When you see "The Pit" painted on an all-white building, what comes to mind?…read more At first, I assumed it was a a car garage--given the building's size--or maybe an office space. Curious, I decided to investigate and happily discovered that it is an actual art gallery. The owner was incredibly hospitable, and the space is dog-friendly--such a plus! The gallery is spacious, with two exhibitions currently on view. There's also a cute gift shop where we picked up two shirts. In addition to clothing, they sell beautiful ceramic kitchenware. Street parking is available, along with a shared parking lot. I'll definitely be adding this spot to my regular rotation of art galleries.

Los Angeles is an extremely important region when it comes to the history of the Gay Leather…read moreCommunity in the United States. Many people know all about NYC and the seminal Stonewall Rebellion. And "Gay Ghettos" like the Castro district in San Francisco. They are much less likely, however, to be aware that Los Angeles is the home to the longest continually existing gay organization in the world: the Satyr's Motorcycle Club, celebrating its 70th year. In fact, when you do a little research, you will find that Gay and Leather culture has an embarrassment of riches in Los Angeles. Tom of Finland (born Touko Valio Laaksonen) is an artist whose forty-plus years of work portrayed sexy, masculine Gay men. His depictions of such men has had an enormous impact on how Gay Men across the globe have presented themselves to the world. It is damn near impossible to go to a Gay Men's bar (Leather or not) and not find his imagery somewhere in the decor. The Tom of Finland Foundation, celebrating its 40th year in 2024, is dedicated to the work of Tom of Finland and promoting erotic art, including hosting up-and-coming artists. It was founded by Tom and former partner and muse, Durk Dehner in 1984. The ToFF is located is located in the former home of Tom, who died in 1991. The home is a 1912 Craftsmen style house in the Echo Park/Silverlake neighborhood. Besides for being kept in beautiful condition, every possible space is utilized to feature the work of Tom or other erotic artists. As Betty Wood put it, is the "phallus-filled former home of artist Tom of Finland." And at the summit of this grand estate is the former bedroom of Tom, lovingly kept as it was prior to his death. As an organization, the ToFF hosts an array of events. These include such things as salons for drawing live nudes (in various levels of eroticism), hosting dinner parties for Gay Men who enjoy uniforms and leather formal wear and tours of the house's enormous art collection. As the ToFF serves as a museum and cultural center AND the living quarters of the co-founder Mr. Dehner, his partner and the various artists-in-residence, it is not open for regular hours. Luckily, the online calendar is frequently updated, so you can determine when a particular event or tour is available. The Tom of Finland Foundation is a non-profit organization. They rely on donations from various groups and individuals to keep the house and foundation afloat. For most events, the entrance fee is about 25 dollars. This was all I payed for a single evening, which included dinner, at a Yule-tide themed party. Again, know that this money is going directly to supporting this organization and the artists-in-residence. If you have any interest in Gay and/or Leather history, this place is absolutely not-to-be-missed. This is the home of easily the most famous Gay erotic artist, the house is beautifully maintained and the art collection is always in flux and I have been to dozens of events here and have always thoroughly enjoyed myself. Highly recommended.

What an experience at the historic Tom House of the Tom of Finland Foundation…read more A collection of wonderful and exotic art highlighting sexuality, culture, gender, and creativity over the last four (since 1984) decades that is literally in, on and/or apart of every crevice, patched crack, updated fixture, beam, pillar and inch of the entire property... From front to back. Came for a Saturday tour with my friend Andrew for his extended birthday weekend. They have a few slots, the first at 2PM, we got there a few minutes after due to high volume traffic for St Patty's weekend, but thankfully there's a little relaxing portions on the porch with a cool mix match assortment of furniture and fixtures. Durk Dehner, one of the co-founding members and a former partner of Tom himself, was our guide... He talks about the story of how it all came about as well as Tom House eventually becoming a historical and cultural landmark for the City of Los Angeles. The tour is two hours so where good shoes and bring a water, though they do have bottles as well. It goes by super fast and taking pictures is allowed as well as encouraged. During our tour we got to meet some artist staying at the house, a lot of volunteers and staff archiving and planning away. Everyone was incredibly warm, just like this estate. I haven't been lucky enough to attend an event, just yet, but hopefully in the very not to distance future as they have some fun stuff on their event calendar. They have the coolest multi-level backyard and landscaping you'll ever find in LA... Lush with plant life, paths an actual full bar, multiple lounge areas, more art (of course) including along the driveway and on the sides of the house. The gift shop is pretty cool (I got a few fun things, including a pin for under ten and a complimentary Tom of Finland dog tag). We got to meet the home kitty, Durks pretty snowy mixed, cool cat waking from an afternoon nap at the end of our tour... A purrfect highlight. As a not for profit, ToFF aka Tom of Finland Foundation is beyond dedicated to preserving as well as protecting art and artists, being an advocate for the lgbtq+ community and highlighting queer creatives, erotic art, sexuality and freedom of expression. All are welcome and celebrated at ToFF. All are encouraged to enjoy! Q-Tip: They do have memberships which include cool club cards, a member patch, invitations to special events as well as discounted tickets for selected ToFF events. Tom's Kale ensures the above, but if that's a bit steep supporting them with the Tom's Friend membership is more than okay. If you're an artist you reap some cool rewards and a great value.

