Hybrid Art Spaces in Downtown Long Beach

by Victoria Bryan

In the Downtown Long Beach Arts District, the East Village, there's a running thread that ties together a shoe shop, a clothing store, a restaurant, a bookshop, a beauty salon and a coffee house. They show art. These hybrid spaces have a huge advantage over other galleries: They don't have to sell art to survive. They show diverse artists, with less of an eye on the potential sales volume needed to meet monthly bills, and provide a more community- and artist-driven environment. As restaurateur Kamran Assadi (Utopia Restaurant) puts it, "In the eighties, everyone wanted to have a gallery because people were buying. Now that's over. These makeshift galleries are a logical approach." Currently on the walls at Utopia are works by nine artists who are part of the group who meet every first Tuesday at Portfolio Coffee House, including: Jaye Whitworth, Karen McCreary, Slater Barron, Shelley RuggThorp, and John Sanders.

Although not a new phenomenon, hybrid art spaces are becoming a major focus in the Long Beach Arts District. The lack of available gallery space in the area is partly responsible, but there's another reason that comes up in conversation with the owners of area businesses. "The whole street is based on art, so it's good to combine fashion and art," was how Seams manager, Trevor Pitzak, explained the decision by clothing store owner, Kousuke, to dedicate three rooms, plus showroom wall space, to monthly exhibits. Currently showing work by Grande, originally from Japan, Seams would love to talk to new artists about potential shows.

Next door to Seams is Proper, a shoe shop that devotes a 35'x15' wall, almost half their display space, to art. Currently showing "Hot Air", work by Randy Noborikawa and Scott Richards, owners Rob Bui and Tristan Caruso are looking for local, up and coming artists for the space. As well as the wall display (for which there is no fee or gallery commission) artists can also design the window. Exhibiting artists are featured on Proper's web site.

"Books, Art-they go together," is why Open bookshop owners Sé Reed (CSULB Journalism grad, 2004), and Shea Gauer devote wall space to a monthly exhibit. They are booked through June but looking for new artists after that. Mariko Jones, curator of the current show, "The 10," invited ten artists, each from a different area code. They, in turn, each invited one other artist into the open-themed project. The 21st artist in the show, Tara T. Tavi, has work in the window exhibit space, which also changes monthly. Open's web site will be up by the end of May.

Rounding out the hybrid art spaces are Sithea's Beauty Salon owned by Sithea and Richer San, showing photographs of Cambodia by Jim Mizerski, and The Passport Coffee House at the corner of Broadway and Linden, showing "Cuba: Lasting Impressions," photographs by Claire Steinberg and her students. Passport shows travel-related photography for two-month exhibits.

The hybrid art spaces of the East Village offer more than just walls to hang work. In these spaces, the art and the environment spark off each other in unexpected juxtapositions. Each second Saturday artwalk offers the chance to meet the owners and see what's showing in these and other East Village spaces.

publication date: May, 2004