Ahead of its reopening in its new home next month, the beloved Los Angeles art space formerly known as LAXART has rebranded as the Brick.
Since June 2022, LAXART has been closed amid preparations to move from its longtime home at 7000 Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood to 518 North Western Avenue, just south of Melrose Hill, a neighborhood now home to galleries such as David Zwirner, Southern Guild, James Fuentes, and Morán Morán. The Brick’s new space, with around 5,000 square feet, will more than double the institution’s footprint in the city.
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“Our new home and new name speak to the evolution and growth of the organization,” Hamza Walker, the Brick’s executive director, said in a statement. “Purchasing our building secures our future, and is in turn a commitment to the cultural communities of Los Angeles. Of the name’s many associations, the idea of a building block that is part of a larger whole is paramount.”
Shortly after it announced its plans to move to a new home, the Brick received a donation of $1 million from LA philanthropists Jarl and Pamela Mohn, who have ranked on the ARTnews Top 200 Collectors list several times. The Brick’s exhibition space and courtyard will be named in the couple’s honor. (They also endowed the $100,000 Mohn Award that goes to an artist participating in each edition of the Made in L.A. biennial at the Hammer Museum.)
At the time, the Mohns said in a statement, “We want to recognize the important role that LAXART has and will play in inspiring and shaping the future of arts inLos Angeles. We hope this gift will move LAXART into a new era and serve as a catalyst for further progress.”
When it was founded in 2005 by Lauri Firstenberg, LAXART quickly made a name for itself in the city by showing local talents and under-recognized artists. Early exhibitions included solos for Mark Bradford, Leslie Hewitt, Daniel Joseph Martinez, Charles Gaines, Anna Sew Hoy, and others. In 2012, it also co-organized the first edition of the Made in L.A. biennial with the Hammer Museum and produced the performance festival that accompanied the inaugural iteration of the Getty Foundation’s PST Art. Walker joined the organization as director in 2016, succeeding Firstenberg.
In deciding on its new name, the organization drew from the new building’s exposed red brick, which runs throughout the interior space, according to a release. The mission, however, remains the same: being “dedicated to understanding key issues of our time through contemporary art,” per that release.
Before its transformation by John Frane of HGA Architects, the building, which dates back to 1952, was a furniture showroom. The transformed gallery, with 4,000 square feet of exhibition space, has an open floor plan and is column-free.
The Brick will be inaugurated by three events: two performances by saxophonist Roscoe Mitchell on Sunday, June 16 and Monday, June 17, and a community party on June 23. The latter event will also see the launch of a week-long garage sale of the home library (and other items) of artist Allan Sekula and art historian Sally Stein.
The first exhibition at the Brick’s new location will be a solo outing of new work by Gregg Bordowitz. A mural dedicated to Pope.L, who died in December, will soon adorn its exterior façade.
In the fall, the Brick will open a group show titled “Life on Earth: Art & Ecofeminism” as part of PST Art: Art & Science Collide. The organization’s long-awaited “Monuments” exhibition is scheduled for fall 2025.
In a statement, Brick board chair Margaret Morgan said, “The stability of a permanent home allows us to do what we do best: present artists, exhibitions and projects that engage the issues of our times with bravery, brilliance — and even beauty. A home of our own has been a dream long envisioned. Now that it’s realized, our board, leadership, artists, and staff can’t wait to show you what’s to come.”