East of Eden turns into Beyond Eden Art Fair at Barnsdall

No sooner did Culture Monster get wind of the first Malibu Annual Contemporary Art Fair, to be launched Aug. 28-30 by seven L.A. galleries, than we heard about the evolution of Barnsdall Park's fledgling art fair.

Zara Zeitountsian, director of Black Maria Gallery, spearheaded East of Eden, a contemporary art fair that debuted last year at Barnsdall. The idea was to provide a showcase for often overlooked galleries on L.A.'s Eastside. 

"We just wanted to say, 'We are here,' " she said. More than 3,000 people listened -- and looked at works displayed by 14 galleries.

When it came time to plan the second edition, Zeitountsian and her colleagues decided to expand the event's geographic reach, including Westside and mid-Wilshire galleries. And that called for a name change: Beyond Eden Art Fair.

"We are celebrating Los Angeles as a cultural hub," she said of the fair to be held Oct. 9-11. Fifteen participants, including Billy Shire Fine Arts, Copro Gallery, Crewest, DRKRM and Thinkspace, will set up displays in the Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery at Barnsdall.

A percentage of art sales will be donated to the Museum of Contemporary Art through MOCA contemporaries, a support group that will sponsor the opening night party, Zeitountsian said. The lineup of ancillary activities and events will include films, talks and an "artist village" featuring painters at work.

-- Suzanne Muchnic

Photo: "Longfall," a mixed media work by Brooks Salzwedel. Credit: Black Maria Gallery

Comments

[Smoking Gun]

I find it very ironic, and downright troubling, that a percentage of the proceeds will benefit MOCA. Isn't MOCA in fact guilty of overlooking these galleries and the artists they represent in the first place? Despite being an east side museum, they have clearly demonstrated time and time again that thay have no interest in supporting local galleries and artists who haven't already made some waves in the national and international art market.

What about having the proceeds go to Machine Project? Telic Art Exchange? LACE? Self Help Graphics? These smaller institutions would appreciate the support and make better use of it than MOCA for sure. Does our art community need another "fabulous" party in celebration of an artist with no connection to our scene? Because that's what they will spend it on.

[El Quixotian]

Living a stone's throw from Barnsdall, and having met Zara several times as she has sought local paricipation in the Eden events, I'm a bit perplexed as to which small tent the Smoking Gun has been skulking in.

Zara has been indefatigable in working to turn MOCA's perspective towards the East side, involving dozens of local artists.

If you don't consider those folks as part of your own 'art community' then by all means, bring another event to Olive Hill and fulfill the dream of Aline's 'scene'!