The L.A. Art Show opens tonight with a 23rd annual fair which, if recent years are any indication, will smash previous records for size, vendors and attendance. The event takes over more than 150,000 square feet in the Convention Center to display works from around the world, and organizers are expecting a crowd of well over 70,000 visitors.
Size and scope aren’t the only things setting 2017’s fair apart. There is also an emphasis on mixing space for commercial galleries that are in town hoping to sell art to collectors, with exhibition and programming space dedicated to local non-profit museums.
LACMA, the Broad, the Getty, MoCA and the Autry are all on board, as are Long Beach’s Museum of Latin American Art, Anaheim’s Muzeo Museum and Cultural Center and the UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center. The displays and performances curated by these museums will focus largely on this year’s theme of Latin American art and the Latin American influence on Los Angeles’ art scene.
Visitors get a chance to get an early sneak peek at what these institutions will be showcasing for Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA when it opens in September, as several of the pieces and performances are selections from that upcoming show. If you’re eagerly looking forward to the next Pacific Standard Time, the curator will also be on hand to moderate a panel discussion on the topic.
As for the rest of the art show, this year’s curation will be tighter than ever before, specifically focusing on postwar contemporary art. The number of gallery vendors accepted into the show that fall outside of that category has been narrowed down to just nine, and they will be segregated into a special area titled “Roots.” So, if you’re really in the market for a 19th century painting, you may still find what you’re looking for—but the real reason to make a trip to the fair is to check out exciting art of today.
L.A. Art show is open January 12 to 14 from 11am to 7pm and January 15 from 11am to 5pm. An opening night gala takes place January 11 from 7 to 11pm. Show passes and opening night tickets are available online for $25 to $250.
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