Art Houses: A Guide to LA’s Contemporary Galleries

By Lisa Rosen Art enthusiasts in Los Angeles have much to celebrate. So many new galleries have opened in unlikely spots, and so many illustrious ones have established new satellites, that art is on view all over town. Here are some of the best gallery treks, according to Douglas Elliman Western Region COO Bill Begert , an expert in contemporary art. Begert’s professional experience includes working for two of the world’s most significant private contemporary collections—first as a curator for the Peter Norton family in Santa Monica and later as director at the Rubell Family Collection in Miami. View the Winter 2024 issue. HOLLYWOOD HAUNTS “To find out what’s going on in the contemporary Japanese art world, you could do no better than to go to Nonaka-Hill on a regular basis,” Begert says. The gallery has two locations, including one in a strip mall marked with a “Best Cleaners” sign from a previous business that signals the gallery’s playful approach. A few blocks away, legendary U.K. gallery Lisson opened in a former nightclub in the Sycamore District in spring 2023. “It’s a great institution, and L.A. is fortunate that it’s here. It’s one I would plan to go to on my regular rounds,” says Begert of Lisson, considered one of the world’s most influential and longest-running international contemporary art galleries. (The original London location opened in 1967.) “To find out what’s going on in the contemporary Japanese art world, you could do no better than to go to Nonaka-Hill on a regular basis." — Bill Begert “To find out what’s going on in the contemporary Japanese art world, you could do no better than to go to Nonaka-Hill on a regular basis." — Bill Begert Head west a few more minutes and find great Karma . “This is one of those galleries that has a stable of working artists, from emerging to well established,” Begert says. “The taste level is really high there.” WILD WILD WESTERN One of Begert’s favorite spots on the now-gallery-strewn Western Boulevard is Morán Morán . “They’re in both L.A. and Mexico City, so you get a lot of work that’s coming up from Mexico,” he says. Another notable spot less than two blocks away is Clearing , an expansion of the New York– and Brussels-based gallery of the same name focusing on works by emerging artists. Begert appreciates both galleries because “I always enjoy seeing work by young artists I don’t know anything about. It expands my visual vocabulary. That’s when I’m most motivated to say, ‘Maybe I should buy something.’” Between Morán Morán and Clearing, blue-chip gallerist David Zwirner has opened not one but two new spaces. “They do stupendous work,” says Begert. “You’re almost always assured of seeing something good.” François Ghebaly Gallery in West Hollywood. WEHO BOUND Housed in a former classic car dealership in West Hollywood, Hauser & Wirth is another powerhouse gallery with 6,000 square feet of exhibition space. “It’s a perfect vehicle for large-scale works, no pun intended.” Not to be outdone, the mighty François Ghebaly has opened a new outpost up the street in a onetime warehouse. Begert loves seeing them move into the Westside. “One of the hardest parts about being an art aficionado in L.A. is the distance you have to cover to see everything. The clustering that’s happening in these areas is good for the galleries, and for the community.”