LA Art Show 2021 Meets with Success Despite Challenges of Pandemic
The LA Art Show 2021 completed its special summer edition and was one of the first events in Los Angeles to return live with artists, galleries, art dealers, collectors, and art lovers wearing their masks and surrounding themselves in art at the Los Angeles Convention Center. It was a socially distanced and masks-required event with limited attendees allowed, giving more space for visitors to walk around and see the show. Despite the restrictions, the attendees included many serious buyers with art sales doubling over last year.
The entrance to the LA Art Show with mask requirements signage
The entrance to the show featuring the Rose Memorial, a COVID art installation by Marcos Lutyens
The Rose Memorial was a part of the DIVERSEartLA program curated by Marisa Caichiolo
The Rose Memorial featured roses made by people from the different communities of Los Angeles, and was created to be a symbol of resilience and healing from the pandemic by artist Marcos Lutyens. The Los Angeles Convention Center once served as a field hospital for COVID patients, so it was especially significant as an entrance and portal to the LA Art Show 2021.
The show was opened by the Mayor of Los Angeles, Eric Garcetti, and featured a surprise guest on closing day, former Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Arnold Schwarzenegger and Kassandra Voyagis, Director of the LA Art Show 2021. (Photo credit: Birdman Photography/LA Art Show)
Citibank exhibit area with presentation stage and socially distanced seating
Citibank provided virtual tours with four selected galleries and their artists in a theater-style exhibit area. Visitors could either sit in socially distanced chairs or stand in the back area to enjoy the program. The featured galleries included Simard Bilodeau Contemporary, Caldwell Snyder Gallery, Pigment Gallery, and Rebecca Hossack Gallery.
Citibank virtual gallery presentation "Meet the Gallerists" in their exhibit area
Some artists and visitors who were unable to travel due to the travel restrictions, such as LABA Blue-ship artist Jiannan Huang, participated in interviews by video conference and were able to see some of the show live by cell phone.
TV host Joey Zhou holds his cell phone with Jiannan Huang who is joined in by video conference
Nikolas Soren Goodich with his artwork after being interviewed by TV host Joey Zhou
The exterior entrance to the LA Art Show 2021.
After successfully meeting the challenges of this year's COVID restrictions, the LA Art Show will return to the Los Angeles Convention Center on January 19th-23rd in 2022.