Downtown Los Angeles (DTLA) / Chinatown / Boyle Heights Galleries

While maintaining its identity as a quaint and sometimes gritty, urban tourist destination, Los Angeles’ Chinatown performs double duty as Los Angeles’ young art Mecca.

Very low overhead and a devil-may-care attitude make Chinatown the entry level neighborhood for Los Angeles artists, galleries and collectors alike. Exuberance, raw energy and aesthetic risk-taking abound in a free-for-all atmosphere reminiscent of New York in the early ’80s. With some of these galleries and their artists already achieving significant recognition in the national and international art circuit, this neighborhood has established itself as a serious force in the Los Angeles art scene.

Culver City & Mid-Wishire Galleries

Arguably Los Angeles’ hottest art neighborhood, Culver City’s gallery district has snowballed since 2003, when Blum & Poe Gallery relocated their stable of world-class artists from Santa Monica to a non-descript block of La Cienega Boulevard.

Large spaces, comparatively cheap rent and an easy drive for the art-viewing/ buying public make this locale the perfect environment for the blend of ambition, experimentation and commerce that power LA’s thriving art scene. Boasting nearly 30 galleries and an impressive, non-profit art space, there is always plenty to discover and discuss in Culver City. Most of the galleries in the Culver City Art District are located within a two-three block area.

Further north the Mid-Wilshire District, on Wilshire near Fairfax, a small enclave of world-renown galleries represent some of the hottest artwork that Los Angeles has to offer.

Bill – I found the map with legend at http://www.ccgalleryguide.com/

Santa Monica & Venice Galleries

Hiding in plain sight is Bergamot Station, developed by the City of Santa Monica specifically to house art venues. About thirty galleries and non-profit space share close quarters and range from heavyweights on the world art stage to functional art showrooms.

Easy to access from Santa Monica’s beachside hotels, Bergamot Station is an international cultural destination with over 600,000 visitors a year.

Sprinkled throughout Venice, Santa Monica and other parts of the West LA are a few other galleries of very significant note, exhibiting some of Southern California’s finest and most interesting artwork.

West LA, Beverly Hills & Hollywood Galleries

What might you see on your tour?