ABOUT

Mission
LAXART is a nonprofit visual art space that promotes developments in contemporary culture through exhibitions, publications, and public programs. We believe that contemporary art is a means of understanding key issues of our time with all their inherent contradictions. Contemporary art assumes many forms. Rather than provide answers, it raises questions. Through a range of offerings, LAXART contextualizes contemporary art both socially and art historically. Our programs are free and designed to be accessible to the general public. 

History
LAXART was founded in 2005 by Lauri Firstenberg as a platform for emerging and under-recognized artistic talent in Los Angeles. Since that time, LAXART has realized over 400 projects, characterized by newly commissioned artworks and solo projects in our gallery and public spaces. LAXART has made significant contributions to Southern California culture through partnerships with the Getty—to co-produce the Pacific Standard Time Performance and Public Art Festival in 2012 and the exhibition Video Art in Latin America in 2017—and the Hammer Museum—to co-organize Made in L.A. 2012, the city’s first biennial. We have also partnered with local and national organizations including the Frieze Art Fair, Art Basel, The Huntington, Monday Evening Concerts, Artadia, The French Embassy, L.A. Dance Project, and Le Lycée International of Los Angeles. In 2015, LAXART moved into a former recording studio built in 1928, which tripled the organization’s exhibition space.

In October 2016, Hamza Walker became LAXART’s second director after twenty-two years as Curator and Director of Education at the Renaissance Society in Chicago. Under Walker’s leadership, LAXART has deepened its mission and exhibition program to include thematic group exhibitions, new work with historical figures, and institutional-scale projects with emerging and established artists.

News

MENTIONS

Staff

Hannah Burstein
Monuments project Manager

KAMERON McDOWELL
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

Chris Oliveria
Head Preparator

jeremy e. steinke
Director of development

Catherine Taft
deputy Director & Curator

Hamza Walker
Director

For press and communications inquiries, please contact
Melissa Parsoff of Parsoff Communications

Board of Directors

Margaret Morgan, Chair
John Frane, Secretary
Shana Eddy-Grouf, Treasurer
Kim Allen-Niesen
Teal Black
Andrea Bowers
John Geresi
Kim Gordon
Zenas Hutcheson
Heather Karatz
Glenn Ligon
Phil Lord
Dashiell Manley
Olivia Marciano
Rodney McMillian
Kelsey Lee Offield
Ric Whitney

Thank You!

LAXART is grateful for the support it receives from artists, individuals, foundations, government agencies, and other organizations.

LAXART's 2022 programs are produced with generous support from The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts; the Offield Foundation; Margaret Morgan and Wesley Phoa; Alan Berro; Shana Eddy-Grouf; John Frane & HGA Architects; John Geresi; Zenas Hutcheson; Heather Karatz; Glenn Ligon; Phil Lord; Marciano Art Foundation; Conor O’Neil; and The Mike Kelley Foundation; The National Endowment for the Arts; the LA Arts Recovery Fund through the California Community Foundation; the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Los Angeles County Arts Commission; The City of Los Angeles, Department of Cultural Affairs; The Knox Foundation; The Hartfield Foundation; The Danielson Foundation; City of West Hollywood Economic Development Department/Arts Division, Arts and Cultural Affairs Commission and the Pasadena Art Alliance.

Securing the Next Chapter: Support for LAXART’s new building generously provided by Glenn Ligon, Margaret Morgan and Wesley Phoa, Albert Oehlen, Conor O’Neil, Christina Quarles, Jacqueline Humphries, Jonas Wood, Barbara Kruger, Laura Owens, Mary Weatherford, Kelsey Lee Offield and the Offield Foundation, Arthur Jafa, Zoe Leonard, Christie’s, John Frane and HGA Architects, John Geresi, and Zenas Hutcheson.

Lead support for MONUMENTS is provided by the Mellon Foundation with additional support from the Ford Foundation, Teiger Foundation, and founding support by the Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts. Generous individual support is provided by Kevin Burke, and Margaret Morgan and Wesley Phoa.

2022 Director’s Council members include: Kim & Keith Allen Niesen, Alan Berro, Johanna Bialkin, Jennifer Borden, Belinda Kielland, Matthew Marks, Karen Mettel, John Morace, Charlie Pohlad, Chara Schreyer, Suzanne Vielmetter, Toby Webster and Andrew Hamilton, The Modern Institute.