Bermudez Projects Announces Spacious New Arts Venue, Ambitious
Program, in Northeast Los Angeles
Words by Marc Haefele, Senior Arts Writer, Bermudez Projects
After more than five years of hosting leading-edge gallery shows in the heart of Downtown LA, Bermudez Projects has announced the opening of an expansive second exhibition location in a brand-new building in Northeast LA’s trendifying Cypress Park. It is just a block from the bosky Vista del Rio Park.
This new space will introduce art-loving audiences to the next phase of Bermudez Projects programming, which will in some significant ways differ from that of its DTLA counterpart. Not only does the new gallery occupy an eye-catching, newly-constructed building nestled in the foothills of Mt. Washington northeast of downtown LA, its purpose is to highlight and present the talent that has “graduated” from the emerging-artist category at the downtown space into the mid-career artist level of achievement.
Bermudez Projects NELA/Cypress Park also brings with it a handful of new mid-career artists who have exhibited in Los Angeles and abroad.
This Cypress Park opening group show will flaunt the diverse range of artists, media, styles, philosophies, and methodologies that is traditionally represented by Bermudez Projects. Artists on display will include Johnny Adimando, Nanci Amaka, Amanda Beckmann, Emmanuel Crespo, Gordon Henderson, Cody Norris, Jesse Phillips, John S. Rabe, Erynn Richardson, Ana Serrano, Kellan Shanahan, and Johnny Taylor.
Following the inaugural exhibition, Bermudez Projects will present new paintings by Johnny Taylor, video and light installations by Jesse Phillips, mixed-media paintings by Erynn Richardson (which will be accompanied by a book jointly published by Bermudez Projects | Editions), and Ghetto Gloss| The Chicana Avant-Garde, 1980-2010, which is part of the participating gallery program for the Getty Foundation’s Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA initiative.
The emerging-artist programming will continue at the Bermudez Projects DTLA location with the introduction of three new artists beginning in April 2017.
“What’s wonderful about this new NELA space is that it reflects everything that I’ve wanted our next gallery to be. It’s in a great, lively, commercial-residential neighborhood,” says Bermudez. “There are also public schools and a public library literally blocks away, which allow us an opportunity to connect with the young residents of Cypress Park.”
Bermudez says that this kind of interaction is integral with the overall goals and objectives of Bermudez Projects, which seeks not only to show art, but to encourage and nurture the development of artistic talent, inspiration, appreciation and skills throughout Los Angeles’ communities.
“We get to work with local artists in presenting dynamic exhibitions. We get to connect with the neighborhood businesses and work towards increasing visibility and patronage. And, I’m looking forward to hosting the next SPACELAND Biennial here because that show calls for a much larger space, as the narrative and artworks of that exhibit will be huge.”
