Finding Art Events: Staying Connected
Art happens everywhere. But finding it? That's the challenge.
I've spent years navigating the labyrinth of LA's art scene. Missed openings. Stumbled into unexpected discoveries. Learned that the best events often hide in plain sight.
Here's what I've learned about staying connected to the pulse of our creative community.
The Digital Compass
Curate.la remains my north star. They understand that art isn't just about the galleries on Museum Row. They surface the experimental spaces. The pop-ups. The conversations happening in Boyle Heights and beyond. Their curation feels intentional. Thoughtful.
operates differently. More comprehensive. More expansive. That's the point. They map the entire cultural landscape. Music. Theater. Visual arts. Everything that makes this city breathe. Sign up and Keep an eye on your inbox for Tuesdays at 420!I keep both bookmarked. Check them weekly. Sometimes daily.
The Mobile Revolution
Seesaw changed how I discover art. The app feels intuitive. Personal. It learns what moves you. Suggests what might surprise you. I've found myself in galleries I never would have considered. Conversations I never would have joined.
Art discovery shouldn't feel like work. Seesaw makes it feel like play. The only thing, you need an iphone. I use my friends. LOL
The Institutional Backbone
Artillery brings academic rigor to the calendar format. They understand that art events aren't just social gatherings. They're cultural moments. Political statements. Community building exercises.
Artrabbit casts a wider net. International perspective. Helps me understand how our local scene connects to global conversations. How our struggles and celebrations echo elsewhere.
What's On LA provides the foundational layer. The mainstream events. The museum exhibitions. The anchors that hold everything else together.
The Social Fabric
Here's where it gets interesting. Where platforms become communities.
Facebook groups pulse with insider knowledge. "LA Art Openings" shares the gallery circuit. "Weird LA Events" surfaces the experimental. "East LA Art Scene" amplifies voices often overlooked by mainstream platforms.
I lurk more than I post. But I'm always listening.
Instagram operates as our collective unconscious. Artists post their work. Galleries announce openings. Collectors share discoveries. The algorithm can be frustrating. But the community is real.
Follow the hashtags. #LAart #artopening #contemporaryart. But also the neighborhood tags. #boylelheights #artsdistrict #santamonica. Art happens everywhere. The tags tell the story.
The Practice of Staying Connected
This isn't about consuming culture. It's about participating in it.
I check Curate.la every Monday. Set calendar reminders for 13thingsla's weekly roundups. Let Seesaw notify me about nearby events. Scroll through Instagram during coffee breaks.
But I also talk to people. Ask gallery assistants what they're excited about. Chat with other attendees at openings. Join conversations on social media.
Get on email lists. Your favorite galleries. Curators whose vision moves you. Artists whose work stops you in your tracks. Follow them on social media. Not just to consume. To connect.
These direct lines matter. Gallery newsletters arrive with insider timing. Artist announcements carry personal urgency. Curator insights reveal the thinking behind the programming.
Art is social. Discovery is social. Community is social.
Building Your Own System
Start with two platforms. Not ten. Overwhelm kills curiosity.
Choose one comprehensive source. 13thingsla or What's On LA. Choose one curated source. Curate.la or Artillery. Let them anchor your practice.
Add social media gradually. Follow five artists. Three galleries. Two collectors. See what resonates.
Check your sources consistently. Same day each week. Same time each day. Consistency creates connection.
The Deeper Truth
These platforms aren't just tools. They're bridges. Between artist and audience. Between intention and discovery. Between individual experience and collective meaning.
When I find an event through Curate.la, I'm not just learning about an opening. I'm joining a conversation that started in someone's studio. That will continue in someone's living room. That shapes how we understand ourselves and our world.
When Seesaw suggests something unexpected, it's pushing against my assumptions. Expanding my definition of what art can be. Who gets to make it. Where it gets to live.
This is the real work. Not just finding events. But staying open to what they might teach us.
The Invitation
Start small. Check one platform today. Bookmark one event. Share one discovery.
Art needs witnesses. Participants. Community members who show up not just to consume but to contribute to the conversation.
The city's creative pulse depends on our collective attention. Our willingness to seek out the margins. Our commitment to supporting voices that might otherwise go unheard.
Find the art. But more importantly, find yourself within it. Find your people. Find your place in the larger story we're all writing together.
The events are just the beginning. The community is the destination.
Our great city Los Angeles. view from the Bendix Building.