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Here Are Eight of the Tiniest Little Art Spaces in Los Angeles

By Bianca Barragan
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By Bianca Barragan
1 comment / new

Welcome to Curbed's first-ever Micro Week, five days' worth of stories, photos, and minuscule floorplans that celebrate the grand tradition of small-space living. We'll tour small homes, explore the city's smallest neighborhood, and so much more!

Los Angeles has The Broad art museum basically ready to open on Bunker Hill, a 100,000-square-foot gallery heading to the Arts District, and a multi-building museum focusing on Downtown artists slated for the Historic Core's Old Bank District, plus a potential new LACMA building that could be 400,000 square feet. But for every big gallery or art space in LA, there are dozens of smaller ones working within their much smaller means—operating out of old jewelry store fronts or emptied convenience stores or abandoned pedestrian underpasses—to show work by artists in a setting that allows for an intimacy with the art that amounts to more than just physical proximity. We've picked out some of the smallest art galleries and DIY spaces in town, but this list is by no means exhaustive—somewhere, there's a month-long exhibition in a walk-in closet that we're missing.


· Tiny Hipster Shops Livening Up Broadway's Tower Theatre [Curbed LA]
· Cypress Park Pedestrian Tunnel Becoming Underground Gallery [Curbed LA]
· Micro Week 2015 [Curbed LA]

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Actual Size Gallery

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This former mini-mart became an art space in 2010, created by three friends who longed for the artist-run spaces and comfortable artist studios they'd found in school. It measures about 250 square feet. [Image via Actual Size]

741 New High Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012

FARAGO

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Comprised of three adjoining cubby-holes along Eighth Street, butting up against the Tower Theatre, this roughly-300-square-foot gallery probably has the same collective floor area as the women's restroom at a McDonald's. The similarities end there, of course. The upside to this chain of small spaces is that passersby can't NOT see what's hanging on the walls—a great fit for an area with increasing foot traffic thanks to the Ace Hotel and various fancy eateries and retail on adjacent Broadway. [Image via Brigham Yen]

224 West 8th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90014

Park View Gallery

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At just 300 square feet—"It's roughly 350 square feet if you include the closet," the gallery founder told the LA Times—this gallery in Westlake is definitely intimate. It's extra-intimate when considering that it's also still a functioning apartment. [Image via Park View]

836 South Park View Street, Los Angeles, CA 90057

Cypress Village Tunnel

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Located at the southeast corner of Figueroa and Loreto Street in Cypress Park, this one-time pedestrian underpass was converted into a long, lean art venue nearly two years ago. Prior to its conversion, it wasn't really serving any function at all, and was simply locked tight, but now it opens up to display work from local artists for the NELA Art Walk on the second Saturday of every month, barring rain (in which case, the tunnel floods).

Loreto Street, Los Angeles, CA 90065

Heart of Art

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Dedicated to creating a DIY space that is explicitly for people in the LGBT community and other marginalized groups, Heart of Art began in 2012 in Exposition Park. The space has hosted art shows with social justice themes aimed at raising awareness about their subjects, but Heart of Art is not just a place to see art on the walls; they host events, live music, and drag shows too. [Image via Heart of Art]

1907 Rodeo Road, Los Angeles, CA 90018

Metro PCS

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Metro PCS did not used to be a cell phone store, it's just called that. This self-described "artist run project space" began in 2013, when the two collaborators running the place got a really good deal on three small storefronts on the condition that they MUST hold public events. Who is this awesome landlord? [Image via Metro PCS]

422 Ord Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012

Flower Pepper Gallery & Bookstore

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Flower Pepper hosts exhibits from locals and overseas artists, but it also sells books and a handful of "art products for everyday use." They're a busy little gallery that constantly seems to be hosting a new opening.

121 E Union St, Pasadena, CA 91103

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Actual Size Gallery

741 New High Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012

This former mini-mart became an art space in 2010, created by three friends who longed for the artist-run spaces and comfortable artist studios they'd found in school. It measures about 250 square feet. [Image via Actual Size]

741 New High Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012

FARAGO

224 West 8th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90014

Comprised of three adjoining cubby-holes along Eighth Street, butting up against the Tower Theatre, this roughly-300-square-foot gallery probably has the same collective floor area as the women's restroom at a McDonald's. The similarities end there, of course. The upside to this chain of small spaces is that passersby can't NOT see what's hanging on the walls—a great fit for an area with increasing foot traffic thanks to the Ace Hotel and various fancy eateries and retail on adjacent Broadway. [Image via Brigham Yen]

224 West 8th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90014

Park View Gallery

836 South Park View Street, Los Angeles, CA 90057

At just 300 square feet—"It's roughly 350 square feet if you include the closet," the gallery founder told the LA Times—this gallery in Westlake is definitely intimate. It's extra-intimate when considering that it's also still a functioning apartment. [Image via Park View]

836 South Park View Street, Los Angeles, CA 90057

Cypress Village Tunnel

Loreto Street, Los Angeles, CA 90065

Located at the southeast corner of Figueroa and Loreto Street in Cypress Park, this one-time pedestrian underpass was converted into a long, lean art venue nearly two years ago. Prior to its conversion, it wasn't really serving any function at all, and was simply locked tight, but now it opens up to display work from local artists for the NELA Art Walk on the second Saturday of every month, barring rain (in which case, the tunnel floods).

Loreto Street, Los Angeles, CA 90065

Heart of Art

1907 Rodeo Road, Los Angeles, CA 90018

Dedicated to creating a DIY space that is explicitly for people in the LGBT community and other marginalized groups, Heart of Art began in 2012 in Exposition Park. The space has hosted art shows with social justice themes aimed at raising awareness about their subjects, but Heart of Art is not just a place to see art on the walls; they host events, live music, and drag shows too. [Image via Heart of Art]

1907 Rodeo Road, Los Angeles, CA 90018

Metro PCS

422 Ord Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012

Metro PCS did not used to be a cell phone store, it's just called that. This self-described "artist run project space" began in 2013, when the two collaborators running the place got a really good deal on three small storefronts on the condition that they MUST hold public events. Who is this awesome landlord? [Image via Metro PCS]

422 Ord Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012

Flower Pepper Gallery & Bookstore

121 E Union St, Pasadena, CA 91103

Flower Pepper hosts exhibits from locals and overseas artists, but it also sells books and a handful of "art products for everyday use." They're a busy little gallery that constantly seems to be hosting a new opening.

121 E Union St, Pasadena, CA 91103