3rd Quarter Newsletter 2022

Cover (clockwise from top left): Daniel Richter, Empty the apartment, 2022. Oil on canvas, 86 5/8 x 65 inches (220 x 165 cm). © Daniel Richter, Courtesy Regen Projects; Mar tin Eisler & Carlo Hauner Brazilian “Concha” Armchair from JF Chen; mural outside Ralph Pucci by artist Rebecca Moses. Photo by Carlos Fortuna; Metronome floor lamp at Apparatus.

In its ongoing effort to keep the District clean and beautiful, the BID announced several initiatives were coming to fruition over the next few weeks including new trash receptacles, District-wide sidewalk repairs, and the addition of lighting on the trees that line the Highland Avenue medians. z

Hollywood Media District

Dianna Eisenberg, Executive Director

ANNUAL STAKEHOLDER MEETING

On September 18, Hollywood Media District business- and property-owners gathered in the rear courtyard of 926 N. Sycamore Avenue for the 22nd Annual Stakeholders Meeting. Guests spent an hour mingling with their peers while enjoying bites and beverages from nearby Gigi’s French bistro. At the same time, new promotional videos on the BID (created for the event) were projected on a large screen.

Media District President Miguel Padilla kicked off the eve ning’s presentation by introducing a series of guest speakers that included City Councilmember Mitch O'Farrell (13th

District), City Councilmember Paul Koretz (5th District), and Paul Jordan, Senior Lead Officer for the Los Ange les Police Department’s Hollywood Division. Executive Director, Dianna Eisenberg also took the stage to outline her role in managing the District’s day-to-day operations.

Next, the chairpersons of the Arts, Clean & Green, Safe, and PLUM (Planning and Land Use Management) commi ttees each outlined their respective initiatives for the year. These included everything from District-wide safety improvements and new holiday lighting along Highland to ways the District can support its arts businesses.z

Deputy District Director and Homelessness Coordinator, Hector Vega; Los Angeles City Councilmember, Mitch O’Farrell (13th District); and Media District Executive Committee Member, Martha Demson at the 22nd Annual Stakeholders Meeting. Photo by Ron Grueper.

BY DESIGN THE MEDIA DISTRICT

Los Angeles has long been a city of great design. Craftsman homes, although they originated in En gland, really came into their own here. Charles and Ray Eames, through their Venice-based Eames Office, held an incredible amount of influence over the direction of Modern design and architecture. Today, one needs to look no further than the sheer number of design resources scat tered throughout the city to see that Angelenos still take their décor very seriously still.

For the past few decades, most of those resources sat clus tered around West Hollywood’s Pacific Design Center. Many of the city’s high-end rug companies, antique stores, and furniture retailers lined up along Melrose Avenue or in the La Cienega Design Quarter, although a few outliers existed in the Media District as well.

J.F. Chen, which first opened in the 1970s out of a mod est storefront on Melrose, became an early adopter of the

Media District as a home base. Since then, the showroom has expanded into multiple spaces and deals in everything from centuries-old antiques to pieces by Jean Prouvé, Kaare Klint, and Florence Knoll, to works from contem porary artists. To understand the true scope of J. F. Chen’s inventory, consider the 2016 “Collecting Eames” exhibit at which the showroom had more than 450 pieces of Eames furniture from its collection on display.

In 1993, Adam Blackman and David Cruz purchased a former gay nightclub on Highland Avenue and turned its 9,500 square feet of space into a chic showroom/atelier. Known for an exquisitely curated mix of traditional pieces (paint ed French cabinets and rustic farm tables) with the esoteric (a clay pitcher shaped like an Aztec head or a department store stocking display), Blackman Cruz quickly became a must-visit resource for the city’s top interior designers.

Several years would pass before other design-centered

Metronome floor lamp by Apparatus.

businesses would follow suit and come to the Media Dis trict, but eventually, come they did. In March 2017, for in stance, Ralph Pucci opened West Coast outpost of his busi ness on McCadden Place. Its façade, covered in colorful murals from artist Rebecca Moses, sets the tone for what one can expect inside: an open space that’s more gallery than showroom with its furniture arranged and displayed as objets d’art

“Ralph thought this neighborhood had the potential to re ally become a design hub,” said Chris Kapov, West Coast Director of Ralph Pucci and member of the Media District Board of Directors. “At the time we moved, J.F. Chen and Blackman Cruz were the only ones here. Ralph felt that this area would hit critical mass at some point, and he was right.”