Pace gallery is an art oasis in the big city. A sanctuary that sets the tone for a peaceful and…read morepensive museum experience. The entryway faces one of the busiest streets in LA, yet once you pass the heavy black gate that is enclosed in a wall of shrubbery (like a secret passageway), you're transported into such a tranquil and meditative space. You'll have to be buzzed in. The courtyard leads to the gallery entryway is serene and unpretentious, and your first glimpse of the gallery is caught looking through the big picture windows facing the courtyard. Honestly, the calming atmosphere of the courtyard seems so inviting to bookworms and daydreamers alike. Entering the gallery doors, the welcome is warm and inviting, the gallery space is open and bright. Plenty of space to roam without disturbing other patrons. Sign up at the front desk for museum updates. I'd recommend this place in several heartbeats. Can't wait to the next exhibit! No parking lot. I found free street parking, but sure to check the street signs!!

Beautiful location. It's on a busy street, but you feel like you are somewhere else. I love the…read morelandscape and the large glass windows. I went to see the Gordan Park exhibit and it didn't disappoint. I also enjoyed people-watching in the garden. The front desk receptionist was very helpful.

I've taken many, many classes at The Institute for Art and Olfaction at this point, and I think…read moreI've managed to work my way through just about every teacher. I can genuinely say I've enjoyed every one of them. What makes this place so special is that you don't simply learn about perfumery. You smell, formulate, experiment, make mistakes, change your mind, smell again, and somehow walk out understanding fragrance differently than when you walked in. Most recently I took Shades of Blue and Shades of Yellow with Saskia Wilson-Brown, the founder and lovely owner of the Institute. These classes are brilliant because Saskia asks you to forget, for a moment, what a perfume is "supposed" to smell like and instead asks: What does a color smell like? Blue and Yellow could not have been more different. You're given this beautifully curated palette of materials and then challenged to translate something visual and emotional into scent. Saskia has a wonderful way of teaching that gives you enough direction to understand what you're doing without telling you what you're supposed to create. That freedom is where the magic happens. Then there was Banana Accord with Julianne Lee, which was ridiculously fun. We explored banana from green and barely ripe to creamy, sweet, tropical and candy-like, then learned how to actually construct the illusion ourselves. There were even banana sodas involved. Because apparently serious perfume education occasionally requires soda. And then there is Citrus: Raw to Refined with Jeffrey Paul. I hesitate to say Jeff puts the other teachers to shame because the teachers here are genuinely amazing... but the man BAKED US A CAKE WITH BERGAMOT. I mean, come on. Julianne brought banana sodas and I thought the bar had been set. Then Jeff walked in with a homemade bergamot cake. The banana sodas never stood a chance. Joking aside, that little detail actually says something important about the teaching at IAO. These instructors don't just lecture about aromatic materials. They find ways to make you understand them, experience them and remember them. Whether you are completely new to fragrance or already working seriously with materials, there is something to learn here. I've taken beginner classes, accord classes, material-focused classes and conceptual classes, and I continue to leave with something I didn't know when I walked in. And perhaps my favorite thing about IAO is that curiosity seems to matter more than ego. Perfumery can be an intimidating world. The Institute somehow manages to take the craft seriously without taking itself too seriously. That is a rare combination. Saskia has created something genuinely special in Los Angeles: part perfume school, part laboratory, part art space and part playground for people who cannot stop wondering what the world smells like. I keep signing up for classes. At this point, that is probably the best review I can give.

Completed Perfumery 101 and the class is simply awesome! Amazing resources, lots of hands on…read morelearning with materials and tons of expert guidance in a fun and safe atmosphere. Affordable classes taught in smaller participatory classes all hands on.

