A Stroll Between West Hollywood and Hollywood

Start at New Image Art! Established in 1994 by artist Marsea Goldberg, New Image Art (NIA) has long been championed as a space made by artists, for artists. NIA focuses on exhibiting ingenuity and soul rather than following commerce and trends—well-respected as a true creative outlet for artists. NIA’s exhibitions are consistently interesting, with a distinct preference for painters working with a surreal strain of abstract imagery.

Founded in the 1990s in New York City, Matthew Marks Gallery now totals more than 18,000 total square feet of exhibition space between New York and their exceptional Los Angeles spaces. With two gallery locations next door to each other on Santa Monica Boulevard, this gallery presents up to fifteen exhibitions yearly. A bonus: most of the shows are accompanied by great publications. 

Another New York native, Karma Gallery was founded by Brendan Dugan in 2011. Their Los Angeles location hosts exhibitions and accompanying talks/events by diverse, multi-generational artists. They also have a bookstore, which has artist’s books and rare ephemera alongside the gallery’s own publications.

Nino Mier gallery is located across three different buildings on Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood. Their exhibitions focus on world-class paintings, but equally engaging are the galleries’ unique building facades—including an old-fashioned, light-up movie theater marquee displaying the changing names of their artists and shows.

From Functional Art to Collectible Design, Carpenters Workshop Gallery produces and exhibits functional art by international artists or designers, both rising and established, going outside their traditional territories of expression. Actively involved in the research and production of limited edition works, the gallery’s choices are guided by seeking an emotional, artistic, and historical relevance; a relevance that must appear evident.

Lisson Gallery just opened an LA location in Hollywood’s ever-so-fashionable Sycamore District. The gallery is a standalone two-story building, previously home to a gay nightclub called ‘The Zone.’ Artistic energy pours from the surrounding area into the gallery space.  Lisson Gallery brings consistently interesting artists to this space– most hailing from abroad. 

Jeffery Deitch has been an important name in the art world for nearly fifty years. He opened Deitch Projects in New York in 1996, eventually closing the space to become Director of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles. Deitch has a deep understanding of both the New York and Los Angeles art worlds.  His consistently playful curatorial vision of accomplished, eclectic artists comes from New York and fits perfectly in the pop culture capital of the world. Deitch operates two  gallery spaces in Los Angeles, one in Hollywood and the other in West Hollywood.

Established in 1985 and ensconced in its Highland Avenue location since 2014, Kohn Gallery is known for their historically significant exhibitions of West coast artists like Ed Moses and John Altoon, alongside impressive showings of modern artists like Richard Prince, Wallace Berman, Andy Warhol, and Keith Haring. The gallery space will draw you in with its funky, glowing display window. Inside, an expansive, airy space allows for lots of room between artworks, creating a wonderfully reflective art viewing experience.

Since its inception in 1991, Sean Kelly Gallery has been internationally regarded for its diverse, intellectually driven program and a highly regarded roster of artists. The gallery has garnered international attention for its high caliber exhibition program and collaboration with many of the most significant cultural institutions around the world.

Regen Projects was founded in 1989 and has been nurturing the careers of contemporary art’s most important artists since its inception. The gallery represents 35 artists currently, and the roster is world-class. The Regen Projects building stands like a bright white beacon on Santa Monica Boulevard with its exterior looking like the entrance of a movie studio lot. Inside, though, is a peaceful, light-filled space exhibiting some of the most important contemporary artworks of our time.

Throughout the past two decades, Tanya Bonakdar Gallery has developed a leading contemporary program that now represents more than 30 distinguished artists worldwide. Committed to presenting work across all media including painting, drawing, sculpture, installation, photography, and video, the gallery has maintained a rigorous exhibition schedule that features more than ten rotating exhibitions by its artists each year.

Founded in 1994, Tanya Bonakdar Gallery opened at 130 Prince Street in New York City’s Soho neighborhood, where it remained until relocating to 521 West 21st Street in Chelsea in 1998. Following a major renovation in the spring of 2006, the gallery doubled in size by acquiring 5,000 square feet along the ground floor of its existing location. In 2018, Tanya Bonakdar Gallery opened a second gallery location at 1010 N. Highland Avenue in Los Angeles, California, expanding its exhibition capabilities as well as its programming.