L.A. Louver is proud to celebrate our 50th anniversary with an exhibition surveying the gallery’s history, from its formation in 1975 to now. One of the longest-established contemporary art galleries on the West Coast, L.A. Louver has presented more than 660 exhibitions over the course of what has been the most significant period of creative growth in Southern Californian history. We are delighted to commemorate this achievement with a presentation in all spaces of the gallery, which remains on the same block as our original 1970s location.

L.A. Louver was founded with a singular mission: to contextualize Los Angeles and global artists in a distinguished exhibition program. L.A. Louver celebrates 50 years honors this initial ambition and the pivotal role the gallery has played in establishing L.A. as a global art center. Comprised of work by over 50 artists, the exhibition includes those from the early days of the gallery (Max Cole, George Herms, Edward and Nancy Reddin Kienholz, Don Suggs), international figures (David Hockney, Sui Jianguo, Per Kirkeby, Leon Kossoff), stalwarts of the city’s creative landscape (Tony Berlant, John McCracken, Ed Moses, Ken Price), and those living and working in Los Angeles today (Rebecca Campbell, Gajin Fujita, Heather Gwen Martin, Alison Saar).

The exhibition is a portrait of L.A. Louver, enriched and informed by history as much as the landscape of today. Though harkening back to key moments from the past, the presentation offers points of nonlinear connection that elucidate the complex truth of an identity shaped by time, place, and people. Furthermore, it is a tribute to the forces and memories that have shaped the gallery – the Bohemian art haven that was 1970s Venice Beach; the artists, staff, and community that have kept the program vibrant and dynamic; the bespoke building designed by Frederick Fisher & Partners that has held hundreds of exhibitions and events; and the artworks that have traveled the world.