This weekend we shook up the typical gallery openings with some new experiences. On Thursday, we kicked off our weekend early and attended Members’ Brushstrokes: Beyond the Gallery, for an enchanting event at the Huntington Gardens. The evening included art talks, painting demonstrations, live music, complimentary wine, food trucks and explorations through the art gallery. I was lucky enough to know one of the artists participating in the live painting section of the evening, Kassia Rico, so I was thrilled to receive an invitation. Experiencing the gardens and grounds for the first time was a treat beyond imagination. The weather was perfect and we arrived just as golden hour hit the grounds, which couldn’t have been more breathtaking. The first stop on our agenda was the live painting section of the event. It was a picturesque display as artists were stationed on the lawn with easels and paints amongst the rows of trees and statues, which lead up to a fountain. Each artist completed a live painting to conclude a series of works requested by the event for their participation. The artists all varied in style and approach to their practice resulting in a well-rounded display of works from photo-real to impressionistic. We so enjoyed perusing the live display and interacting with the artists, which included Robert Vargas, Shenho Hshieh, Jeremy Lipking, Emily Gordon, Christine Orihuela, and Kassia Rico. Live music preformed by the Clover String Tri and Jazz by the People Musicq Jazz Group serenaded our stroll, making it that much more magical.

Artist at work in the Huntington Gardens.

We also listened to several of the informative art talks, which occurred throughout the evening in various locations. There was “The Materials of a Masterpiece: Understanding the History and Science of Gainsborough’s The Blue Boy” by Melinda McCurdy, Associate Curator of British Art, and Christina O’Connell, Senior Paintings Conservator. The “Los Angeles: The Burgeoning Center of the Art World” by Edward Goldman, art critic and host of KCRW’s “Art Talk” on NPR, and “The ‘P-Word’: The State of Contemporary ‘Portraiture’ in Southern California Fine Art” by Ronald E. Steen, art historian, art educator, and contemporary art advisor. Next, we ventured into the Huntington Art Gallery, which featured exhibits, Project Blue Boy and Celia Paul. After an amazing well-rounded night, we concluded our Huntington Gardens experience with a stroll through the garden; a masterpiece of its own.

Huntington Gardens.

Huntington Gardens.

In contrast to the grandiose Huntington Gardens outing, I ended my weekend by popping by a much more intimate but just as enjoyable art venue I had never experienced before called Queens. The inconspicuous artist-run gallery featured the opening of Gabriel Cohen: First Separation Meditation and a group show, Slippers. As we pulled up to the space, I was struck by its impressive turnout. Viewers spilled out onto the streets where they mingled and enjoyed the warm evening. The opening featured two exhibitions; a group show which existed as customary: on the gallery walls, while the work of Cohen lived in a less than traditional format: within four flat-file drawers. The group show, which was more readily visible, featured artwork by Amy Adler, Vanessa Conte, En Plein Error, David Gilbert, Joshua Ross, and Ari Salka. The exhibition was composed of works featuring various depictions of bodies. While some were more rendered and others were mere impressions of form, each held a captivating specificity in regards to style and intention.

Slippers opening at Queens.

Slippers opening at Queens.

After spending time with the group show, my attention was called to the works within the filing cabinets. Within each drawer was a piece of Cohen’s that required maneuvering though the other bodies, crouching down to open the files and one by one experiencing each piece. The works held space for quiet introspection as the first drawer I opened contained a photo centered on a dead bird, which was in the middle of a frame, inside of a flat file. Its something you see quite often while walking down a street—a dead bird is not atypical, but it does always make me stop and question its death, my death even and so on. Experiencing it within the files made me stop in just the same way and maybe even more so than if on the street. Although there was a sense of seriousness with Cohen’s work, experiencing them also resulted in intrigue and humorous interaction. Crouching down and accessing the work within each drawer in the gallery filled with bodies was not an easily accessible or especially calming task. Cohen’s reflective images forced one to pause and reflect, while also forcing the viewer to be aware of their surroundings.

Gabriel Cohen, First Separation Meditation at Queens.

All in all this weekend provided a wide range of excursions. From expansive gardens to exhibitions existing within the confines of a flat file, the LA art world never ceases to expand the ways in which we celebrate art and we are always happy to partake.