Arts District, Los Angeles
The Arts District is a neighborhood on the eastern edge of Downtown Los Angeles, California in the United States. The city community planning boundaries are Alameda Street on the west which blends into Little Tokyo, First Street on the north, the Los Angeles River to the east, and Violet Street on the south. Largely composed of industrial buildings dating from the early 20th century, the area has recently been revitalized,[1] and its street scene slowly developed in the early 21st century.[2] New art galleries have increased recognition of the area amidst the downtown, which is known for its art museums.[3]
Arts District
Art scene[edit]
1960s[edit]
In 1969, Allen Ruppersberg presented Al's Cafe at 1913 West Sixth Street.[8] In the mid-'70s, a handful of artists, including Joel Bass, Dan Citron, Woods Davy, Marc Kreisel, Jon Peterson, Stephen Seemayer, Maura Sheehan, Coleen Sterritt, Sydney Littenberg, Peter Zecher, and others saw opportunity in the empty buildings and began colonizing the area, converting former industrial and commercial spaces into working studios and living quarters, sometimes renting space for as little as a three cents a square foot. This resulted in a surge of artistic activity, culminating in the highly controversial "Downtown L.A. in Santa Barbara" exhibition, organized by Betty Klausner for the Santa Barbara Contemporary Arts Forum, which is now known as the Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara. By the mid-1980s, the following artists were also living downtown: Linda Frye Burman, James Croak, Merion Estes, Joe Fay, George Herms, Mary Jones, Constance Mallinson, Paul McCarthy, Margaret Nielson, Richard Newton, Margit Omar, Lari Pittman, John Schroeder, Judith Simonian, Andy Wilf, and Takako Yamaguchi.
1970s[edit]
LA Artcore, founded in 1976 by Lydia Takeshita with the purpose of exhibiting local artists, exists today in locations at the Brewery Art Colony and in Little Tokyo.[9] Lydia Takeshita and LA Artcore are considered the founding forces for the origins of the Arts District.[10] The foundation used to publish the magazine Visions Art Quarterly, which had covered the contemporary art scene at that time.[11][12][13]
In 1979, Marc Kreisel opened Al's Bar in the American Hotel on Hewitt just off Traction. This legendary punk rock venue was the training ground for Sonic Youth, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Beck, the Fall, the Residents, introducing generations of Angelenos to dozens of emerging groups.[14] The popular sound band Party Boys played the bars and art events. Also known as the downtown artists' central meeting place, Al's Bar occasionally hosted art exhibitions. Al's Bar, the West Coast's oldest punk club, finally closed in 2001, and the American Hotel received a facelift in 2012 and was renamed the American Apartments.[15] Stephen Seemayer's film The Young Turks (2012) documents the 1979–1981 years.
Current status[edit]
The city community planning boundaries today are Alameda Street on the west, First Street on the north, the Los Angeles River to the east, and Violet Street on the south.[25] Challenges facing the district today include the loss of affordable live/work lofts, artists, and historically significant buildings.[26] Community leaders are struggling to create balance amidst the economic issues brought about by gentrification and the need to preserve the character of the Arts District as a creative community that has made contributions to the cultural and economic well-being of the city for decades.[27] In 2014, the average annual income for neighborhood residents was $120,000.[28] While the initial decades saw the conversion to residential and commercial uses of low-slung warehouses and industrial spaces, downtown zoning laws could be rewritten to permit the heights of buildings to double, allowing up to 1,500 new residential units to be built in eight-story, one hundred feet (30 m) edifices.[25]
The Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc) resides in a quarter-mile-long (0.40 km) former Santa Fe Freight Depot built in 1907 that has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places. Across the street is a 438-unit apartment complex, One Santa Fe, which opened in 2014 and was designed by Michael Maltzan Architecture (MMA).[29][30]
The century-old Coca-Cola manufacturing plant at 4th and Merrick Streets, around the corner from the oversize Santa Fe railroad dock that houses SCI-Arc, is the latest in adaptive reuse into creative spaces. The three-story brick-clad building was described as the "headquarters for the company's Pacific Coast business and for its export trade in the Hawaiian Islands and Old Mexico" when it was built in 1915.[1] The complex has been renamed Fourth & Traction after Traction Avenue.[28] The Hauser Wirth & Schimmel complex opened in 2016 in buildings that date from the 1890s to the 1940s that occupy an entire city block on East 3rd Street.[31]
The district continues to be a popular location for filming due to its historic vibe. In 2016, the head of the neighborhood's business improvement district stated that "There's not one day where there's not shooting." The popular TV sitcom New Girl takes place largely in an apartment loft located in the Arts District.[32] Filming has become complicated due to the development of the retail sector and residents who will be disturbed by filming at night. Also, many formerly empty lots and streets are now under development where crews used the space to park trucks and trailers.[33]
In 2017 developer Suncal proposed a $2 billion, 1.95 million square feet (0.181 million square metres) mixed-use project which includes two 58-story buildings designed by Herzog and de Meuron. The project, called "6 am," will be located along 6th Street between Mills and Alameda. The live/work space will include 1,700 apartments and condos, shops, offices, hotels, charter schools, and an underground garage.[34] Condos average price will be $1,000 per square foot. New developments have displaced artists since they can no longer afford to be in the Arts District. In 2016 the median price for the property was $714,500, a huge increase from 2013 when open lofts were priced at 370 per square foot.[35]
In 2017, the district received a $15 million award from the Active Transportation Program which will enhance the Arts District with new bike lanes, enhancement of sidewalks, and street lighting. The program will bring two signalized intersections, pedestrian lighting, four pedestrian crosswalks, and one mile of bike lanes. Little Tokyo and Arts District Regional Connector Station have pedestrian and bicycle access with the Sixth Street Viaduct.[36] The bridge, a $588-million span rebuilt in 2022, connects the Arts District to the Eastside and Whittier Boulevard.[37]
Warner Music Group moved into a building in 2019 that formerly housed a Ford Motor Company assembly plant.[38]
[edit]
The Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc) relocated to the Santa Fe Freight Depot, a building originally constructed in 1907. The school has become an anchor for the arts district.[43]
Otis College of Art and Design was originally in the downtown Los Angeles area in Westlake, across the street from MacArthur Park. For qualified artists, the college was able to offer faculty positions. In 1997, the college moved its main campus to the Westchester area, near the Los Angeles airport.[44]
An art-related school that is presently in the downtown Los Angeles area is presently the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM). As of 2023, FIDM is part of Arizona State University (ASU) and is now ASU FIDM.[45] Not far from the Arts District as well is the Los Angeles Fashion District, which was historically a source of jobs for artists working with textile patterns and design.
