There is a dark side to Southern California, the shadows of the orange groves, the gray sinuous freeways, even the sunniest of sandy shores hold secrets.  "Dark Beach," opening June 27 at New Image Art Gallery, presents a group show curated by Innocnts full of the themes, individuals, and emotions that exude grittier qualities of aesthetic within the scope of contemporary surf art, contrasting the beauty and the reality of riding waves in modern society and exploring the stark differences…

If you follow Corey Helford Gallery, the names in the new group show -- in which every work is 16 by 16 -- will look very familiar. "SHADES: An Exploration of the Single Palette" opens July 27, 2013 with works by Chloe Early, Cyrcle, Esao Andrews, Risk, Shag, and many more. In "SHADES," each artist explores the range of choice within one single color palette. The exhibit will be on view through Aug. 7. While you're there, stop in two…

The artist receptions for two shows, "DisHollywood" -- the works of José Rodolfo Loaiza Ontiveros -- and "The Laluzapalooza Jury Winners," will be held Friday, Aug. 2, 2013, from 8 to 11pm at La Luz de Jesus Gallery. "DisHollywood" is Ontiveros' visual mash-up of familiar cartoon and fairy tale icons with other pop culture references. It's next-to-impossible to get enough of the many ways the artist delivers "happily ever after." "The Laluzapalooza Jury Winners" are Edward Robin Coronel, Horacio Martinez,…

In this August's group exhibition at Subliminal Projects art gallery, twin cities Los Angeles and Bordeaux will showcase an exchange of localized contemporary artists. The show, titled "BDX-LAX: Faraway So Close," will be on view from Aug. 3 to 24, 2013, with an opening reception on Aug. 3. This is the exchange's first L.A. venue. The Echo Park gallery, which presents the show with Flash Association, will display the local art scene in both cities as influenced by counter culture.…

The Karma Underground’s "Oh Brother Where Art Thou" Charity Art Auction is August 8, 2013 at Angel City Brewery. Last year’s TKU auction for Karmablast raised over $10,000 to help that organization, and this year Tibet House will be the beneficiary. From the organizer: On September 21st 2012 the TKU held its first charity art auction.  With the generous donations from our community of artists, we were able to raise over $10,000 for Karmablast, a non-profit group dedicated to building…

This one is huge! It's Copro Gallery's 20th Anniversary Group Art Exhibition, paying tribute to the gallery's role in the beginnings of the Lowbrow / Pop Surreal movement since 1993. What began with a selection of works by Robert Williams, Big Daddy Roth, Sandow Birk, Russell Crotty, and others has continued for two decades with artists such as Mark Ryden, David Choe, Brian Viveros, Isabel Samaras, Van Arno, Luke Chueh, Audrey Kawasaki, Chet Zar, Shag, Travis Louie, and many more.…

"Boxes of Death 4" is a large traveling group show of coffin art that has been making its way closer and closer to southern California since April. On Aug. 17, 2013 its final resting place (couldn't resist!) is AR4T Gallery in Laguna Beach, California. The show opens with a party on Aug. 17 from 6 to 9pm, and will be on view through the end of the month. The extensive list of artists, who have each modified a two-foot wood…

B.B. Bastidas' instantly recognizable style joins skate icon DGK, and to celebrate the collaboration, the Kayo flagship store in the Fairfax District hosts B.B.'s art show from 7pm to 10pm, Thursday, August 29 with drinks by Ciroc Vodka (art collector/musician/entrepreneur Sean Combs is the face of the brand) and food by the Downtown Los Angeles Arts District's fave slice joint Pizzanista!. The event is all ages, but you must be 21+ with valid ID to drink.