LACE both champions and challenges the art of our time by fostering artists who innovate, explore, and risk.  We move within and beyond our four walls to provide opportunities for diverse publics to engage deeply with contemporary art.  In doing so, we further dialogue and participation between and among artists and those audiences.

History

Founded in 1978 by a small group of artists, LACE (Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions) has become an internationally recognized pioneer among art institutions. Uniquely positioned among commercial galleries and major art establishments, our nonprofit organization provides a local venue that advocates and exhibits innovations in art-making.  By encouraging experimentation, LACE has nurtured not only several generations of young artists, but also newly emerging art forms such as performance art, video art, digital art, and installation-based work. LACE has presented the work of over 5,000 artists in over 3,000 programs and events, which have provided the impetus for dialogue about contemporary arts and culture for over 30 years.

Many of the artists that LACE has supported over the years, being once unknown, have gone on to become influential and admired individuals in their field, including Laurie Anderson, John Baldessari, Chris Burden, Karen Finley, Dan Graham, Gronk, Ishmael Houston-Jones, Mike Kelley, Martin Kersels, Barbara Kruger, Linda Nishio, Tony Oursler, Jorge Pardo, Rudy Perez, Paper Tiger TV, Adrian Piper, Nancy Rubins, Ed Ruscha, Jim Shaw, Diana Thater, Bill Viola, Johanna Went, and Bruce and Normon Yonemoto.

Since moving to Hollywood Boulevard in the mid-1990s, LACE has become a key intermediary between the local community and the contemporary art world. Our prominent spot on the Hollywood Walk of Fame allows for a broad and diverse audience.  Since contemporary artists’ interests have moved beyond the gallery itself and into public arenas, LACE’s programs encourage the public to encounter art in their daily existence so that they are engaged by it and also participate in it.  LACE has been deeply involved in the creative vibrancy of the Hollywood community and looks forward to expanding its reach through programming efforts.

LACE’s programming is either free or low-cost, making it accessible to all audiences.  Just in 2008, LACE produced an exciting range of creative and educational activities, including 11 exhibitions, more than 40 public programs, and a mobile public art project. These presentations served nearly 16,000 audience members, and showcased the work of 195 artists and 18 curators. LACE has more than doubled its education and outreach offerings since 2005 and plans to continue this expansion.

LACE has developed ongoing education and outreach programs in order to build audiences and provoke discussions of exhibitions.  These programs include the Salon Series, which are experiential events for adults; ArtWorks, providing hands-on art making workshops for at-risk youth; and the Gallery Guides Program, which provides gallery visitors with a point of entry for the artwork and its concepts.

At a time when public funding for arts education has diminished, and access to the arts becomes more rare for all populations, LACE strives to increase meaningful dialogue between our institution and our diverse community. LACE fosters artistic collaboration and provides Los Angeles audiences with access to stimulating ideas and artworks. These original guiding principles remain at the very heart of the organization today. While the contemporary art community in Los Angeles has grown and expanded over the years, the need for a venue like LACE—free from commercial constraint and unbound by the restrictions imposed by larger institutions—is more essential to the vitality and diversity of that community than ever before.

Recently celebrating its 30th anniversary, LACE has become a part of LA’s history and continues to innovate into the city’s future.

STAFF

Carol Stakenas, Executive Director (09/05)

Since her arrival at LACE in 2005, Stakenas has worked with over 400 artists, more than 50 of which have developed unique and innovative projects that could only be realized through a residency at LACE. Through training and experience, Stakenas leads LACE’s staff to deliver core programs.  These programs require socially intensive processes to engage numerous community groups, local businesses, city agencies and thousands of residents. Stakenas is also a faculty member at the University of Southern California in Public Art Studies.

Previously, Stakenas was the Deputy Director/Curator of Creative Time, New York City’s adventurous public arts presenter. She has worked with a broad range of artists including Asymptote, Haluk Akakçe, Natalie Bookchin, Chris Doyle, Cai Guo-Qiang, Granular Synthesis, Shu Lea Cheang, Vik Muniz, Takashi Murakami, Marjetica Potrç, Toshi Reagon, Erwin Redl, Steve Roden, Christopher Russell, Mary Ellen Strom and Lebbeus Woods.  She has curated and produced multidisciplinary public art at sites such as Massless Medium and Music in the Anchorage in the Brooklyn Bridge Anchorage; Consuming Places in DUMBO Brooklyn; the DNA Deli Cups and the DNAid Billboards; PDPal, a mobile mapping project commission in Times Square; Shimon Attie's Between Dreams and History on Manhattan's Lower East Side; and Karaoke Ice, a mobile public art project that traveled throughout Los Angeles.