Next door, New York-based interdisciplinary design studio, Apparatus—best known for its sleek collection of lighting, furnishings, and accessories—set up its own West Coast flagship in a former warehouse and production studio that offered a blank-slate environment to present its designs.

“Designing our Los Angeles gallery allowed me to experi ence the city I grew up in differently; to express the stu dio’s design ethos through an idealized version of Califor nia,” said Gabriel Hendifar, Artistic Director and Founder of Apparatus. “With that said, being neighbors with Ralph Pucci and JF Chen was a no-brainer. We’re only as good as the company we keep, and we’re so thrilled to be welcomed into the neighborhood.”

McCadden place is also home to Lief Gallery with its cu rated mix of antique and modern pieces, Paula Batali handprinted wallpapers, and their own line of reproductions.

Mother and son decorators, Clements Design, are also established in the Media District. This duo has outfitted the homes of Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi; Bruno

A vignette at Blackman Cruz. Photo by Ian Hughes.

Mars; and Jennifer Lawrence which is probably why they landed on Architectural Digest’s list of top 100 designers in 2020.

Most recently, interior design powerhouse, Holly Hunt opened her flagship Los Angeles showroom in the Media District. One of the biggest names in the business, Hunt stocks furnishings of her own designs as well as those of other designers like Jean-Michel Frank, Lorna Lee, and Mark Albrecht Studio, to name a few.

So, is all this competition good for business?

“When another business moves to the BID, all of our boats rise. We all sell different things to the same people,” quipped Kapov. “We don’t really compete with each other, we com plement each other.” z

Top: Ralph Pucci showroom. Photo by Chris Fortuna. Below: J.F. Chen for the “Collecting Eames” show.

In terms of its French pedigree, Mr. T is the real deal. Its first location is a buzzy affair set squarely in Paris’s chic Marais district. Simi larly, at its newly opened Hollywood counterpart, dinner promises to becomes something of a lowkey spectacle.

As you enter, the dining room’s casual minima lism is set aglow thanks to a neon “Mr. T” on the wall. A long bar sits beside an open kitchen and an army of exceptionally attractive staff scurry between tables while thumping music resonates overhead. For guests who wish to dine al fresco , there’s a spacious outdoor patio to accommodate that.

Those who want to kick things off with a drink will not be disappointed selecting from their many innovative cocktails. The eponymous Mr. T, for instance, is a refreshingly smoky mezcal mar

DOESN’T EAT AT MR. T PITY THE FOOL WHO

garita with prickly pear and candied hibiscus. The real star of the show, however, is the restaurant’s extensive wine list with some especially exquisite choices offered by the glass including a Champag ne Krug Grand Cuvée M and a Chateau d’Yquem sauternes.

The Mr. T menu takes inspiration from street food through a lens of French cuisine as prepared by head Chef Alisa Vannah (formerly of Tsubaki and République.) That is to say it features approachable dishes elevated by traditional technique and served with a soupçon of dra ma. About a quarter of the items are from the Parisian outpost and include the Mr. T lamb kebab, a riff on a croque monsieur with portabella mushrooms, and the must-get dish, the mac n’ cheese with wild mushrooms, truffle oil, and a comete cheese that is flambéed tableside with a blowtorch.

As we said: low-key spectacle. z

(No, not that Mr. T)

EX THE HIB ITION ISTS

It would be fair to say that the Hollywood Media District has staked its claim as the epicenter of L.A.’s contempo rary art scene. Some of the world’s most influential art dealers can be found amongst the dozen or so galleries that live in the BID. Here’s our guide of where to go and what you can expect to see when you get there.

CARPENTERS WORKSHOP GALLERY

7070 Santa Monica Boulevard

The Carpenters Workshop Gallery features artwork with a purpose by international artists and designers. Actively involved in the research and production of limited edition works, the gallery’s choices are guided by seeking an emo tional, artistic and historical relevance; a relevance that must appear evident.

