Celebrity Sighting by the new gallery

Lots of work abounds in the segueway out of Chinatown. I'm going to miss it.

But I am excited about the new space...
I swung by there to drop something off & saw Keanu Reeves eating lunch next door. heehee.
Celebrity sightings are fun, regardless of the cheese factor.

He was bending down picking up his napkin & said, "She really knows a lot about relationships."
The young lady he was with nodded.

Artist I met from New York

Earlier this year I received a portfolio from an artist in New York, Tattfoo Tan. He was referred to us by another artist visiting Chinatown from Tennessee. ( I love how artists are everywhere)
He was originally drawn to the gallery because of the text we had on the site for Bamboo Lane/Revisited that explained that we wanted to help provide a venue for Asian artists in a historically Asian neighborhood, such as Chinatown. He was also impressed by the caliber of art we were showing.
In July he had a chance to visit our gallery when he came to LA because he was involved in a show at Track 16 featuring propaganda art posters.
It was a really nice, short visit & I was very impressed with Tattfoo & Ensze (his wife & business partner). We seemed to be on the same page about a lot of things & we were hoping that we could develop a bi-coastal realtionship by trading shows. Due to the unstable circumstances of the gallery in conjunction with Bamboo Lane, I was unable to move forward with building a plan for working with Tattfoo...In the mean time we keep in touch via email.

He has an Amazing space in Staten Island.
Staten Island! For New Yorkers that is as far away as going to the far East reaches of the Inland Empire in relation to LA - and just the thought of taking a Boat has made it difficult for people to venture there. In addition, many artists really wanted to have shows in Manhattan, so for a new gallery it was difficult for him to keep artists interested. Although, since meeting him there have been other artists he knows who have visited me & they all speak very highly of his aesthetic & his vision.
He recently had a New York Times article about his space - which is so huge it is a gallery, studio & a living space for him & Ensze & their cute dog.
You can read the article here - & don't forget to view the Slideshow to the Left of the article - that's where you can see the Images of the space.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/27/realestate/27habi.html

In addition, here is Tattfoo's personal website for the gallery & his portfolio.
www.tattfoo.com

what You & I are doing with this blog

I love writing & many of you who know me, know that I love talking too!

I will be keeping this blog active during the gallery transition time & will be focusing on various art topics, gallery transition happenings (and later, active gallery happenings) & assorted musings.

The comments section is open & I encourage participation that is relevant to the topics. My promise is to non-bash, so I ask that you do the same. Opinions are just that - but any insight, extra news or thinking dialogue is welcome with glee.

One of the things I will implement with the new gallery location, is a Real Comment Box. There will be various topics that will be open for discussion via Paper Notes located in the Library/Salon that folks will deposit in, you guessed it, a Box.
I will gather these notes & post the consensus & quotes on the Blog.

I can't wait to see what people have to say, especially in regards to various topics that never seem to go away - in all the...14 years of doing art stuff here in LA, some discussions just don't end.
In fact, they go on & on & on...

revisiting the gallery & a new blog

Many of you know that I will be relocating the gallery. I've made my decision to go to Silver Lake. (please do not ask me "where?" - it's not even ready to see yet - Goal: February 2006)
It has been an ongoing discussion with artists, clients & colleagues, & it was truly exhausting.

I had to remember a few of my youth mantras, "Never regret anything" & "Stick to plan A".
Sometimes I feel I am living in a constant dychotomy, but I had to reflect on the good things that came from the decisions I have made in the past - despite the difficulties they were ultimately all good ones for the times they served. The bottom line was that I have never been one to do what I was told if there wasn't a compelling argument to sway me. But secondly, as I have gained wisdom in my years, I learned to just listen to what people want & how I could possibly be a part of it. As a business owner, it was how I could give the people what they want without compromising my own ideas. And most importantly, how can I be original. I just don't see the benefit of following along with a mass consensus.

I have an exciting program in the books & am thrilled to focus on utilizing the small space in an unordinary way. Never one to do things simply, the new direction of the gallery is an expansion of the concepts I have been studying since I opened in 2003 & I can't wait to get them activated.
In the mean time, sit tight, wait for the new site launch in December - that will explain everything.

I am going to be spending the holidays raising capital for the new space via my personal adjunct venture & doing some things around the house. Maybe take a little road trip.