Roadside Art

HIGH CULTURE BLOSSOMS IN AN L.A. STRIP MALL

in Los Angeles could you find the city's best new contemporary art galleries nestled together as a strip mall right across the street from the Sizzler and the 99 Only store. At 6150 Wilshire Boulevard, along the Miracle Mile and within walking distance of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, eight galleries—ranging in specialty from 1960s conceptual art to contemporary furniture design to emerging artists with freshly minted M.F.A.'s—peaceably coexist side by side, as any nail salon, Blockbuster, and Kinko's would, as one of the hottest art tickets in town. "It's just like the right amount of people at a really super dinner party," says Works on Paper, Inc., owner Christine Nichols. "Eighteen is too

many, but 12 is just right." "6150," as it's called by those in the know, also includes Roberts & Tilton, Brian Butler's 1301 PE, Marc Foxx, the Daniel Weinberg Gallery, Roy McMakin's Domestic Furniture, the Karyn Lovegrove Gallery, and Robert Gunderman and Randy Sommer's Acme. Among the galleries' frequent high-profile visitors are artist John Baldessari, collectors Ruth and Jake Bloom, and agent turned manager Michael Ovitz. As with any bona fide Hollywood institution, a little star power goes a long way. "Leonardo DiCaprio came to an opening and it was huge," boasts Marc Foxx. "If people think Leonardo is collecting contemporary art, they're going to want to do it."

SIOBHAN McDEVITT