Gallery Row, Los Angeles, California
Encyclopedia
Gallery Row is a district in Downtown
Los Angeles
designated by the City Council
in 2003 to promote the concentration of art galleries along Main Street
and Spring Street and to create a thriving, pedestrian-friendly, culturally abundant, urban neighborhood. Gallery Row spans north-south along Main and Spring Streets from 2nd Street in the north to 9th Street in the south.
At that time, there were only three galleries in the area: Inshallah Gallery on Main Street near 3rd, bank (Lorraine Molina) on Main Street near 4th, 727 Gallery on Spring Street near 7th (Adrian Rivas, James Rojas). The borders of the proposed district was largely driven by the desire for inclusion of the existing art venues, as well as the obvious potential for expansion and infill in the largely vacant district.
In 2003, much of the Historic Core
shared attributes with Skid Row
. By day, the area was marginally active with shoppers and other visitors, but by evening, most establishments closed and people left for elsewhere.
The City Council motion (co-sponsored by Jan Perry
and Antonio Villaraigosa
) to designate Gallery Row was passed in July of 2003, and “Gallery Row” street signs were installed in the fall. Chaired by Nic Cha Kim and Santonia Amberly, the AAC Committee met weekly at Inshallah Gallery to plan an official opening ceremony, which was scheduled for May 15, 2004.
Inaugurated at Biddy Mason Park on Spring Street, the event consisted of a ceremony hosted by Los Angeles City officials, temporary galleries set up in empty storefronts by Phantom Galleries and THE MAX, a series of theatre readings at LATC, and information booths supporting the local community.
By September of 2004, there were 8 galleries operating.
The Downtown Art Walk was begun by gallery-owner Bert Green, a month in advance of the opening of his gallery at 5th and Main. The AAC committee was spun off as the nonprofit Gallery Row Organization, which serves to promote and develop the cultural resources of the district.
In 2007 the number of participating galleries reached 30, and in 2010, about 40. In 2007, DLANC sponsored the Art Walk shuttle, which began service in June 2007. Although, until recently, the area was sparsely populated after dark, the numbers of visitors grew substantially from only about 75 in September 2004 to more than 15,000 in 2010.
Between 2003 and 2010 the area has also seen an explosion in residential conversion of formerly vacant or underused commercial buildings. As the resident population increased, so has the cultural vitality of the district. The Downtown Art Walk now attracts thousands of people, and the Historic Core and Gallery Row are becoming recognized as one of the most significant success stories in Los Angeles history.
Downtown Los Angeles
Downtown Los Angeles is the central business district of Los Angeles, California, United States, located close to the geographic center of the metropolitan area...
Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
designated by the City Council
Los Angeles City Council
The Los Angeles City Council is the governing body of the City of Los Angeles.The Council is composed of fifteen members elected from single-member districts for four-year terms. The president of the council and the president pro tempore are chosen by the Council at the first regular meeting after...
in 2003 to promote the concentration of art galleries along Main Street
Main Street (Los Angeles)
Main Street is a major north-south thoroughfare in Los Angeles, California, and is the east-west postal divider for that city. It begins as a continuation of Valley Boulevard west of Mission Road in Lincoln Heights and ends at the Port of Los Angeles. At 9th Street, it merges with Spring Street in...
and Spring Street and to create a thriving, pedestrian-friendly, culturally abundant, urban neighborhood. Gallery Row spans north-south along Main and Spring Streets from 2nd Street in the north to 9th Street in the south.
History
Gallery Row was started based on a proposal by artists Nic Cha Kim and Kjell Hagen as members of the Arts, Aesthetics, and Culture (ACC) Committee of the Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council (DLANC).At that time, there were only three galleries in the area: Inshallah Gallery on Main Street near 3rd, bank (Lorraine Molina) on Main Street near 4th, 727 Gallery on Spring Street near 7th (Adrian Rivas, James Rojas). The borders of the proposed district was largely driven by the desire for inclusion of the existing art venues, as well as the obvious potential for expansion and infill in the largely vacant district.
In 2003, much of the Historic Core
Historic Core, Los Angeles, California
The Historic Core is a neighborhood in Downtown Los Angeles between Hill and Main streets on the west and east, and 3rd and 9th street on the north and south. It overlaps with the Jewelry District on its western end and Skid Row on its eastern end. It was the center of the city before World War II...
shared attributes with Skid Row
Skid Row, Los Angeles, California
Skid Row, officially known as Central City East, is an area of Downtown Los Angeles. As of the 2000 census, the population of the district was 17,740.-Description:...
. By day, the area was marginally active with shoppers and other visitors, but by evening, most establishments closed and people left for elsewhere.
The City Council motion (co-sponsored by Jan Perry
Jan Perry
Jan C. Perry is an American municipal politician. She is currently representing the 9th district of the Los Angeles City Council. She is a member of the Democratic Party.-City Council elections:...
and Antonio Villaraigosa
Antonio Villaraigosa
Antonio Ramón Villaraigosa , born Antonio Ramón Villar, Jr., is the 41st and current Mayor of Los Angeles, California, the third Mexican American to have ever held office in the city of Los Angeles and the first in over 130 years. He is also the current president of the United States Conference of...
) to designate Gallery Row was passed in July of 2003, and “Gallery Row” street signs were installed in the fall. Chaired by Nic Cha Kim and Santonia Amberly, the AAC Committee met weekly at Inshallah Gallery to plan an official opening ceremony, which was scheduled for May 15, 2004.
Inaugurated at Biddy Mason Park on Spring Street, the event consisted of a ceremony hosted by Los Angeles City officials, temporary galleries set up in empty storefronts by Phantom Galleries and THE MAX, a series of theatre readings at LATC, and information booths supporting the local community.
By September of 2004, there were 8 galleries operating.
Downtown Art Walk
The Downtown Art Walk is a monthly, self-guided tour of the art exhibition venues in Downtown Los Angeles, which includes the commercial art galleries, public museums, and non-profit arts venues. The Downtown Art Walk occurs every 2nd Thursday of the month.The Downtown Art Walk was begun by gallery-owner Bert Green, a month in advance of the opening of his gallery at 5th and Main. The AAC committee was spun off as the nonprofit Gallery Row Organization, which serves to promote and develop the cultural resources of the district.
In 2007 the number of participating galleries reached 30, and in 2010, about 40. In 2007, DLANC sponsored the Art Walk shuttle, which began service in June 2007. Although, until recently, the area was sparsely populated after dark, the numbers of visitors grew substantially from only about 75 in September 2004 to more than 15,000 in 2010.
Between 2003 and 2010 the area has also seen an explosion in residential conversion of formerly vacant or underused commercial buildings. As the resident population increased, so has the cultural vitality of the district. The Downtown Art Walk now attracts thousands of people, and the Historic Core and Gallery Row are becoming recognized as one of the most significant success stories in Los Angeles history.