Women Around Town, October 2025 by Karen Schifman
Pretty Teacher by Goya
The current art market is quite challenging and many changes are occurring in that arena. L.A. Louver, a mainstay in our community has decided to close its doors in Venice after 50 years. Fortunately their vast archive has been donated to the Huntington Library. Lois Lambert Gallery and the Gallery of Functional Art is also closing after 39 years, bringing an end to an era at Bergamot Station. We were so fortunate to have had these galleries as part of local art scene as they also provided wonderful exhibitions and were promoters of women artists from the very beginning.
IN THE GALLERIES
Craig Krull Gallery in keeping with its rich exhibition schedule will be presenting 3 outstanding artists in the coming months: Phranc, Astrid Preston, and Michon Weeks. October 11-November 22, 2025.
Phranc
Astrid Preston
Hung Liu (1948-2021): Art Salon is currently on view at Walter Maciel Gallery. Thru November 8, 2025.
Jeffrey Deitch Gallery on Santa Monica Blvd. presents Bisa Butler: Hold me Close. The exhibit is comprised of series of quilted portraits that speak to the urgency of empathy, the weight of history, and the need for tenderness in times of crisis. Her work is vibrant and packs a political punch. Continues thru November 1, 2025.
At the gallery’s Orange Drive location is a provocative group show titled It Smells Like Girl. The exhibit “revisits the charged and often misunderstood concept of female hysteria through painting, video, sculpture, performance, screenings, and installation.” Among the many artists participating in this exhibition are: Kelly Akashi, Isabelle Albuquerque, Liz Kraft, Bunny Rogers, Gabriela Ruiz, and France Stark. Also continues thru November 1, 2025.
Muna Malik: Contours of Memory is one of the current exhibitions at Suzanne Veilmetter. “Malik’s works are influenced by the philosophical texts of Rick Dolphijn, as well as her travels to remote countries and continents. The paintings explore concepts of personhood and identity in relation both to the human body and to the physical terrain that it inhabits. Her most recent paintings examine elemental forms in motion – water, earth, and sky seamlessly meld together with other less tangible kinds of matter, in undulating compositions that ripple with kinetic energy.” (SV)
Thru November 8, 2025.
What portends to be a fascinating exhibit at Wonzimer Gallery is Drawing from Imperfectionism, “a group exhibition that stands as a philosophical counterpoint to our contemporary search for perfection. Curated by artist Alaïa Parhizi, this show is an ode to the beauty found in flaws, accidents, and the unique, irreplaceable nature of human creation. The exhibition features a diverse collection of drawings, each a final work of art that embraces the principles of Imperfectionism. This movement, founded by Parhizi in 2014, challenges the anthropocentric belief that we can control our world and destiny. Instead, it finds grace in the humility of flawed forms—a philosophy that has deep roots in traditions from Japanese Wabi-Sabi to deliberate “mistakes” in Islamic art and the subconscious-driven accidents of Dada and Surrealism.” (Wonzimer) The list of artists is vast and includes: Cheyann Washington, Christine Weir, linn meyers, Serafina Harris, Ann Weber, Hiromi Nakatsugawa, Marta Thoma Hall, Lisa Lesniak, Ruby Vartan, Julia Nejman and many more.
October 17 – November 7, 2025: Opening Reception: October 17th 5-10pm.
IN THE MUSEUMS
Of personal interest to me and hopefully many others is the upcoming book exhibit at Long Beach Museum of Art titled The California Effect: New Books from the California Chapter of the Guild of Book Workers. There are 29 artists exhibiting 54 books, boxes, and broadsides. Some are in limited editions and others are one-of-a-kind. All are handmade individually with handmade and fine papers, cloth, thread, glue, inks, and paint. October 4, 2025 – March 8, 2026
Opening this month at the Hammer Museum is their biennial exhibition, Made in L.A. A showcase of 28 artists who present work not only made in the city but also grounded in its complex and unfolding terrain. “The works presented in this year’s biennial include film, painting, theater, choreography, photography, sculpture, sound, and video. Attitude draws them together: Each engages with this city in ways, alternately literal, formal, material, and metaphoric.” Hammer
October 5, 2025-March 1, 2026.
Image below by Amanda Ross-Ho, one of the many artists included in the Biennial.
One of the continuing exhibitions at LACMA is Artist Selects: Frances Stark, Periodic Love and Perpetual War. “Since the 1990s, Los Angeles–based artist Frances Stark has created a vast body of work that examines systems of communication and the nature of intimacy. Thru November 9, 2025.
Also continuing is an outstanding fiber art exhibit at the Oceanside Museum of Art . Fabulous Fiber curated by Kate Stern is indeed just that! “Rich in scope and dimension, these works invite viewers to step into a world where every stitch tells a story. In a time when so many of our daily experiences involve interacting with the smooth screens of electronics, these dynamic forms offer a refreshing allure—engaging both creators and viewers with rich and tangible materials. This exhibition stands as both a counterpoint to our digital world and a profound extension of contemporary sensory experience.” (O.M.) The exhibit features works by Liv Aanrud, Hammad Abid, Marianna Baker, Serena Brooks, Susan Davis, Shelby Drabman, Linda Gross, Peg Grady, Isa Guadalupe, Jill Hagata, Adriene Hughes, Bonita Johnson, Michelle Kingdom, Susan Maddux, Stephanie Metz, Gillian Moss, Nancy Larrew, Mary Little, Monica Loss, Gwen Samuels (image below), and Elise Vazelakis. Thru November 2, 2025.
