Hello, Los Angeles!

The art fairs land in LA this week and the calendar is bursting. It also marks a moment in which the city’s art community will regroup in the wake of the devastating wildfires. All of it will hopefully offer some distraction from whatever Trump is doing to the Kennedy Center.

I’m Carolina A. Miranda, and I’m here with this week’s Art Insider. Here’s the lineup:

• My guide to the fairs
• A directory of must-see gallery shows 
• New gallery launches
• Benefit shows for artists affected by fires
• A handy map!

Keep scrolling!

The featured art at the top of this week's newsletter is a detail of a painting by Danielle Dean titled "Circa 1400/2025" that will be on view at Commonwealth and Council's booth at Frieze.

Fair's Fair

Get your comfy shoes and charge up your cell, here’s a guide to which fair is showing what.

Hot tip: stick to public transit; parking will be nightmarish.

FRIEZE LOS ANGELES (Santa Monica) 
For fans of: Heavy hitters, mixed media, outré art fashion
The most blue chip of the fairs will feature almost 100 international galleries. I’ll be keeping an eye peeled for presentations by Ozzie Juarez and Jacki Amézquita at Charlie James Gallery, and the assemblages of Noah Purifoy at Tilton Gallery. Also on my list is David Kordansky Gallery, showing the beguiling paintings of Maia Cruz Palileo (who will have a solo at the gallery in March). Don’t miss Frieze Focus, organized by curator Essence Harden, which highlights emerging spaces — such as Sow & Tailor, showing photographic assemblages by Shaniqwa Jarvis. On view February 20th–23rd, Santa Monica Airport, adult admission from $79; frieze.com.

Maia Cruz Palileo, "To Gather Wild Fruits," 2024. (Dario Lasagni / David Kordansky Gallery)

POST-FAIR (Santa Monica) 
For fans of: Solo presentations, intimate scale
The Spring Break Art Show was canceled this year, but where one fair disappears, another rises. Cue this boutique showcase inhabiting an unused Art Deco post office in Santa Monica. Among the 29 participating galleries are venerable spaces like PPOW from New York (showing paintings by Harry Gould Harvey IV), and Sprüth Magers, which will display the work of the late, great Kaari Upson. On view February 20th–22nd, 1248 Fifth St., Santa Monica, admission $10; post-fair.com.

THE OTHER ART FAIR (Frogtown) 
For fans of: Artistic eclecticism, reasonable prices
Most fairs center on galleries, this upstart focuses on artists — with more than 140 independent creatives presenting their work over a four-day period in Atwater Village. Looking for something affordable to display in your home? This is where you’ll find it. On view February 20th–23rd, 2800 Casitas Ave., Los Angeles, admission from $17, theotherartfair.com/la/.

FELIX ART FAIR (Hollywood) 
For fans of: Poolside cocktails, a diverse array of art
I love a hotel fair — traipsing in and out of rooms to see whether the wall space above the commode is being adequately used to display art. And this one, held at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, comes with an air of movie glamor. The list of 69 participating galleries includes LA’s Timothy Hawkinson Gallery, Madrid’s El Apartamento, and New York’s White Columns. On view February 19th–23rd, 7000 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, one-day pass $75, felixfair.com.

Work by Kim Schoenstadt will be on view at Timothy Hawkinson. (Ruben Diaz / Timothy Hawksinson Gallery)

LA ART SHOW (Downtown) 
For fans of: Bold paintings, a new brow vibe
The LA Art Show is marking its 30th anniversary with displays by more than six dozen galleries. Check their annual non-commercial exhibition, DIVERSEartLA, organized by independent curator Marisa Caichiolo. This year’s show will be a retrospective, reuniting works from the past. On view February 19th–23rd, LA Convention Center, Los Angeles, one-day pass $35, laartshow.com. 

(Free!) Art Around Town

During the fairs, galleries put on their starriest, most startling, most extra shows — and they are 100% free!

Deitch Los Angeles (Hollywood)
Deitch, which occupies a pair of buildings on contiguous blocks, has two boffo shows: one by painter Nina Chanel Abney, who reimagines classical religious works in contemporary (and hilarious) ways, and another by multimedia artist Tschabalala Self, who takes on the concept of the “dream girl.” Through April 26th; deitch.com.

