356 Mission, the non-profit artists’ space founded by Laura Owens and Wendy Yao, will close its doors next month. The last show is VICTOR ROSAS – ARTIFICIAL MASK, opening Friday night.
From the statement by Owens and Yao:
“After more than five years of public programming, 356 Mission’s final exhibitions are Alake Shilling’s MONSOON LAGOON, and an installation by Victor Rosas. Ooga Booga’s location at this address will close, but its original store in Chinatown will remain open.
“356 Mission was an experiment in showing art and sharing space. We collaborated with over a thousand individuals and groups, hosted events and programs that were free and open to all, and worked to produce an alternative to the conventional gallery system in order to support and realize the visions of a wide range of artists. It was a labor of love, with finite resources, and never intended to last forever. We still believe that art can make a difference, that art spaces are vital to the cultural empowerment of all people, and that artists can be allies of vulnerable communities.
“Some took issue with our impact on the neighborhood – although we don’t agree with their perspective, we respected it, and attempted to bridge that divide while working toward proactive solutions to the best of our abilities. For both personal and practical reasons, we have decided that 356 Mission is no longer sustainable, but we will continue to support open access to arts programming and the health of existing local economies. We are deeply grateful to everyone who has supported us along the way, and look forward to continuing to engage the incredible communities of people who came through these doors.”*
VICTOR ROSAS – ARTIFICIAL MASK, opens Friday, April 20. Through May 13.
ALAKE SHILLING – MONSOON LAGOON, through April 29.
356 MISSION, 356 South Mission Road, Los Angeles.
356mission.com/filter/exhibition
356mission.com/alake-shilling-Interview
See: hyperallergic.com/356-mission-closing-reactions/
* 356mission.com/356-mission-will-end-its-5-year-run-in-may-2018/
Above: Artwork by Alake Shilling.
Below: The last opening flyer. Image credit: 356 Mission.
