LA as Art Mecca
Recently I have noticed a strong shift in the art world. When a person usually thinks of the art world center, New York is one of the first, if not the first, place to pop into their thoughts. For years New York has been the center of the art world, and probably rightfully so.
The city of Los Angeles has always been a mix of people, culture, and ideas. It is the largest city on the western coast, a port city, and a landscape filled with a plethora of imagination and innovation. The film industry already reigns supreme here, so what's stopping further growth towards another type of industry?
I recently interned for the annual photo l.a. in Santa Monica. While the internship itself was quite demanding, I noticed something about the art scene here. Many of the booths were not centrally located in California, but instead came from around the United States as well as places like Germany, China, and Switzerland. In this one space a wide variety of people had gathered for one purpose: art. The mass collection of ideas and art was apparent. Los Angeles is a place ready and willing to thrive on the people that travel and live here.
A recent LA times article explored the idea of a large art show being organized in LA. While there are several smaller art fairs, there has yet to be a fair that garners resumed international attention. Miami now holds one of the most prominent contemporary art fairs, Art Basel Miami Beach. This fair brings in many artists and also brings the attention of the press.
However, there is one large factor that stands against LA. While the city may have a cornucopia of restaurants, galleries, and party spots, it lacks a sizable venue to hold incoming artists. One thing I noticed at Photo L.A. was the complex nature of a space. There was a great deal of people crammed into one venue and not much room for anything else. Los Angeles has a wide variety of spaces, but none of which can hold a fair the size of other cities.
There is no doubt that an international art fair would bring much more tourism to the state. But the challenge begins with how to organize a fair. The people are ready. The art is ready. There are viable spaces available. Now comes to challenge to organize.
Assignment for JRN412
The city of Los Angeles has always been a mix of people, culture, and ideas. It is the largest city on the western coast, a port city, and a landscape filled with a plethora of imagination and innovation. The film industry already reigns supreme here, so what's stopping further growth towards another type of industry?
I recently interned for the annual photo l.a. in Santa Monica. While the internship itself was quite demanding, I noticed something about the art scene here. Many of the booths were not centrally located in California, but instead came from around the United States as well as places like Germany, China, and Switzerland. In this one space a wide variety of people had gathered for one purpose: art. The mass collection of ideas and art was apparent. Los Angeles is a place ready and willing to thrive on the people that travel and live here.
A recent LA times article explored the idea of a large art show being organized in LA. While there are several smaller art fairs, there has yet to be a fair that garners resumed international attention. Miami now holds one of the most prominent contemporary art fairs, Art Basel Miami Beach. This fair brings in many artists and also brings the attention of the press.
However, there is one large factor that stands against LA. While the city may have a cornucopia of restaurants, galleries, and party spots, it lacks a sizable venue to hold incoming artists. One thing I noticed at Photo L.A. was the complex nature of a space. There was a great deal of people crammed into one venue and not much room for anything else. Los Angeles has a wide variety of spaces, but none of which can hold a fair the size of other cities.
There is no doubt that an international art fair would bring much more tourism to the state. But the challenge begins with how to organize a fair. The people are ready. The art is ready. There are viable spaces available. Now comes to challenge to organize.
Assignment for JRN412
