The R-Word Takes a Toll on Galleries

The recession continues to take its toll on the arts, the latest victim being Santa Monica’s Walker and Walker Gallery, which closed last week after less than a year of presenting mostly emerging artists including Anthony Ausgang, Anthony Solano and the collaborative group POM.

“The recession is a lot worse than a lot of the bigger galleries are willing to admit, and it was especially hard for a new gallery. We hung in there as long as we could,” said co-owner David Walker, who used inheritance money to start his gallery--along with his wife Darby--last September. Walker said he plans to stay in the arts and hopes to take on more independent curatorial projects.

Also closing earlier this month was Melrose Avenue’s Cure Gallery, which had been showing new artists such as Keith Anderson and Richard Bauer since October, 1989.

“With the economy the way it is, there was just no reason for us to hang in there,” said gallery co-owner Marc Erlandson, who will continue to represent some of the gallery’s artists.

On a brighter note in the ever-continuing gallery shuffle, Luis and Lea Remba of downtown’s Mixografia Gallery have secured the space at 918 Colorado Ave., in the gallery row next to Blum/Helman.

The couple is currently remodeling the space and plans to open Remba Gallery with a historical print survey, “Mexican Graphics of the 20th Century,” as part of the Artes de Mexico festival.

“Even though the (economic) situation is a little difficult right now, it’s the best thing for us, since it’s been very hard to get people into the downtown area,” said Lea Remba, noting that the new gallery mainly will feature exhibitions based on Mixografia projects (three-dimensional printed works on paper) done in the downtown workshop. “On Colorado, we will be more accessible to the collectors and other people who visit the gallery.”

The Rembas plan to keep their current space on East Adams Boulevard, but will hold exhibitions there only rarely; the last show held at the space was a December exhibition of works by Robert Graham.

Come early: The Museum of Contemporary Art expects so many people for next Sunday’s 3 p.m. talk by the Museum of Modern Art’s Kirk Varnedoe, that it is moving the lecture to the 478-seat auditorium of the Department of Water and Power building at 111 North Hope Street. Varnedoe curated the much talked about “High and Low: Modern Art and Popular Culture” exhibition, which opens at MOCA that same day. MOCA officials said that when Varnedoe spoke at the Art Institute of Chicago, where the exhibition was last held, more than 600 people showed up to the $10-per-person talk. The event is free.

Happening: The Broadway Gallery Complex--a cluster of Santa Monica galleries including Robert Berman, Richard Green, Meyers/Bloom, Marc Richards, Andrea Ross, Daniel Weinberg, and Shea & Bornstein--is holding a collaborative “Summer Event of Art and Music” on Thursday from 6-9 p.m.

Included will be an open house at all the galleries and an 8 p.m. performance by the contemporary ensemble Musica Nova, plus free cocktails and hors d’oeuvres.

The event is planned as the first of a number of collaborative arts events to be held at the complex, which is at 2032-2114 Broadway.

Information: (213) 828-6666.

Also Happening: “Sanctuary: Mirages in a Parallel Landscape,” a site-specific installation and performance that won Barnsdall Art Park’s Sited Works ’91 competition, will be presented at the park Saturday and next Sunday at 8 p.m. The work is conceived by performance artist/maskmaker Swanson, in collaboration with painter/visual artist Jim Starrett and writer/director Shishir Kurup. The event is free. . . . Encino’s Installations One Gallery will have a special open house next Sunday from 3 to 7 p.m. featuring refreshments and performances by L.A. club bands Chance, Ritt Henn & the Concerned Citizens Combo and sam i am. Tickets are $5.

Benefits: Specially designed chairs made by 27 L.A. artists including May Sun, Lita Albuquerque, Jeffrey Vallance and Betye Saar will be on view at Daniel Saxon Gallery on Beverly Blvd. June 26-27. The works will be auctioned at the gallery from 6-10 p.m. on the 27th, with proceeds going to the Sunshine Mission/Casa de Rosas, an emergency shelter for homeless women. Tickets are $20. . . . An “Instant Art Collection” valued at more than $30,000 will be up for grabs in a drawing at the Santa Barbara Contemporary Arts Forum on June 29, with proceeds going to support the gallery’s exhibitions program. The collection includes works in all media by artists such as Carmen Lomas Garza, Christo and John Baldessari, and tickets for the drawing are $100 each. Information: (213) 966-5373. . . . “Art Pro Choice II Portfolio,” a collection of limited edition prints by artists including Francesco Clemente, Eric Fischl, Claes Oldenburg and Cindy Sherman on sale to benefit the National Abortion Rights Action League, is at Santa Monica’s Linda Cathcart Gallery through Aug. 15.

Entries: Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions is accepting submissions through July 1 for its 6th Annuale, an exhibition open to all Los Angeles artists that will run Sept. 6-Oct. 6 at LACE. Entries are also being sought for LACE’s annual billboard art program, co-sponsored by Patrick Media Group. Three artists will be selected to have their original works produced as outdoor public billboards. The deadline is July 2. Information: (213) 624-5650. . . . The American Film Institute is accepting entries through Aug. 1 for its 1991 AFI Video Festival to be held Nov. 7-10. New works by independent artists, including video art, experimental narratives and independent documentaries will be accepted. The submission fee is $30.