2019 LAXART Benefit Celebrates The Discovery Of Art As A Gateway Drug To Culture

LAXART celebrated its 2019 Benefit on Friday, November 8 in Hollywood, bringing together major figures in Los Angeles’ contemporary art community to celebrate the nonprofit art space founded in 2005. Beginning the evening at LAXART on N Orange Dr, guests were presented with a reception and discussion between Director Hamza Walker and artist Phil Peters whose exhibition Outside/In, done with Karen Reimer, presents an audio installation derived from microphone recordings of fracking sites in West Texas, with Reimer’s quilted hand dyed fabric hanging above throughout the space. The show’s audio component also pays homage to the history of the building that houses LAXART as the legendary former recording studio Radio Recorders. photographs courtesy of Jojo Karsh/BFA.com, courtesy of LAXART

Brooke Wise Teams Up With Comedy Central & Sexy Beast To Host Aloha From Hell Film Festival

This Halloween, curator Brooke Wise teamed up with Sexy Beast and Comedy Central on a special third installment of her short film festival, Aloha From Hell, with proceeds benefitting Planned Parenthood Los Angeles. All of the wild, comedic, satirical and spooky videos selected for the festival are under 5 minutes in length, chosen via open online submission, and crafted in response to this year’s theme: SHE DEVILS.

The Sexy Beast Gala Benefit For Planned Parenthood LA At The Marciano Art Foundation In Los Angeles

Sexy Beast for Planned Parenthood Los Angeles is the shared vision of a group of influencers in the arts, united by a mission to harness the goodwill and powerful connections of the creative community to effect positive change, touch lives, and create a meaningful social impact. They believe we should all have access to safe, caring, and affordable healthcare services. During these challenging times for Planned Parenthood, it's more important than ever that the organization has our support, so it can remain focused on the vital care it provides. Since its founding in 2014, the Sexy Beast art auction and gala has raised nearly one million dollars for Planned Parenthood Los Angeles across two milestone events. This year, they raised almost one million dollars in one night alone, bringing Sexy Beast back for an unmissable evening of art, food, music and culture. photographs by Oliver Kupper

LAXART Reopening Benefit And Art Auction In Los Angeles

This summer, LAXART will be welcoming the international art community to celebrate its newly revamped exhibition space, kicking off the celebration with a multi-week festival of events and a new site-specific mural by Barbara Kruger. Under the leadership of Director Hamza Walker, LAXART will share its newly expanded mission and reinvigorated programming. Founded in 2005, LAXART promotes developments in contemporary culture through exhibitions, publications and public programs, using contemporary art and performance as a means of understanding key issues of our time. For this launch, the exterior of the building has been visually adorned with a new site specific work by Barbara Kruger. Wrapping around the building’s façade, Untitled (It) speaks to the immediate central Hollywood environ with its pawn shops, peep shows, dollar stores, nail salons, marijuana dispensaries and currency exchanges—all nodes of identity, commerce and elements that define the unique urban topology of Los Angeles. The opening benefit included musical performances by Rob Mazurek and Ambrose Akinmusire, as well as a selection of works on auction by Liz Larner, Karl Holmqvist, Arthur Jafa, Glenn Ligon and Jonas Wood. Kruger’s Untitled (It) is on display from June 3 through Fall 2018. photographs by Oliver Kupper