“L.A. Now” at the Las Vegas Art Museum
L.A. Now, curated by David Pagel
Exhibition: December 12, 2008 to April 11, 2009
The L.A. Now exhibition features 20 emerging artists who live and work in Los Angeles, California. The exhibition is organized by critic and curator David Pagel. Artists included in the exhibition were selected from among those who presented outstanding artworks in Los Angeles commercial galleries during the 2007-2008 season. The artists work in a wide variety of styles and media; each has gained national or international recognition for artistic achievement.
Artists featured in the exhibition include: Olivia Booth, Miles Coolidge, Liz Craft, Nathaniel de Large, Lecia Dole-Recio, Brad Eberhard, Wendell Gladstone, Katie Grinnan, Elliott Hundley, Annie Lapin, Michael Lazarus, Nathan Mabry, Allison Miller, Kristen Morgin, Christine Nguyen, Jared Pankin, Steve Roden, Jeni Spota, Don Suggs, and Wayne White. The exhibition represents the Las Vegas debut for all of the artists.
According to curator Pagel, “L.A. Now” is designed to showcase the artistic achievements of the artists individually: “rather than start with a theme, and fit the art into that, I’m starting with the art and seeing what emerges from that.” Most important for Pagel was to select artworks that are not only singularly memorable, but that together create compelling interactions: “I wanted the works in my show to converse with one another, to engage one another materially, intellectually, and emotionally.”
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I spent a few days in Las Vegas last week so I decided to pop in and see the L.A. Now exhibition at the Las Vegas Art Museum. I didn’t know what to expect but I was pleasantly surprised with all the work. The three large rooms of the museum showcased the extremely interesting paintings, sculpture and photography from 20 emerging L.A. artists. The painting was especially of high caliber and there was lots of it. Some of the standout painters were: Jeni Spota, Allison Miller, Wayne White and Steve Roden. And as David Pagel wanted, all the work definitely conversed with one another.
Image above: Jeni Spota, Giotto’s Dream, Holy Mountain, 2007, Oil on canvas.
Category: Reviews 6 comments »
February 20th, 2009 at 11:38 am
What I like about this is that it is kind of a road show of LA art. It helps to tell the rest of the art world about LA art. It gives the artists and the scene at home a higher stature in a global scale. Chicago could definitely use something like this.
February 20th, 2009 at 11:56 am
The Chicago art scene could use it but how would it play out? Who would organize it…Artner from the Trib, Hawkins from the Times…do these critics have the muscle to organize an exhibition? And where would it show…Indianapolis, Minneapolis, Detroit…do these other cities even want to show a Chicago-centric exhibition? And if we think larger, would NY or LA be interested in showing an all-Chicago show?
February 20th, 2009 at 1:09 pm
That’s a very good question. Artists can organize it, perhaps, but then who champions a show like this. You need an important critic, curator or institution to get behind it. You need someone that has sway over the art world to get behind something like this to give it credibility. Perhaps, artists can put on “happenings” and such, but I think it may take a bunch of them in succession to get noticed. With the right supporters/boosters behind it, it could work and bring attention to the scene here.
The Pennsylvania Academy of the Arts had an historical Chicago show a couple of years ago. I think people could be interested.
February 20th, 2009 at 1:18 pm
Yes, the Penn Academy did have that show. Also, most recently, I think there was an Imagist Show somewhere in Indianapolis. That’s great but would a Chicago emerging artists show create interest?
February 20th, 2009 at 3:20 pm
Since Chicago seems to have fallen off the radar in the art world. A show of unknowns that’s promoted properly could launch a superstar or two, start a few careers and generate interest for the Chicago scene. A decent traveling show of important Chicago artists could also shine a light on this city that would certainly help many more as the scene gets stronger and larger to support the new attention.
May 20th, 2010 at 7:05 am
The Las Vegas Art Museum is closing its doors….for now.
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2009/feb/20/economy-leads-closing-las-vegas-art-museum/