some interesting work coming through here; from highly technical paintings to puzzling installations 'n shit that is so ugly, you can only call it a modern art masterpiece. Though among my favorites has always been Haruki Murakami and all the sculptures and prints around the concept of Super Flat and the marriage of pop art to a fine art setting.

I recently visited The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA and was genuinely moved by the current…read moreexhibition. The show reflects on the histories and legacies of post-Civil War America and how they still shape conversations today. It brings together decommissioned monuments -- many of them Confederate -- alongside contemporary works that were both borrowed and newly created for this exhibition. Seeing these monuments removed from their original outdoor settings and placed inside a gallery changes everything. Some are unmarred. Others are heavily vandalized. Each state of transformation tells its own story. It forces you to look at them not as background fixtures, but as objects with weight, history, and consequence. The contrast between the historical monuments and the contemporary responses is powerful. It's not an easy exhibition, and that's the point. It invites reflection, discomfort, and dialogue. If you're looking for something visually impressive and intellectually challenging, this is absolutely worth your time.