Are you still changing exhibitions as you would if open and are the exhibitions virtual-only now? How’s that going?
Band of Vices leads first and foremost for our artists and their well-being. We recognize and respect the response to the COVID-19 pandemic and have taken every precaution to ensure that not only are we maintaining a safety net among the four partners of the gallery, but also serving our community in any ways that we can be of assistance. And while everyone is working toward the same goals and being very careful and “physically-distant” since “socially-distant” projects are something very different, just talking to our neighbors and connecting with them, supporting the local restaurants like Alta, Vees Cafe, Delicious Pizza and MizLALA including our Associated Market, we also recognize there is a need for human connection between us, especially during this time.

Band of Vices Founder & Creative Director Terrell Tilford (standing) with business partner and writer, Melvin A. Marshall.

Are you breaking any laws by opening your gallery for appointments-only, if say, a collector wanted to see the artwork before investing in buying?
Our understanding is that, while there have been stay-at-home orders and that only “essential businesses” should remain open, we consider ourselves essential for our artists. Our recent exhibition which was a sold-out show, hosted maybe 10 people during its entire extended run of six weeks. During that time, each visitor was required and obliged to wearing their mask and we all maintained not just a 6-foot apart practice, but probably closer to 10 feet. If that is a law we broke, we’ll take the hit on that one.

Collector Myron Ward during Grace Lynne Haynes’ Shades of Summer exhibition, May 2020.

Are you still participating in the art fairs as they still seem to virtually exist. If so, what’s your opinion of the new virtual trend?
We believe in adapting to our current climate of circumstances. And listening to our artists, our community and our clientele. While our last and next shows will still be installed, we learned and connected even more deeply by hosting our virtual talks (though they were always a part of our programming), virtual walk-throughs and just selling via social media platforms. We support whatever the virtual trend is, while also redefining for ourselves and our collector base what that may mean for them.

Opening of Shantell Martin WAVES, January 2020.

Do you think your space will be open this summer with limitations of how many people can enter your venue?
We had a business meeting the other day with three partners with an artist. We each maintain a considerable distance and during that time, we also had a schedule appointment for two collectors. Everyone wore their masks and practiced a considerable distance. We have a major group exhibition with 18 artists opening on Juneteenth (June 19th), in which we are planning to be open by appointment throughout the summer. Whether there is an actual opening or if it is staggered over several days or we maintain a line outside while allowing maybe 25 people in the gallery at a time, remains to be seen. If Target and Trader Joe’s and Home Depot and other places provide practices as such, we believe we are sophisticated, yet responsible enough to do the same thing. So yes, we plan to be open and yes, we do plan to limit the amount of patrons at a time.

Shantell Martin & guest at her opening WAVES, January 2020.

Are openings now a thing of the past and can you foresee a new trend for announcing a new show instead of the traditional art opening?
Openings will never be a thing of the past, they will just exist differently. There will be a new normal that we each will have to adapt to and it will become what is eventually expected. We were living in New York City when 9/11 occurred. I don’t think any of us anticipated how airline security and other measures would shape our new thinking from 20 years ago. But it did. While absolutely brutal and horrific this disease has been, we still remain optimistic and try to look beyond this moment to keep uplifting one another and what that new outlook will be, we hope to be a source of inspiration, where, through art, people continue to find their solace.

Artist Grace Lynne Haynes with Band of Vices partner, Darryl E. Wash during her exhibition, Shades of Summer, May 2020.

Is there anything surprisingly positive you have noticed so far for the art world as we know it today? Or something you feel you or we all could learn from this?
We have so much yet to learn from this moment. However, what has been inspiring, again in much the same way a 9/11 was in NYC, is that people come together in times of despair. They become more compassionate, more aware, more attuned to their surroundings. The outpouring of support and therapy through the hundreds of Zoom meetings, the symposium, the parlor meetings, the studio visits, the gallery talks, the virtual tours…everyone is all-in. There is so much support and resilience and a desire to see each other remaining hopeful and productive. It truly is inspiring. Los Angeles is really stepping forward. Even during a time when you would hope the leaders of the free world would actually be leading us and assuring us, it is beautiful that everyday people have led that charge, have been the true leaders and have served as each other’s sounding boards and sources of immense, deep meaningful and sincere inspiration.