THE ART OF COFFEE
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PROJECT GALLERY + ESPRESSO ADDS AN AROMATIC NEW DIMENSION TO THE ART GALLERY EXPERIENCE
text EMMA GOGONOVSKI photo CAPTAIN Unless you’re there for an opening party or a little afternoon
As for the art, Project is focused on showcasing established
art-shopping (NBD), walking into a gallery can be a bit intimidating. Enter
and emerging artists in the genres of Contemporary, Street, Lowbrow, Pop
Project Gallery + Espresso, the latest art space to grace Cahuenga Boulevard
Surrealism, Photography, and Installation. Zio Ziegler’s Lost Illusions set the
in Hollywood. With an artisan espresso bar tucked neatly inside, Project
tone for the program with a fitting showcase of color-drenched, large-scale
manages to bridge the gap between the highbrow art patron and the average
canvases and murals. Creating an illusion of simplicity from afar, Zio’s work is
passer-by.
incredibly intriguing, drawing you closer (coffee in hand) to discover intricate
The brain child of Sarah Gough, originally from Kentucky via
Miami, Project opened last November with an inaugural show by young San
patterns and stories.
Francisco-based artist Zio Ziegler.
closes; but Zio’s work is now ingrained into Hollywood, his murals dotting the
Sarah imagined the concept while working in various art galleries and observing the way the museum-like spaces left audiences apprehensive.
It will be a bittersweet moment when Lost Illusions
walls along Cahuenga. Next to Project is Venice local Cari Lee, followed by Facebook HQ’s in-house artist and muralist Ian Ross.
“Project started as a multifunctional space,” Sarah tells LAC. “I wanted it to be
So the space is great and the art resonates, but what of the coffee?
all about the art, yet with something else added into it.” Sarah has succeeded
Sarah’s “Espresso Master” Toby believes Project has all the makings to be the
in creating a welcoming space; warmth is emanated through exposed brick and
best espresso in LA, with beans sourced from a micro roaster and blended
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the barn wood bar that holds the magnificent espresso machine in the rear of
specifically for the gallery. But whether it rules the city’s roast-race or not, Project
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the gallery. The aroma of coffee drifts out onto Cahuenga, drawing you in, while
is an exciting moment for the LA art and coffee worlds alike. It is a space for all,
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the small act of holding a coffee cup allows you to stay just that much longer.
with infinite possibilities to walk out feeling all the richer.
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1553 N CAHUENGA BLVD. HOLLYWOOD, CA 90028 PROJECTLA.NET
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