Beer coasters turn arty at La Luz de Jesus show

The Coaster Show, an exhibition of more than 1,000 art pieces that began life as beer coasters, returns to the La Luz de Jesus Gallery during L.A. Beer Week, and you can get a jump on the celebration of beer-as-art when the show opens on Friday.

Last year’s show saw around 700 tiny objets d’art adorning the walls of the gallery -- with many pieces having been created by artists working in the craft beer community -- and a wide variety of styles and techniques on display. The scope of the project has grown this year, and you can get a sneak peek at the artworks here.

The gallery says, “There are a lot of participants who we quite frankly can’t believe we got to participate. Maybe it’s because we kept the rules simple: We told them to do whatever they wanted [as long as] each coaster must be a solitary work (though it’s fine if several pieces work together contextually), and they must be priced $250 or less.”

During the opening reception of last year’s show, the coasters seemed to be nearly flying off the walls as the crowd worked though the small gallery, so if you see something you like, don’t wait for Beer Week to buy or you’ll miss out.

The opening reception for the show is on Friday at 8 p.m. and will feature local craft beers and undoubtedly a colorful crowd.

The show runs through Sept. 28 at the bastion of low-brow art housed in the Soap Plant -- also home to the bazaar of the bizarre: Wacko -- on Hollywood Boulevard.

La Luz de Jesus Gallery, 4633 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, (323) 666-7667