Please submit 10-20 images maximum in JPG format by mail to:

DAC Gallery
828 S. Main St.,
Los Angeles, CA
90014

If you would like your materials returned, please include a self-addressed stamped envelope.

E-mail submissions are also accepted and may be sent to info@dacgallery.com

When submitting artwork, include your name and contact information as well as dimensions, medium, and titles (if applicable).

There is a $40 non-refundable portfolio review fee per applicant, payable by check to ECF. If submitting via e-mail, please forward your payment to the above address and refer to this in your message.

Exhibition is open to all artists living/working in California. If your work is selected and you reside outside of Los Angeles County, you may opt to ship your work to the gallery. Please note that all shipping, insurance and packing materials are the sole responsibility of the artist and must be paid for/arranged by the artist.

Artists whose work is not selected for the May exhibition may be considered for future shows.

Deadline for submissions: April 1st, 2011
Opening: May 12th, 2011 (Downtown Art Walk)
Exhibit runs May 12 – 30, 2011

Curators: Virginia Arce, Nat George.

The Downtown Art Center Gallery on Main St. is a non-profit organization and has been a staple of Downtown’s Art District since 2008.

Foreground, Brian Rochefort. Background, Virgina Arce. Convergence @ DAC Gallery 12.10.2010

Just a reminder that the show is still running until February 4, so if you haven’t seen it yet, the gallery is participating in the Downtown Art Walk, next Thursday, January 13th, 6-9pm at 828 S Main St., Los Angeles, CA 90014 (between 8th and 9th – view map).

Aside from the monthly Art Walk opening, the gallery operates Mon-Fri, 8:00 am to 3:30 pm.

First up in the slideshow, you’ll see pics of the performance by artist Amelia Vella and several medically-clad attendants who chopped off her hair, marked the spot where the locks fell, then methodically placed them on a white table as “exhibits”. In a nutshell, Amy’s performance was a show of solidarity for both her parents who discovered they had cancer within a year of each other. Family history being a high-risk factor, the artist makes a strong statement on genetics, statistics, and the likelihood of her having to struggle with the disease at some point in the future.

The remainder of the slideshow is a general overview of the other featured artists’ work. Enjoy!

All photos in this post courtesy and © of Alan Bruni.

Click to view slideshow.

Convergence: A Group Exhibition
+ Performance by artist Amelia Vella

Featuring works by:

Virginia Arce
Alan Bruni
Nat George
Monica Martinez
Adriane Mota
Eric Myles
Olga Ponomarenko
Dianne Powell
Brian Rochefort
Crystal Roethlisberger
Chad Eric Steel
Steve Shapiro
Victoria Tao
Allen Terrell
Amelia Vella
Jerry Weems

Curated by
Nat George

Opening Reception: December 10, 2010
6pm-8pm

DAC Gallery
828 S. Main St
Los Angeles, CA 90014
213-627-7374 | info@dacgallery.com

Click for map & details

Downtown Art Center Gallery presents
Convergence: A Group Exhibition

In its last event of 2010, the Downtown Art Center Gallery presents Convergence: A Group Exhibition, featuring works by 16 Los Angeles-based artists.

The gallery will showcase an energetic array of sculpture, performance, photography and paintings during two key events held on consecutive nights:

The official opening reception featuring a live performance by artist Amelia Vella will be held on Friday December 10, 6-8pm.

The gallery will also be open in conjunction with the recently revived Downtown Art Walk on Thursday December 9, 6-9pm.

For several years the Downtown Art Center Gallery on Main St. has been a staple of Downtown’s Gallery Row, featuring established international artists such as Mario Canali and Willard Wigan as well as local rising stars David Phillips, David B. Jang and Jorge Albertella, among others. However the gallery doesn’t shy away from discovering emerging talent; each year DAC hosts at least four major exhibitions featuring eye-popping work from relative unknowns, to the delight of Downtown regulars.

The talented people featured in DAC’s upcoming exhibition have made a special contribution to the gallery; exhibiting artists in their own right, these individuals also work and/or volunteer as art instructors as part of a day program for adults with developmental disabilities offered at the Downtown Art Center and other locations across the city.