Hauser & Wirth (Downtown and West Hollywood)
The gallery is bringing out the heavyweights at its two locations, including new paintings by Charles Gaines and an important conceptual piece by David Hammons. Also on view will be the work of British painter George Rouy, his first US solo. The Hammons and Rouy shows open on February 18th in downtown LA; Gaines opens in West Hollywood on February 19th; hauserwirth.com.

Lisson Gallery (Hollywood)  
Kelly Akashi was one of the many LA artists who lost her home in the fires, making this show quite poignant. Moreso because her ethereal sculptures, which link fragments of the human body to nature, are imbued with a sense of impermanence. Opens February 20th; lissongallery.com.

Kelly Akashi, "Untitled," 2024. (Lisson Gallery)

Vielmetter Los Angeles (Downtown)
One of my favorite LA spaces has a trio of shows offering something for everyone: vibrant abstractions by Kim DeJesus; languid, erotic figure paintings by Kyle Dunn; and Nate Lewis’s otherworldly scenes portraying bodies in motion. DeJesus’s show is up through March 8th; Lewis and Dunn through March 29th; vielmetter.com.

Commonwealth and Council (Koreatown)
That beat you hear when you enter the gallery emerges from a contraption devised by Julian Abraham “Togar” that explores the concept of the ghost stroke in drumming — an almost imperceptible, but essential part of rhythm-making. Through March 15th; commonwealthandcouncil.com.

David Zwirner (East Hollywood) 
A series of totemic figures surround a quilted floor piece in a scene that conjures spiritual rite in this remarkable solo exhibition by the New York-based Tau Lewis. Through March 29th; davidzwirner.com.

A detail from Tau Lewis's "The Handle of the Axe," 2024. (Tau Lewis / David Zwirner)

Hannah Hoffman (MacArthur Park)
LA artist Sula Bermudez-Silverman, who was displaced by the Eaton fire, is presenting a series of provocative sculptures that meld beauty and bondage. Through March 29th; hannahhoffman.la.

Southern Guild (East Hollywood)
In her canvases, South African painter Manyaku Mashilo honors a coming-of-age ceremony in which women’s bodies are covered in red ochre pigment — a rite practiced by the women in her family. Through May 3rd; southernguild.com.

Karma (West Hollywood) 
Woody de Othello is creating an immersive installation that will include ceramics, sand, and an ambient soundscape (by the musician known as Cheflee) that connects the body to sound. Opens February 19th; karmakarma.org.

Marc Selwyn (Beverly Hills)
Selwyn has an excellent two-fer: an exhibition of paintings by Carlos Almaraz, the LA artist known for his fiery car crash scenes, as well as a combined show of works by Michelle Uckotter and Cameron. Through March 29th; marcselwynfineart.com.

Carlos Almaraz, "Come Fly With Me," 1980. (Estate of Carlos Almaraz / Marc Selwyn)

Galerie XII (Santa Monica)
In her photographic series “Out My Window,” Gail Albert Halaban captures staged scenes through illuminated apartment windows. Through April 26th at Bergamot Station; galeriexii.com.

Lois Lambert (Santa Monica) 
At a time of environmental disaster, Sarah Steinberg’s homages to the Canadian landscapes of her youth feel reassuring. Through March 8th at Bergamot Station; loislambertgallery.com.

Benefit Shows

One Hundred Percent (East Hollywood)
A pop-up organized by LA curator Aram Moshayedi features work by artists impacted by the fires — who will receive 100% of proceeds. Through February 22nd at 619 N. Western Ave. in East Hollywood; for more see The Art Newspaper.

Out of the Ashes (Santa Monica) 
This group show at Craig Krull Gallery also benefits artists affected by the fires. Through March 1st; a reception and artist talk will be held on February 22nd at 2 PM; craigkrullgallery.com.

Artists for Loss Angeles (Venice) 
The artist-run Arcane Space is holding a similar benefit exhibition. On view through March 2nd; arcanespacela.com.

Debuts

Two new spaces are opening their doors this week:

Parker Gallery has moved to roomier digs on Melrose, inaugurating their new building with shows by Joe Minter and Daisy Sheff. Opens February 19th in Hollywood; parkergallery.com.

Rajiv Menon Contemporary is a brand-new space that centers on artists with roots in South Asia. On view through March 30th in Hollywood; rmcontemporary.com.

A Handy Map

Want to see this info as a Google map? Click right here.

It includes many other gallery shows, joints for snacks — and where to get your fortune told. 🔮

Thanks for reading — and see you around town!

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