Jeffrey Deitch has owned galleries since 1972, when, as a college student at Wesleyan, he opened his first space in the parlor of a hotel in Lenox, Massachusetts. The show sold out within a week. It was a good time to start: Andy Warhol and Julian Schnabel were looming large in Manhattan. Soon after, Deitch took a job as a receptionist at John Weber Gallery, in SoHo, and settled into the scene.
In 1979, he pivoted to the financial sector. After graduating from Harvard Business School, Deitch joined Citibank, where he co-developed its art advisory department, becoming one of the first to formally bridge the worlds of finance and art. In 1996, he opened his namesake gallery on Grand Street, showing work by everyone from Yoko Ono to Vanessa Beecroft. By 2010, Artnews named him the 12th most influential person in the art world.
That same year, Deitch began a three-year tenure as director of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles. He has lived there intermittently ever since, opening a gallery outpost in Hollywood’s Media District in 2018. Here, he shares his guide on where to scout the best up-and-coming art, from Inglewood to Melrose Hill.
CASTLE
Castle just relocated from an apartment-style gallery to a beautiful space right next to my gallery in L.A. The programming is sophisticated and fresh, showcasing artists from L.A. and beyond. (thecastle.la)
Carlye Packer
Carlye is one of the young gallerists I follow closely. I am excited to see her show with the L.A.-based artist and fashion designer Victor Barragán. I also look forward to visiting her booth at Frieze L.A., featuring works by the artist Brandon Landers. (carlyepacker.com)
Del Vaz Projects
This home-turned-artist space in Santa Monica mounts exhibitions, produces publications, and stages programs centering on visual art, performance work, and moving-image media. The upcoming project, “Earthshaker,” will feature artworks by Ana Mendieta, Derek Jarman, and P. Staff. (delvazprojects.com)
Ehrlich Steinberg
Ehrlich Steinberg opened just last year, and I can already see how well-received their space has been by city audiences. Run by two young gallerists, the gallery presents a roster of artists that always feels new and different. (ehrlichsteinberg.com)
Gaylord fine arts
Located in the historical Gaylord Apartments building in Koreatown, this gallery presents a distinctive program paired with one of the best views of L.A. (thegaylord.biz)
Guerrero Gallery
It’s exciting to see how this Glassell Park house-turned-gallery has evolved since its opening almost four years ago. Andrés Guerrero, who came down from San Francisco, has successfully built a community around his space. (guerrerogallery.com)
John Doe Gallery
As much an artist project and community center as a gallery, John Doe attracts a large local audience by exhibiting homegrown art heroes like Jaime Muñoz. It was founded by Angel Castro, Eduardo Medrano, and the influential artist Alfonso Gonzalez Jr., and is located in a historic section of Downtown L.A. (johndoegallery.com)
Leroy’s
This exhibition space, which is also a bar inside a former Chinatown restaurant, gives artists full creative freedom to come up with some very exciting proposals. (leroys.biz)
Murmurs
Located on a quiet block on the edge of Downtown, Murmurs exhibits challenging work by Maria Maea, Karla Ekaterine Canseco, and many others who are central to the new L.A. artist community. (murmurs.la)
New Theater Hollywood
One of the most exciting new spaces in L.A., New Hollywood Theater presents performances almost every month. I am interested in seeing how their presentation at the forthcoming “Made in L.A.” exhibition will look. (www.newtheaterhollywood.com)
Parker Gallery
Opening soon in the Melrose Hill gallery district, Parker specializes in historically underecognized artists, many of them from the Bay Area. Sam Parker’s historic focus has brought another dimension to the L.A. art community. (parkergallery.com)
Rele GALLERY
Founded in Lagos, Rele Gallery opened in the Melrose Hill gallery district this year. It specializes in artists from Nigeria, bringing an important international perspective to L.A. (rele.co)
Residency Art Gallery
Rick Garzon established his gallery in his hometown of Inglewood, making its exhibitions accessible to the local community. Residency has presented impressive shows, featuring many of L.A.’s most influential artists in addition to artists from around the country. (residencyart.com)
The Brick
Led by Hamza Walker, The Brick has a new home on Western Avenue that allows it to showcase even more dynamic exhibitions, programs, and events. This year, they will present the much anticipated Monuments exhibition, organized in partnership with the Museum of Contemporary Art, as well as a Nancy Buchanan retrospective. (the-brick.org)
The Performance Art Museum
This project will establish L.A.’s first museum dedicated exclusively to the presentation and preservation of performance art. While they don’t officially have a space yet, they do host performances throughout the year. During L.A.’s art fair week, they will present the 85th iteration of Encounter, a durational performance by the Peruvian artist Mariel Carranza. (performanceartmuseum.org)
Tlaloc
Tlaloc is a gallery and artist residency in South L.A. founded by the artist Ozzie Juarez. Tlaloc welcomes artists and visitors from around the world but emphasizes its connection with the local community. Its lively openings connect neighborhood people with international artists like Gabriela Ruiz, who are invited to curate exhibitions. (instagram.com)
Sea View
Sea View is a contemporary art gallery founded by the charismatic Sara Lee Hantman. It sits at the top of the historic Mount Washington neighborhood in a house built by Jorge Pardo as a “social sculpture” in the late 1990s. (sea-view.us)