Upcoming exhibition:

MICHELE LAMY / Turning Tricks

November 17, 2022-January 14, 2023

“Michele Lamy and Danny Minnick reimagine some of Southern California’s most iconic skate locations. Turning Tricks honors these historic spots by creating artistic rendi tions designed to be skated and functional, reclaiming and remembering skateboarding’s roots.”

carpentersworkshopgallery.com

DIANE ROSENSTEIN GALLERY 831 N. Highland Avenue

Founded in 2012, Diane Rosenstein Gallery is a contempo rary fine art gallery located in Hollywood, California. The gallery represents emerging, midcareer, and established artists in all media such as Eleanor Antin, Tim Davis, and David Hicks.

Current exhibition:

LISA BECK / Space-Time November 12, 2022–January 7, 2023

“Space-time embodies the idea that artworks can function as transcendental objects. Many of Beck’s works employ reflective materials such as mylar, mirror, aluminum leaf, metals, and polished acrylic. They look different from dif ferent angles as the viewer moves, highlighting the act of perception and providing a glimpse of the flux that is pres ent behind the facade of solidity and continuity of matter. The circle, in all its many references – atoms, stars, cells, voids – is a frequent element in her work.”

dianerosenstein.com

HELEN J GALLERY

929 Cole Avenue

The Helen J Gallery specializes in Asian art and design that embraces Asian culture and the diaspora. Its program aims to promote artists from various geographic locations and diverse backgrounds, foster cross-continental dialogue, and broaden the understanding of Asian culture in the Los Angeles area and beyond. In the summer of 2020, its first 4,500 square foot exhibition space opened at 929 Cole Av enue in Hollywood.

Current exhibition:

GROUP SHOW / CALArts Postgraduate ‘22 Group Exhibition

November 5, 2022 - January 21, 2023

“Helen J Gallery and Amy Kahng are pleased to present our CalArts Postgraduate ‘22 Group Exhibition, which features 27 artists working in painting, sculpture, drawing, video, and multimedia. who materialize these considerations of nonlinear temporalities in their work.”

helenjgallery.com

JEFFREY DEITCH

925 N. Orange Drive

Any serious collector of contemporary art knows Jeffrey Deitch and his eponymous gallery here in the Media Dis trict. Over a 50-year career, he has developed artists like Keith Haring, Jeff Koons, and Jean-Michel Basquiat. He opened his Los Angeles gallery in September 2018.

Current exhibition:

RAMMELLZEE / Gothic Futurism

November 5, 2022–January 14, 2023

“The immersive world of the polyhedric graffiti writer, vi sual artist, musician, lyricist, performer, fashion designer, innovator and philosopher Rammellzee lands in Los Ange les this November. The exhibition surveys his oeuvre from his graffiti beginnings on the A train in the mid-1970s to his fine arts and performance practice developed over the following three decades.”

deitch.com/los-angeles

GALLERY

1227 N Highland Avenue

Former Flash Art editor Michael Kohn established this namesake gallery in 1985. Since then, it has been the site of numerous historically significant exhibitions like Andy Warhol’s Campbell’s Soup Boxes in December 1986, which opened just weeks before the artist’s untimely death.

Current exhibitions:

ALIA AHMAD /(A Meadow ... from a Dream) November 5, 2022 - January 14, 2023

“The first U.S. exhibition of Saudi Arabian-artist Alia Ah mad’s work. In (A meadow … from a dream), Ahmad’s large-scale paintings pay tribute to her home, the industrial desert city of Riyadh. Her dense terrains take inspiration from aesthetics of unfinished woven textiles, which in turn become sites for the interweaving of process, spatiality, and stimuli.”

REGEN PROJECTS

6750 Santa Monica Blvd.

Regen Projects was founded in 1989 by Stuart Regen and Shaun Caley Regen in a space in West Hollywood. In 2012, the gallery opened a new space in Hollywood at the corner of Santa Monica Boulevard and Highland Avenue. Archi tect Michael Maltzan designed the iconic structure. Mat thew Barney, Anish Kapoor, and Catherine Opie are among the many artists the gallery currently represents.

