Veteran art show organizer and art gallery owner Stephen Cohen has seen Los Angeles grow from a small art colony to a leading art capital in the past twenty years. As the producer of Photo LA and Art LA shows as well as events in New York and Chicago, he has a valuable perspective on advantages that can put Los Angeles ahead. Next month, Los Angeles will showcase these advantages in a series of events for Los Angeles Arts month. In 2011, arts events will build momentum for the heralded opening of the special Southern California regional exhibition “Pacific Standard Time.”
The large number of collectors who live in Southern California, plus the many serious collectors who like to travel here add up to a large advantage As Cohen reminds exhibitors “where else can you have 15,000 to 20,000 potential clients?”
Cohen sees the growth of programs at California College for the Arts as another resource that supports local arts businesses. The faculty has enabled prominent local artists such as John Baldessari to educate a new generation of artists. Cal Arts programs also attract talented artist to move to Southern California. The experience many students build makes them valuable additions to project teams when setting up art show booths and art special events.
The expansion of the local art market is supporting an expansion of the Art LA program. Starting in 2011, this will become Art LA Projects -- an exciting series of art events. The contemporary art fair is just the start. An art book fair, film festival, VIP reception and other events are in the works.
Cohen also sees advantages to the focus of effort that has resulted from challenging economic times. He has seen the city and county of Los Angeles pay more attention to the economic importance of the art collecting community. He estimates that each of the major art shows attract ten to twelve thousand wealthy visitors to Southern California. He also observed at this month’s Art Basel Miami that collectors are being more thoughtful in their purchases. As economic realities encourage international art dealers to focus their art exhibition programs, the select few who do come to Los Angeles will make their appearance here the focal point of their international sales efforts.
If you would like to launch your 2011 art collecting program with a very special event, be sure to register for the first Premiere of the season at Photo LA + Art LA Projects. It will take place on the evening of January 13 at the Santa Monica Civic Center and benefit the Wallis Annenberg Center for Photography at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
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