Art Share L.A., Los Angeles

Art Share Los Angeles is a two-story, 28,000 square-foot art space located in a former textile recycling factory built in 1928. This creative center was established in 1997 when the building was purchased and its top floor converted into 30 affordable live/work lofts, with part of the roof removed to allow natural light to fall upon a courtyard. The bottom floor was redesigned to include a theater, art gallery, art and ceramic studios, classrooms, and administrative space. Despite the building’s drastic remodeling, there are still plenty of features reminding of its industrial past – brick walls, freight doors, and old train tracks in and around the building hinting at the storied history.

During the mid-1980s, this neighborhood was a beacon for struggling artists priced out of the increasingly expensive Venice and Hollywood areas. In need of large and affordable spaces, they saw great potential in the forgotten industrial buildings of downtown L.A.’s Arts District which rapidly re-gentrified with promises of new developments in 2015. In 2016, the Art Share building welcomed 7,000 visitors, exhibiting 181 emerging artists in its galleries, engaging a total of 550 visual artists, and established two new programs (the Perimeter Gallery and Your Art Here).

Pursuant to their objective of nurturing the wealth of local talent by providing emerging artists with a roadmap to find financial success and to gain exposure, Art Share L.A. underwent a strategic rebranding and reassessment, eventually acquiring a fresh new facade (courtesy of the international street artist, INSA), transforming their building into a vibrant downtown landmark.

In addition to 30 subsidized live/work studio lofts on the top floor, it accommodates community classes, exhibitions and events below. The reduced rent enables artists to have more financial flexibility to be creative and to invest more into their crafts, refining their talents.

The place caters to all ages, cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds, and geographic origins (countywide, statewide, nationwide, and worldwide). If you ever decide to visit here, be sure to check in advance the calendar for poetry and performance art events, as well as the gallery calendar for current showings.