Current exhibition:

JINBIN CHEN / Returnees

November 5, 2022 - January 14, 2023

“This will be Chen’s inaugural exhibition with the gallery. In Returnees, Chen examines themes of encounter and desire through portraiture of fragmented bodies or subjects rooted in anonymity. Building on the artist’s intention to create desire from the everyday, Chen’s paintings utilize soft color to blend and romanticize the gap between the ideal and the past.

kohngallery.com

DANIEL RICHTER / Furor II

November 3, 2022 - December 23, 2022

“Regen Projects presents Furor II, an exhibition of new paintings by German artist Daniel Richter. This marks the artist’s fifth solo presentation with the gallery. Richter came to prominence in the 1990s with bold, gestural, color ful, and even psychedelic abstract paintings that gained at tention in the wake of Germany’s neo-expressionist Junge Wilde generation.”

regenprojects.com

Detail: Alia Ahmad, Word in Weave 2022, oil on canvas. Courtesy of Kohn Gallery.

Daniel Richter, Empty the apartment, 2022. Oil on canvas, 86 5/8 x 65 inches (220 x 165 cm). © Daniel Richter, Courtesy Regen Projects.

KOHN

TANYA BONAKDAR GALLERY

1010 N Highland Avenue

For two decades, Tanya Bonakdar Gallery has developed a leading contemporary program that now represents more than thirty distinguished artists. Committed to presenting work across all media including painting, drawing, sculp ture, installation, photography, and video, the gallery has maintained a rigorous exhibition schedule that features more than ten rotating exhibitions by its artists each year In 2018, Tanya Bonakdar opened its Los Angeles gallery.

Current exhibitions:

NATHALIE DJURBERG & HANS BERG / A Pancake Moon

November 5, 2022 - January 21, 2023

“A Pancake Moon continues the artists’ engagement in visu alizing complex psychological narratives of contemporary life through sculpture, stop-motion film, sound and im mersive installations. Using anthropomorphic objects as a metaphor, the new animation and related sculptures reveal the full range of human emotions: anxiety, ecstasy, horror and joy, with a specific nod to the deeply transformational experience of motherhood.”

tanyabonakdargallery.com

VARIOUS SMALL FIRES

812 N. Highland Avenue

Established in 2012, Various Small Fires (VSF) is a gallery owned and operated by Esther Kim Varet. VSF has presen ted the Los Angeles debuts of many internationally recognized artists like Liz Magic Laser, Josh Kline, Jesper Just, Billy Al Bengston, and Judith Linhares. In 2014, Johnston MarkLee Architects designed the current VSF building with nearly 5,000 sq-ft of exhibition space, including a uni que sound corridor for year-round audio art programming.

Current exhibitions:

SZU-HAN HO / The suffering pond

November 12, 2022–January 14, 2023

“The suffering pond is constructed from found frequencies inspired by stories of anti-colonial resistance in Taiwan. Like objects stacked to form a street barricade, the sounds in this piece are stacked to form an interlocking architec ture of protection, porosity, and improvisation. Szu-Han Ho’s work in performance, sound, and installation explores the relationship between bodies and sites of memory.”

LILY WONG / I Will Wade Out

November 12, 2022–January 14, 2023

DONGHOON RHEE / Woman

November 12, 2022–January 14, 2023

vsf.la z

PUBLIC DISPLAYS AN AFFECTION FOR

It can be argued that nothing gives life to the Media District more than art. It is broadcast from its soundstages, hangs on the walls of its world-class galleries, and plays out on stage at its many performance spaces. In fact, art is so pervasive in the BID that it can be discovered on every almost every street corner, if you know where to look.

Of course, part of the fun with street art is its discovery; that it can turn up in unexpected places. So we won’t rob you of that experience by giving you a map. However, we do re commend you look high and low, on building façades, along alley walls, and everywhere in between. z

Above: Mural by artist Rebecca Moses.

Photographed by Chris Fortuna;

Left: Photograph by Ron Greuper.

A still frm A Pancake Moon / Nathalie Djurberg & Hans Berg.

Courtesy of Tonya Bonakdar Gallery.

FOR CLEANING SERVICE REQUESTS: https://mediadistrict.org/ service-request/

CONTACT US: 925 N. La Brea Avenue, 4th Fl. Hollywood, CA 90038 323.371.7438 email: BIDadmin@mediadistrict.org MediaDistrict.org

FOR PUBLIC SAFETY ESCORTS OR SECURITY CONCERNS: 323-871-4150