While visiting LACMA for another exhibit, I noticed Metropolis II on the first floor of the BCAM…read more When I asked one of the museum personnel if it ever ran, he told me to come back at 1:30 and it would operate for an hour. This was a Friday. Precisely at 1:30, a woman entered the inner part of the sculpture and started the different areas to send the 1,100 cars along the 18 highways that make up Metropolis II. She also gets the small trains running that are closer to the floor. Make sure you walk up the steps and look down and watch the cars as they go up the ramp and then split to the individual highways. I was in awe of the precision needed to get this running the way it does and the planning needed to pull it off. After about 10 minutes, I had watched enough and the kid in me was satisfied. Besides, I had to get to DTLA to check in to my hotel.

The image of cars and trains zooming along elevated, crisscrossing roadways and tracks and hulking…read moreskyscrapers rising up out of a dense cityscape have been fixtures of the dystopian imagination ever since Fritz Lang, in his 1927 silent movie classic, Metropolis, combined grand scale and modern malaise in a way that has indelibly cast the worst of what's to come in urban terms. For this reason, it would be hard not to hark back to Lang's work; but, Chris Burden, additionally, has also deliberately referenced Lang's masterpiece by name. This might be a dubious (and even a failed) move by an artist out to score cheap points if Metropolis II, in its mass of fabricated steel, aluminum, wood, and plastic weren't, in actuality, such a dead-on reminder of Lang's cinematic original. Although Metropolis II is a sculpture, it is a kinetic one (complete with a flow of traffic and frenetic movements that dramatize its message very purposefully) and that, unquestionably, reveals its essence much more than a static presence ever could. When all of the switches have been turned on and its more than 1,000 miniature cars zip by on its 18 roadways that curl around an assortment of skyscrapers and buildings, Chris Burden's sculpture becomes a visual wonder to behold. Magnetically powered and traveling at 240 scale miles per hour (a ridiculous speed that makes it difficult for the eyes to follow), the cars, amazingly, do not crash into each other or sit helplessly in an immense traffic jam (as in some sort of future "carmageddon"). Instead, there is a gapless fluidity to the breakneck movements. The lone train, pulsing by at a much reduced speed, provides a calming baseline. Given its sheer size and intricate design, awe starts to inevitably creep in as one walks around the huge contraption. Who would not marvel at its inner workings? Who can avoid trying to discern how it is pieced together or not gawk at the various levels of roadways and tracks to admire their spellbinding juxtaposition, metallic hues, the dazzling colors of the model buildings, or at the beautiful multi-tiered components of the skyscrapers? On a mezzanine level, museum goers can even view Metropolis II from above (as if doing a traffic report). Metropolis II is, supposedly, Chris Burden's vision of what Los Angeles might look like in five to ten years (with a burst of infrastructure and a network of even more freeways elevated above street-level and with what Burden describes as driverless cars that only carry passengers). Driverless technology already exists; but, Burden sees this technology being exponentially exploited to create seamless, coordinated high speed travel that would end all gridlock. Unlike Lang's vision, Burden's vision of a future Metropolis is less dystopian if for no other reason than the fact that L.A.'s ongoing traffic headaches are seemingly solved. It is a hopeful vision that Fritz Lang, in all likelihood, would have understood...even if he never did frustratingly endure rush hour traffic on the 405.

Small, modern gallery that just had their opening reception in mid-November. Very interesting…read morepieces from leading edge artists from around the world such as Bas Jan Ader, a video artist, Vito Acconci, a New York sculptor and installation artist, and Hans Bellmer a french surrealist. On view until the end of December. Located two doors east of the tatoo business, on the south side of Sunset, just west of Sierra Bonita, hours are 12 - 5pm. Four stars, as the parking is very limited here, and the area is also a bit shady.

I saw Tikva Derhy and her beautiful handmade wood altars at the 29th Annual Celebration of…read moreCraftswomen at Herbst Paviliion. She also makes chandeliers and mirrors. She was one of my favorite artists during the first weekend of the art fair. I seriously would have bought one of her pieces had I found the right altar that spoke to me. Her art touched me so much that I would consider getting a custom piece made by her.

The Santa Monica Art Museum is located on the Third Street Promenade…read more I was surprised to discover this museum existed and while on a stroll along the walkway. Current exhibition on window display is the Elephant Parade art where various celebrities/personalities design an Elephant and express a statement. The museum website hasn't been updated to provide more insight on this exhibit, but I am speculating it is a fund raising effort as well, which makes Art appreciation more meaningful. Worth a visit!

This place was cool as they hosted the Pop up Fan museum for Star Wars. The layout was great and it…read morewas pretty decent size to see a lot of amazing figurines and statues from the movie. The staff were super nice and courteous during our visit. Plus the location is great - right down the promenade which offers stores and great little views too.