State of the Art
It’s now known as “Gallery Row,” but let’s keep it real — the historic core of Downtown L.A. will forever be synonymous with Skid Row. Compound the horrid homeless situation with a nightlife scene comprised mainly of clubs that swing from ultra-Euro to uber-sketch, and the neighborhood is a tough sell for the slick lounge-loving set (though us grit-lovers are totally down).
But on the second Thursday of every month, Angelenos of all stripes descend on the 'hood for the Downtown Art Walk -- the five-year-old gallery hop where high and low local artists flaunt their finest. It's always a mixed-bag. One month you're seeing great bands inside an old theater and checking out killer street art, and the next month you're watching a live model installation while taking sips off your friend's vodka-filled Sigg bottle (just a little tip, from me to you.)
Here's how to navigate the free-form fest in style:
The scene: The event lasts all day, but I advise getting there after 8 p.m. to run with the fun crowd. By 10 p.m., the sidewalks take on a block-party feel. Downtown's shady cast of characters add a "real city" feel to the festivities, while skinny-jeaned hipsters with assymetical haircuts move in chatty roving packs. And the tunes don't disappoint; no matter where you roam, you're guaranteed a cool mash-up of rock, electro (courtesy of gallery DJs), hip-hop and reggae (from the street vendors).
The visuals: While the art tries desperately to be the event's main draw, interesting, innovative pieces were scarce at the October Art Walk. Still, there were a few diamonds in the mine -- including Byron Buchanan’s Warhol-esque portraits at the Crack Gallery (204 W. 6th St.) and Sye Williams’ comical photos of wrestlers at the Todd/Browning Gallery (211 W. 5th St.)
The real show takes place on the street, especially as the night goes on and people start popping in and out of the bars (the event isn't dubbed “party walk” for nothing.) And if you chance upon an art space in the back of a U-Haul, feel free to stop and stare.
The dress code: Your basic downtown hipster threads (skinny jeans, short skirts and slouchy boots), abutting the business casual garb coming straight from the downtown high-rises. Hitting up the October Art Walk in a boyfriend blazer and skinny jeans, I felt slightly over- and under-dressed at the same time. A side note: I saw two guys dressed like Emile Hirsch in Milk, in huge rectangular old-man glasses and unruly permed hair. You've gotta hope that's not a trend with legs.
The route: Though the Art Walk map features galleries that span much of Downtown, the central stretch is on the block between 5th and 6th streets to the North and South, and Spring and Main Streets on the East and West. You’ll find the majority of the crowd lingers in this one block, but if you venture out a block more in either direction, there are a handful of galleries to check out. For the truly directionally challenged, there are guided walking tours. But I advise against indulging your inner dork that profoundly.
The pit-stops: The relatively new Must Bar (118 W 5th St.) crafts creative wine-based cocktails, including the delish MUSTgarita -- a mix of wine agave, orange muscat, muddled strawberries and lime juice. Sitting down, you get the feeling that you’ve stumbled upon a great neighborhood spot (though on Art Walk nights it gets packed quickly). Before heading home, we stopped by Coolhaus, one of around a dozen yummy food trucks lining 5th St., for a mint-chip ice cream sandwich.
The cost: The Art Walk itself is free, and if you're savvy, you can get a good buzz going gratis, too, since several galleries dole out wine during the evening. They're plying you so you'll consider the art, of course, which is available for a wide range of prices (typically $100 to $1000.) Though my favorite piece, a pop-art rendering of Muhammad Ali at the Crack Gallery, would have sunk me by $1,500.