Welcome to Art Walks!

Art builds communities, and with that in mind:

Welcome to our new section, designed as an exploration of neighborhoods and communities in Southern California that are home to  artists, galleries, and museums. Some of these neighborhoods have actual Art Walks on a regular basis; some of them just have a lot of art, not only in galleries and museums, but in stores, in restaurants and cafes, in hotels, on walls legally (or illegally). There is beautiful architecture throughout our city as well, and in this section we want to provide you with neighborhood guides to enhance your art experience, to help you plan your own art walks, and to enjoy the official Art Walks throughout Southern California.

In Los Angeles, as in every city, artists, usually prefaced with the adjective “starving,” migrate to the largest spaces with the lowest rents, and gradually through their presence bring revitalization–often beginning with bars, cafes and restaurants, because even if they are “starving,” artists do need fuel!  Galleries  are attracted to areas for a number of reasons, but rent and foot traffic, and proximity to other galleries, and well, to restaurants and cafes, are important factors. An arts district can be a boon to a neighborhood or city, creating excitement and and building up a once depressed neighborhood. (Or rents can skyrocket when an area becomes “desirable,” forcing out the very people and businesses which helped create the unique flavor.)

Southern California stretches from Ventura to past the border, from the Inland Empire to the ocean, with many small independent cities within its shifting  boundaries. Expect to us to travel and explore, and we hope you will too!  If there’s a place where you love to grab a bite in Venice or  Laguna Beach while wandering through galleries, a coffee shop that shows emerging artists in San Diego, an Art Walk in Pomona–drop us at line, or post in the comments section!