ATTENTION L.A. READERS - Multi-Gallery Gala

The economy is hurting everyone, and art galleries are no different. In fact, galleries may be suffering more than many other market segments since art is generally considered a luxury item and only purchased when collectors are flush with cash. (The investment bank industry has fueled the gallery expansion in Manhattan for years. We hate to think of the fallout right now).

So galleries are getting creative to keep business flowing. This weekend a number of excellent East Side L.A. Galleries are getting together for the first ever East of Eden exhibition, a collective showing of work from some of the best galleries in Los Angeles, and arguably in the country.

East of Eden will feature about a dozen such such galleries as La Luz de Jesus, Thinkspace, and Black Maria. According to the press release:

This will be a unique opportunity for patrons, collectors and the public to view and purchase exemplary new works by emerging and established artists who are indicative of the significant contemporary art being fostered in this region. While there is no over arching critical doctrine that unites them philosophically, all the participating galleries are representative of new generation of determining gallery culture and share in an inherent formative energy that has resulted in a significant strain of art in Los Angeles.

All events are free to the public, aside from the Saturday cocktail hour from 6:30-8:00. (We know, that's 1.5 hours. Don't judge too harshly. It's art, not math.) A portion of the proceeds goes to The MOCA Contemporaries, a volunteer fundraising support council of The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (MOCA).

A couple of highlights: Sunday at 2 PM is an artist talk. Saturday from 8PM to Midnight there will be a DJ and catering. And coolest of all, on Saturday FreshPressed will be hosting a project room where visitors can create and customize limited edition t-shirts exclusively designed for the event by some of LA's best emerging and established artists. Cool! See you there.

East of Eden