
For our recent March issue, we invited art heavyweights John Baldessari and Ed Ruscha (pictured at Ruscha's studio in Culver City) to pick out their home city's truest voices. Meet more of their creative crowd here...
Photography: Cedric Buchet

Bettina Korek
Los Angeles has cycled through periods of in and out in the art world since Ed Kienholz's 1957 partnership with curator Walter Hopps begat Ferus Gallery. What distinguishes the present boom-boom uptick is scale and level of investment, says Bettina Korek, variously described as ‚'one of the premier ambassadors of LA Art' by Los Angeles Magazine and 'a latter-day Peggy Guggenheim under the palm trees' by The Wall Street Journal. The third element to today's growth spurt is 'independent activity' by artists 'operating in more of a liminal space', she suggests - galleries established in apartments or studios.

Bettina Korek
Alice Könitz's elfin-sized Los Angeles County Museum of Art, opened next to her studio is one such example. Putting together well-received and diverse shows, these venues are fluid in nature. Mission 356 began as painter Laura Owens' studio, before morphing into a de facto arts centre, exhibition space, bookstore and event venue.

Bettina Korek
'More and more artists want to not only engage with galleries and museums but get out into life and directly address issues,' she notes of a city-wide trend, that includes artist-launched radio station KChung.

Bettina Korek
Korek's base of operations, ForYourArt, a platform for art and artists and headquartered across from LACMA, exhibits similar nimbleness. Established as an e-mail update of the art scene, Korek's endeavours now include ForYourArt's must-see Los Angeles art website, live panel discussions pulling in audiences of over 1000, and an initiative with Barbara Kruger and John Baldessari to encourage discussion of arts education via messages on the side of buses.

Bettina Hubby
Diagnosed with cancer and preparing to undergo a double mastectomy, artist Bettina Hubby felt the need to issue an ultimatum to her circle: ‘Send boobs, not sadness’ it went.
Pictured: 'Thanks for the Mammaries, The Facebook feed', by Bettina Hubby, 2014