by Emily Claeys
It’s hardly news that the art world is dominated by white cis men. Studies confirm what we can already see if we’re paying attention: Black artists, curators, and art spaces are highly underrepresented in the contemporary art ecosystem.
At Curate LA, we’ve been taking a deeper look at the landscape here in Los Angeles and we are ashamed to report that even in an incredibly diverse city filled with hundreds of galleries and museums (over our 5+ year tenure at Curate LA we’ve listed over 1,500 venues existing within the greater L.A. area; some have come and gone, but it gives you an idea of how many spaces we’re talking about here), only a handful of venues focus on showing, selling, and collecting art by Black artists. Even fewer are Black-owned or have a significant number of Black board members, curators or staff (that are paid living wages).
Last week we put out a call to hear about Black-owned museums, galleries, and art spaces that we might not know about and as of this writing, there are twenty-three spaces on our list. Twenty-three out of hundreds of galleries in L.A. We want to see these numbers grow and our goal with compiling this list is to facilitate growth and awareness in the L.A. Arts Community as well as make these spaces more accessible to those who want to find them. We will continue to add resources — bookmark these venues, submit a space, and check back for updates.
Check out these Black-owned museums, galleries, and art spaces in Los Angeles and go ahead and give them all your money:
CAAM California African American Museum
600 State Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90037
Website | Instagram: @caaminla
Founded in 1977, the California African American Museum has a long and rich history. The first African American museum of art, history, and culture fully supported by a state, CAAM was the direct result of a sustained, multiyear campaign of activism undertaken by visionary founders and community members.
The Underground Museum
3508 W Washington Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90018
Website | Instagram: @theundergroundmuseum
Founded by Karon and Noah Davis, UM is a space for exhibitions, events, dialogue, and artist collaborations. Located in the working class neighborhood of Arlington Heights, The Underground Museum is a cultural outpost complete with a garden and film screenings, dedicated to ensuring access to contemporary art and ideas for all of LA’s residents.
Art + Practice
3401 W 43rd Pl, Los Angeles, CA 90008
Website | Instagram: @artandpractice
Conceived and founded by artist Mark Bradford, activist Allan DiCastro, and philanthropist and art collector Eileen Harris Norton, Art + Practice (A+P)’s mission is twofold: (1) collaborate with a nonprofit social service provider (i.e. First Place for Youth) to support the needs of 18 to 24-year-old foster youth who are transitioning into adulthood, and (2) provide free access to museum-curated contemporary art celebrating artists of color.
Residency
310 East Queen St, Inglewood, CA 90301
Website | Instagram: @residencyart
Founded by Rick Garzon, Residency is a contemporary art gallery established to serve the area of South Central Los Angeles. They celebrate contemporary artists that continue to make projects for communities of color.
Superposition
Pop-up Gallery
Website | Instagram: @superpositiongallery
A socially conscious approach to contemporary art with a focus on borrowed space. Superposition Gallery was founded in 2018 by artist and curator, Storm Ascher. The gallery represents emerging and mid-career artists from around the globe.
SoLA Contemporary
3718 Slauson Ave. Los Angeles, LA 90043
Website | Instagram: @solacontemporary
SoLA Contemporary advocates for change by empowering people from diverse backgrounds to explore the intersection of art, culture, society, and politics. A nonprofit, artist-run organization that serves as a cornerstone for cultural and artistic innovation in South Los Angeles. SoLA is a safe and receptive space for anyone seeking to experience the power of contemporary art.
Band of Vices
5376 W Adams Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90016
Website | Instagram: @BandofVices
Band of Vices was founded in 2015 by veteran actor and art curator Terrell Tilford. The gallery serves as a platform for emerging, mid-career, and established contemporary artists that matter.
SON. Studio
3733 S Western Ave, Los Angeles, California 90018
Instagram: @son.studio | Donate to their fundraiser
Justen LeRoy launched SON. Studio operating within his father’s long-standing barbershop in South Central LA. SON. is a platform for the multi-faceted experiences of black men.
Dominique Gallery
5654 W Adams Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90016
Website | Instagram: @dominique.gallery
A boutique storefront and online art gallery founded by Dominique Clayton with a focus on artists of color and women.
Barbara Morrison Performing Arts Center (BMPAC)
4317 Degnan Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90008
Website
In 2008 Barbara Morrison opened the Barbara Morrison Performing Arts Center (BMPAC). The 99-seat Theatre and adaptable performance space is located in the historic city of Leimert Park, Los Angeles California.
John R. Martin Gallery
Virtual Space
Website | Instagram: @johnrmartin_gallery
Archive of maverick Pasadena abstract figurative painter and gallery owner, John R. Martin, 1938–2014.
Galerie Lakaye
1550 N. Curson Ave., Los Angeles
Website | Instagram: @galerielakaye
Galerie Lakaye is a contemporary ethnic art gallery with a special focus on Haitian Art. Owners Carine Fabius and Pascal Giacomini operate the gallery from their Craftsman home in Hollywood, CA.