Convergence fuses multiple narratives in a unified voice. With this exhibition, Downtown Art Center Gallery is saying farewell to 2010 by showcasing the dynamic talents of the individuals who have contributed to raising the creative standard the Art Centers have become known for.

Featuring
Photography by Virginia Arce
Sculpture/Ceramics by Alan Bruni, Adriane Mota, Brian Rochefort, Chad Eric Steel & Steve Shapiro
Paintings/Works on Paper by Nat George, Monica Martinez, Eric Myles, Olga Ponomarenko, Dianne Powell, Crystal Roethlisberger, Vicky Tao, Allen Terrell & Jerry Weems
Performance by Amelia Vella
Curated by Nat George

Opening Reception + Performance: Friday Dec. 10, 2010 | 6-8pm
Art Walk Reception: Thursday Dec. 9, 2010 | 6-9pm
Show runs: December 9, 2010 through February 4, 2011

DAC Gallery
828 S. Main St., Los Angeles, CA  90014 [ map ]
Gallery Hours: Monday to Friday, 8 am – 3:30 pm
Website: www.dacgallery.com | E-mail: info@dacgallery.com
t. 213-627-7374 | f. 213-627-2925

While you’re at it, stop by the Downtown Art Center for Convergence: A Group Exhibition curated by Yours Truly… OR, save it and witness my somewhat unwilling participation in a performance piece by artist Amelia Vella the following night for the official opening reception, Friday December 10th.

What
Convergence: A Group Exhibition
A beautiful coalescence of sculpture, performance art, photography, and paintings by a prodigious group of local artists

When
Dowtown Art Walk: Thursday December 9, 6-9pm
AND
Official Opening + Performance: Friday December 10, 6-8pm
Show runs December 9, 2010 to February 4, 2011

Where
DAC Gallery
828 S. Main St., Los Angeles, CA  90015 [click for map]
(Between 8th & 9th – Parking available in front of the gallery or in nearby paid lots)
Gallery Hours: Mon-Fri, 8am -3:30pm
info@dacgallery.com
213.627.7374

Featuring works by:

Virginia Arce
Alan Bruni
Nat George
Monica Martinez
Adriane Mota
Eric Myles
Olga Ponomarenko
Dianne Powell
Brian Rochefort
Crystal Roethlisberger
Chad Eric Steel
Steve Shapiro
Vicky Tao
Allen Terrell
Amelia Vella
Jerry Weems

Details below.

Have a wonderful holiday!

These sparked some interesting conversation at a group exhibition on October 9; some people saw what it was right away and started chuckling, some – first perceiving weird, long-legged aliens – didn’t realize I had lifeguard towers attacking various parts of LALALand until they got a closer look.

“Hell-A #1” (2010) – Acrylic on paper, decorative frame, 23 ¼” x 33 ½“ (Unsuspecting runners at Runyon Canyon will never know what hit 'em)

In any case, I’m sticking a fork in it and calling it “done”; I could keep going on and on, reinventing uses for these iconic little structures but I’ve got another body of work brewing that is pulling me in a completely different direction. Not to say that I’ll never come back to this but for now, this will be the last of the Lifeguard Tower series.

“Hell-A #2” (2010) – Acrylic on paper, decorative frame, 23 ¼” x 33 ½“ (This should bring property prices down to a level even I can afford)

Please keep an eye out for a show I’m curating at DAC Gallery opening at the next Downtown Art Walk (December 9, 2010), details to follow.

It’s hidden away with no obvious signage, on the second floor of The City Market of Los Angeles. The wholesale market was incorporated in 1909 and has been in continuous operation since then, making it one of the oldest in the country.

The hallway of LA City Market; like something out of an old detective movie. Although the red flash from my friend's camera makes it less Noir, more vintage sci-fi...

