Steph C.
Yelp
Commonwealth and Council is a Koreatown art gallery of fairly long standing, open since 2010. I'm actually surprised that it doesn't have a Yelp presence, but I guess the people who go there are probably cool and interesting and not losery Yelpers like me (sorry Yelpers).
I went for the first time last month, when I hadn't been anywhere close to an art gallery or comparable place in a very long time. I made an appointment online (this was free and straightforward--just had to book a time slot, so they could adhere to COVID guidelines) and showed up a little late (they did not care). Street parking was easy enough on a Thursday afternoon, but I had a moderately hard time finding the actual gallery. It's in the same building as OB Bear, but you have to find the doorway with the Alcoholics Anonymous sign. (A piece of L.A. history here: this is the first Spanish-speaking chapter of Alcoholics Anonymous. It is also right next to a place called Amigos Liquor.) There's a door code to get in, then you go upstairs and make a couple of turns through a neglected hallway. Then, there it is--a welcoming, lovingly maintained art gallery full of light and beauty and fascination.
When I went, there was a show by a single artist, Carolina Caycedo. That show has already ended, so I won't dwell on it, but it was pretty affecting. Sculpture and painting and collage thoughtfully arrayed. I eavesdropped while one of the gallery workers gave a thorough, intriguing tour of some of the pieces. The current exhibition includes an artist I've been casually stalking for the last few years named Kang Seung Lee. I'll have to make it back before that show is over.
I talked to one of the gallery's directors, and he was great, very forthcoming and obviously passionate about the gallery. I guess Commonwealth and Council started in the owner's apartment at that intersection in Historic Filipinotown, only moving to this location when the landlord caught on. The space had fire damage (luckily escaped damage from the OB Bear fire) that had been covered with cinderblocks, and the owner and his artist friends got creative in both fixing and incorporating the scars. The gallery is really a family of these artists, a group of emerging and established names who seem to really support and like each other.
Anyway, if you're interested in L.A.'s art scene, Commonwealth and Council should definitely be on your radar. It's a unique place that exhibits excellent work. I'm glad I went, and look forward to going again.