M. Hanks Gallery
2501 East Chapman Avenue, Suite 235 Fullerton, CA 92831
Website
Founded in 1988 by Eric Hanks, M. Hanks Gallery specializes in African American art. Paintings, drawings, sculpture, collages, assemblages and prints by some of the finest artists from the 19th century to the present day comprise the offering available through the gallery and from its extensive inventory of fine art. Owner Eric Hanks also hosts a podcast, which can be heard here: https://www.mhanksgallery.com/category/podcasts
Artfully Spaced Gallery
4401 W. Slauson Ave. Los Angeles, CA. 90043
Website | Instagram: @sibyl2450
Artfully Spaced Gallery’s mission is to engage the talents of local and international artists to expand art appreciation multi-generationally and culturally through the presentation of community based exhibits of art in a wide range of media. To date ASG is conducting annual exhibits utilizing emerging and established artists from Lagos Nigeria, Sao Paulo Brazil, Dakar Senegal, as well as artists from Los Angeles, Inglewood, Marina Del Rey, Leimert Park, and surrounding cities in California.
Reparations Club
4636 West Washington Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90016
Website | Instagram: @reparations.club
Founded by Jazzy McGilbert. A concept shop and creative space, online shop only for now.
California Jazz & Blues Museum
4317 Degnan Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90008
Website
It is a long-established fact that California Jazz & Blues Museum has long been considered one of the most important jazz locations in music history. Founded by Grammy-nominated Jazz legend Barbara Morrison, visitors from around the world come to learn and explore jazz and blues history.
African American Cultural Center, Los Angeles
3018 West 48th Street Los Angeles, CA 90043
Website
The mission of the African American Cultural Center (SOPPAAC) is to recover, research, collect, preserve, interpret, teach and promote knowledge and appreciation of the rich, ancient and varied culture of African people with emphasis on African Americans.
The Museum of African American Art (MAAA)
Macy’s 3rd Floor Baldwin Hills Crenshaw, 4005 Crenshaw Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90008
Website
THE Museum of African American Art was founded in 1976 by noted artist and art historian Dr. Samella Lewis and a group of academic, artistic, business, and community leaders whose goal was to increase public awareness of African American art.
Lula Washington Dance Theatre
3773 Crenshaw Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90016
Website
The Lula Washington Contemporary Dance Foundation (LWCDF) was founded in 1980 by Lula and Erwin Washington to provide a creative outlet for minority dance artists in South Los Angeles.
The William Grant Still Arts Center
2520 S. West View Street, Los Angeles, California 90016
Website | Instagram: @wgsarts
Named after the late Dr. William Grant Still (1895–1978), the highly acclaimed African-American composer who lived in the West Adams neighborhood. A facility of the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs offering summer camp, creative workshops, music and art classes for adults and youth, an exhibition space, concerts, and places for community meetings and the neighborhood to come together.
The Mayme A. Clayton Library and Museum (MCLM)
4130 Overland Ave, Culver City, CA 90230
Website
The Mayme A. Clayton Library & Museum (MCLM) is home to the Mayme Agnew Clayton Collection of African-American History and Culture. The collection contains over two million rare books, films, documents, photographs, artifacts, and works of art related to the history and culture of African Americans in the US.
Crenshaw Dairy Mart
8629 Crenshaw Blvd, Inglewood, CA 90305
Website | Instagram: @crenshawdairymart
Home to an artist collective and art gallery dedicated to shifting the trauma-induced conditions of poverty and economic injustice, bridging cultural work and advocacy, and investigating ancestries through the lens of Inglewood and its community. Founded by Patrisse Cullors, Noé Olivas, and Alexandre Dorriz.
Quotidian
410 Spring St. Los Angeles, CA 90013
Website | Instagram: @la_quotidian
Quotidian has a mission to bring extraordinary aesthetics into the everyday life of Los Angeles by giving agency to practices that inspire, uplift, unite and beautify. Curators jill moniz and Francine Kelly work with artists who concentrate their practices on visual linguistics, shaping, translating, cultivating and communicating the richness and power of aesthetics and narrative.
Kaos Art Network
4343 Leimert Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90008
Website | Instagram: @kaosnetworkz
KAOS Network offers a way for the artistically talented and art enthusiasts of South Los Angeles to enjoy trans-media and multimedia art disciplines being offered in this vibrant community. KAOS Network creates a warm and open environment where everyone can participate and engage the material outcome of the work being presented.
Alkebulan Cultural Center
1435 N Raymond Ave Pasadena, CA 91103
Website | Instagram: @alkebulanpasadena
A cultural center created with the goal to provide knowledge and awareness of African and African-American heritage through culturally informed educational activities which nurture individual abilities and build confidence in academic, social and artistic achievement.
The Creative House
122 N Market St, Inglewood, CA 90301
Website | Instagram: @thecreativehousestudio
The Creative House Gallery is a non-profit gallery with a goal of helping the community transition, survive, develop and thrive through art access and art education. The Creative House Gallery is committed to enhancing the quality of life through our artistic programing that serves all ages, ethnicities, backgrounds and economic statuses with an emphasis on marginalized, underserved and underrepresented persons.
GHOST
3800 South Grand Ave #F, Los Angeles, California 90037
Website | Instagram: @officialxghost
GHOST is a contemporary art gallery located in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn, with a location in Downtown Los Angeles. The focus of the gallery is to aide in the development of emerging artists and to provide an open platform for new ideas.
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