LA Art Show Returns With a Bold Global Lineup And Ambitious Climate Agenda

Falling Angeles, LP Gallery Artist, Dain Yoon

The LA Art Show, Los Angeles’s largest and longest-running art fair, returns to the Los Angeles Convention Center on Feb. 15 to 19 kicking off the city’s winter art season. Guided by LA Art Show producer and director Kassandra Voyagis, the 28th edition promises a larger global presence and more ambitious programming than ever before. 

Additionally, LA Art Show is donating 15% of all ticket proceeds to support the work of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

The LA Art Show 2023 includes the return of the European Pavilion; the debut of the Japanese Pavilion featuring six galleries from Japan; and more South Korean artists and galleries than ever before (14) in testament to the country’s thriving arts scene. 

This year’s fair will inspire important social dialogue with work from Ukrainian artist-turned refugee Denis Sarazhin, stranded due to the war but able to secure accommodations in the U.S. following a generous GoFundMe campaign. Sarazhin is now transmuting the chaos and uncertainty of his unraveling life into paintings of wild transformation. TRANSformation addresses a foundational transformation inherent in the evolutionary process of both artists and society alike. 

Featuring nine art institutions, the Fair’s cultural anchor, DIVERSEartLA — curated by Marisa Caichiolo — returns to address the global climate crisis. The popular program, which began in 2015, connects local and international art institutions to generate thoughtful dialogue through art while honoring the unique biodiversity of Los Angeles. The 2023 edition features nine interdisciplinary projects which examine the climate crisis — with a focus on water and drought — with a hope to inspire solutions.

“Humans are changing the earth’s natural systems in rapid and unprecedented ways,” said Caichiolo. “This has propelled our planet into a new geologic era: the Anthropocene. How do we navigate the changes we’ve caused, where can we have positive impacts… and where do we find hope? Explaining the science of climate change, we can better understand its effects on our areas and support climate action. By contextualizing through immersive experiences and installations, we can all work together on solutions.”

Locally, as part of this event, the Museum of Latin American Art or MOLAA will present work from iconic artist Judy Baca’s When God Was A Woman, 1980-2021 – a double-sided mural made up of three panels — by iconic artist Judy Baca. In contemplation of Merlin Stone’s When God Was A Woman, Baca developed a workshop process to source ideas and construct imagery and content. On one side, the thirteen women who participated in the workshop are incorporated into a painting, representing Latina, Chicana women and all women. Their naked bodies are shown standing in the fiery lava of the volcano synonymous with life while the other side of the triptych depicts a goddess possessing vital energy, Mother Earth.

Find a list of the DIVERSEartLA participating institutions and artists here: https://tinyurl.com/diverse-LA-participants 

Find a list of exhibitors here: https://www.laartshow.com/exhibitors/

Opening night, 6 to 10 p.m., Feb. 15,

Time: General admission entry: 12 to 8 p.m., Feb. 16, 17, 12 am to 8 p.m., Feb. 18, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Feb. 19.

Cost:  General Admission, Thursday through Sunday, one-day ticket – $30 per person and up

Details: www.LAArtShow.com 

Venue: Los Angeles Convention Center, West Hall, 1201 South Figueroa St., Los Angeles