The LA City Market Gallery (a.k.a. Upstairs At The Market Gallery) is an alternative space offering local artists the opportunity to show their work as part of a less… let’s say… elitist system. There’s no curator, and although the gallery is operated by The City Market of LA, it’s the artists themselves who are responsible for the space and the exhibitions. Grassroots enough for ya? On the upside when you sell, nobody’s sticking their hand out for a 50% cut.

Even though the space is well-used with an artist waiting list a mile long, the gallery runs somewhat under the radar; for one, having no curator or centralized organizer for ongoing exhibitions contributes to the overlook factor and prevents this cool spot from being recognized as a permanent fixture. Although the gallery has a website and a recorded message gives details on upcoming shows, the space is… just that: a place to show. To my knowledge you can expect at least one exhibition per month, but artists may or may not publicize their events. And with zero walk-in traffic, turnout entirely depends on how much (or how well) openings are advertised by individual artists. 

As such, it’s been difficult to include the space in the whole Downtown Art Walk hoopla on second Thursdays (which was purportedly on hiatus until 2011 but has since been resuscitated); the gallery isn’t on the Art Walk map, and at the corner of San Pedro and 11th, it’s a little off the beaten path. At night, the fashion district has a distinctively haunted feel… slightly less “hopping” than the scene a little further north. The entrance itself is difficult to find as you must enter through gates on 11th and make your way past a carport and market stalls. But it’s there… right between a loading dock and a Korean bank. Don’t blink or you’ll miss it! Miss it, and you’ll be sorry.

Outside the gallery, late at night. You're not scared, are you? There's 24/7 security, and plenty of free gated parking. Plus free wine and cheese inside. Oh and art, too.

You’ll see a lot of emerging artists here; plenty of experimental work, too. But also seasoned artists who have been exhibiting in the space since first discovering it years ago. Pretty much anything goes… although I do seem to remember a few caveats, such as no live animals or perishable art (there’s really no need to fatten the local fauna, if you get my drift).

As far as content goes, we might as well be talking about apples and oranges… or sea cucumbers. It’s a little inconsistent between exhibitions… but how else could it be when everyone gets a turn?

All for the greater good, I say.

As much as we collectively look up to our hipster-cool Gallery Row, there’s something refreshing about a space that doesn’t quite “fit”… kinda like a box of misfit chocolates; you never know what you’re going to get. Personally I prefer caramels, but sometimes you gotta bite into an unidentified cream-filled object. And if you’re forming a “What she said” joke, save it. I’m wayyyy ahead of you.

A past exhibition at The City Market Gallery.

Full disclosure: I am in this show, but so are 13 other amazing artists. So please stop by and say hi.

Double Take: A group exhibition

Saturday October 9, 6-10pm

LA City Market Gallery
1057 S. San Pedro St., 2nd Floor
Los Angeles, CA 90015 (click for map)
(213) 746-0646 or (213) 742-0672

Featuring:

Liz Comay
Dante Cox
Kelly DeGracia
Patricia Delouard
Julie Easton
Jacqueline Friedberg
Nate Geare
Nat George
Scott Hillman
Stacy Kalkowski
Ed Krzyzaniak
Nuttaphol Ma
Dave Quick
&
Ryan Schmidt

Free gated parking (enter on 11th at San Pedro), refreshments served.

My latest experience of the Art Walk was somewhat oddly tasting.

I saw a “thing” on stilts, was accosted by a super agro photographer trying to take my picture at a cupcake place, got sandwiched between performers right out of Interview With The Vampire, and witnessed a demonstration against Arizona’s anti-immigration law.

Not too shabby for a Thursday night, and it didn’t cost me a dime. Actually, that’s not true. I spent $3.25 on a cupcake.

Although it’s not the most expensive cupcake in town – cut to last Saturday night at Swinger’s counter on Beverly, staring at a $3.95 selection of small, bland-looking things under glass domes… which proves they’re all on drugs over there – I’m wondering when people are going to stop dropping that kind of cash on something our moms used to mass-produce at home for pennies on the dollar.