Robert Crouch, Assistant Director (07/08)
robert(at)welcometolace(dot)org

Having joined LACE in 2008, Crouch is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the organization.  He works closely with the Executive Director in planning and fundraising activities. Crouch has a decade of fundraising and non-profit membership management experience. During his 9-year tenure at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, he increased annual membership revenue by 60% over a three-year period, raising annual membership revenue from $740,000 to $1.2 million. He is also the co-founder and co-curator of Volume Projects, which functions as a catalyst for interdisciplinary new media work through exhibitions, performances, events, lectures, and publications.

Shoghig Halajian, Outreach Coordinator (07/08)
sho(at)welcometolace(dot)org

Halajian brings her experience in the alternative arts to LACE as Outreach Coordinator. She works with LACE’s web designers and marketing/public relations partners to implement unified marketing strategies. She also runs the internship program. With a background in Philosophy and Literature, she approaches her independent curatorial work from an outsider’s perspective. As one of the co-founding members of Eighteen Thirty Collaborations, an artist-run experimental arts space in Echo Park, she is interested in using collaborative projects to produce momentary and site-specific situations that question the traditional art space.

Geneva Skeen, Gallery Supervisor (12/08)
geneva(at)welcometolace(dot)org

BOARD MEMBERS

Chad Clark, President, (7/06) is an independent architect, a writer at Frontiers Magazine, and was a founding member of The Young Professionals Council at the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center. Chad shares his professional knowledge of facilities issues and working with large scale non-profits.

Vincent Ruiz-Abogado, Vice-president, (06/07) is an independent art director and film maker.  He created title sequences for films such as Brokeback Mountain, Fantastic 4 and XXX.  His clients include HBO, Bravo, TNT and Partnership for a Drugfree America. This year he directed A Walk in the Park, a documentary feature film. He brings his expertise to developing access to the LACE Video Archive Project for the 30th Anniversary.

Synderela Peng, Secretary, (6/07) is an artist and graphic designer.  She is currently an art director at yU+co.  Her clients include Universal Studios, Disney, Sony Pictures, and Touchstone Pictures. She provides strategic direction in developing LACE’s communication plan.

Adam Comeau, Treasurer, (2/08), an engineer and architect by training, is currently working in the retail and urban development sector with Westfield Properties.  He enjoys charitable fundraising endeavors such as the AIDS marathon and AIDS LifeCycle. He is interested to bring his experience in urban development to the art community.

Blake Koh, (1/03) is the Senior Vice President and Director of Fine Arts, West Coast for Sotheby’s in Beverly Hills. He has been at Sotheby’s for over fifteen years. He has served as the auctioneer of LACE’s Annual Benefit Art Auction.

Sean McDonald (1/07), until recently, he was an equity research associate at the Capital Group Companies, Inc. He is currently in business school at Columbia University. Sean brings significant experience in financial analysis and strategic planning to the LACE Board. 

Glenn R. Phillips (6/05) is Research Associate and Consulting Curator in the Department of Contemporary Programs and Research at the Getty Research Institute. He recently curated the acclaimed California Video retrospective at the Getty Museum.

RVLDP BOARD INTERNS
Remy Zapanta, Capital Group
Jane Chung, Capital Group

LACE INTERNS

Lizzy Joelson
Lisa Bechtold
Susan Higo
Nina Laurinolli
Mike Rios
Marcus Benigno
Janet Dandridge
Lila Miller
Laura Anne Birch
Lesley Negrete
Ilana Milch
Fred Portillo
Alice Clements

GALLERY HOURS

Wednesday - Sunday, noon – 6pm
Friday, noon – 9pm

LACE (Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions)
6522 Hollywood Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90028
t: 323.957.1777 I f: 323.957.9025
e: info@welcometolace.org

CONTACT

If you would like to inquire about LACE events or purchase items from our Kiosk and Limited Editions programs, please contact us at 323.957.1777 ext. 17.


LACE (Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions) is located east of Highland and west of Cahuenga. Our cross street is Wilcox. Parking is available for $6.00 in the lot behind the building, accessible from Wilcox. There is also ample metered street parking available. We are near the 101 freeway and the Metro Red Line’s Hollywood/Vine station. The galleries are wheelchair accessible.

Admission to the gallery is free with a recommended donation of $3.00.

Support for LACE and its programs comes from The Capital Group Companies, the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, The Getty Foundation, Jockey Hollow Foundation, Jerry & Terri Kohl Family Foundation, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Los Angeles County Arts Commission, Creative Capital, Morris Family Foundation, The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, National Performance Network, Peter Norton Family Foundation, the Pasadena Art Alliance, Side Street Projects, Stone Brewing Co., and the members of LACE.