LACE: A Brief History

LACE (Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions) was founded in 1978 by LA based artists Richard Hyland, Ismael Cazarez, Guillermo Martinez, Marilyn Kemppainen, Joe Janusz, David Scharf, Alexandra Sauer, Ron Reeder, Barry Scharf, And Bill Fisher (see image). The group consisted mainly of recent Otis Graduates and artists from the East LA chicano community. The gallery's first location was at 240 S. Broadway, a 8,000 ft space above a downtown bridal shop ("lace" also references the material used in stitching bridal gowns). LACE was funded, in part, by the LA County Comprehensive Employment Training Act (initially, the group taught classes on mural painting), the LA City Council, the California Arts Council, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

In the early 1970s, the Pasadena Art Museum was closed and converted into the Norton Simon Museum, much to the dismay of local contemporary artists. MOCA would not open their doors until 1986. Nancy Drew writes, "LACMA was frequently being charged with neglect for its tentative commitment to contemporary art. Alternatives were therefore born out of LA's frustrated underground" (see Ruscha's LACMA Burning). When LACMA stated that they would not exhibit work by contemporary Chicano artists because they did not collect "folk art," LACE artist Harry Gamboa responded by signing his name with spray paint on the building's facade (see image).

LACE openned during a kind of NEA reinassance--in the same half decade, the Kitchen openned in NY, NAME in Chicago, and Beyond Baroque in Venice. Not-for-profit venues gave artists the ability to perform, make video, and create other forms of art that could not be purchased, or easily absorbed into the market.

Some noteable LACE exhibitions: Mike Kelley and Tony Oursler (By Products), 7.11.80, Paul McCarthy (Monkey Man), 5.19.80, Allan Kaprow (Exercise and Team), 5.25.80, Chris Burden (Solaris), 10.23.80, Nancy Buchanan (If I Could Only Tell You How Much I Love You), 1.25.07, Lari Pittman (Sunday Painting), 5.9.82, Elanor Antin (Recollections of My Life With Diaghilev), 10.30.82...

Well, you get the idea. I will also bring several LACE catalogues to class tomorrow--Dave.