On to better things, here’s a recap (in images & tweets) of our fair city’s June 10th Art Walk. And if you’d like to keep posted on art-related updates, follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/natgeorgela or #follow @natgeorgela

Or, enjoy the slideshow instead…

Click to view slideshow.

June’s Second Thursday is upon us and I’ll be tweeting live from the Downtown LA Art Walk starting at 7pm, this Thursday June 10th. Go to www.twitter.com/natgeorgela for updates, or #follow @natgeorgela on Twitter.

This time, I’ll be joined by travel blogger extraordinaire Melanie Waldman of Travels With Two; we’ll begin our evening at The Annex LA and work our way South to cover many of the galleries I didn’t get to stop by last month. And of course, our tweeting odyssey won’t be complete without plenty of pictures, some kind of culinary treat and – I’m hoping – a cocktail or two along the way.

Melanie is also on twitter at www.twitter.com/travelswithtwo or @travelswithtwo

I’m also showing a few of my paintings at The Annex LA, which will be open from 5pm to 11pm. So come on by!

401 S. Main St
Los Angeles, CA  90013
909.618.7308
gallery@theannexla.org

June 10th Artist Line-up & Musical Performance:

ASHLEIGH SUMNER
RAUL DE LA TORRE
JONNYSTYLE
JENNIFER SUNGAH KO
CERRAEH LAYKIN
ROMAN ROTH
WALT HALL
PATRICK HAEMMERLEIN
AHH’D ART
NAT GEORGE
MICHELE CASTAGNETTI
DENNY BALES
LECATTE

Downtown Art Center Gallery is featured again this month, showcasing the work of resident artists Nelson Cobian & David Foster

Also, AN AMERICAN MARCH, a multimedia spectacle/performance by The Shadow Shogun

With offerings by

CINNAMON ROLL GANG

CONFECTION JEWELS

MIXED HEARTS

DELICATE RAYMOND

SILVER ROCKS

VINTIQUE LA

HAUS OF PRICE

Need a map? Here’s the official Downtown LA Art Walk map with gallery listings.

The Annex LA is #9

I don’t often peruse Gallery Row on Second Thursdays; I might drop in to support an artist I know at a specific space, but it’s been a while since I’ve had the opportunity to walk around willy-nilly and really get a feel for the area.

For all the development and gentrification that has taken hold of the downtown core in recent years, one still gets an uneasy feeling walking around the area north and east of LA Live at night; empty, spooky and odd. So it was amazing for me to witness first hand the radical transformation of Gallery Row from ghost town (on regular nights), to jam-packed hipster heaven.

In these odd economic times, it’s difficult to determine whether or not artists are actually making money from the event; but to call the Downtown Art Walk a success would be an understatement, at least to the naked eye. I can tell you that bars and restaurants were all filled to capacity, from small noodle shops & pizza parlors to upscale joints. Trying to get a table with my “art walk pal” Amy became an ongoing joke; we must’ve put our names down on 5 different wait lists while running in between to check our “status”, trying to anticipate which place was likely to open up first!

Being part of this bustling, energetic, super-crowded “street party” of sorts, complete with performers, fancy schmancy food trucks (not your momma’s taco stand) – and of course, art as far as the eye could see – made me a little giddy. The vibe was good, people were having a great time, and it’s not often Angelenos leave the safety of their cars to brave the mean streets on foot… let alone to participate in a jam-packed snuggle-fest with a bunch of strangers.

LAPD’s finest were also out in force last night; I’ve never, in my life, seen so many cops together in one place. With these crowds, I can imagine an ounce of police presence helps to avoid eleventy billion potential problems.

Last night was also a bit different in that I decided to take pictures and do live Twitter updates along the way; kind of an overview of my faves from the galleries we visited.

Needless to say, I’ll be back. Tweeting was a ton of fun, and I look forward to seeing a different set of galleries and new artists each time. So feel free to follow me on Twitter and stay tuned for more. And of course, if you’re a visual artist or involved in the art scene in some way, I’ll always follow back!

Without further ado, here’s the recap (in images) of last night’s Twitter broadcast.

Enjoy!