LOS ANGELES — We’ve made it to another LA Art Week! I went into this year feeling a bit apprehensive. Normally, Felix — the fair that exhibits artworks within poolside cabanas at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, on view now through Sunday, February 23 — is much more relaxed and lighthearted than Frieze, the week’s centerpiece show. But with artists, gallerists, and collectors still in the midst of recovery from the Palisades and Eaton fires, I couldn’t help but wonder: Would this silly fair be cloaked in a somber atmosphere?
On opening day, fire relief was immediately foregrounded by an exhibition and silent auction assembled by the newly formed collective LA Ayuda Network, a collective of artists and art workers who have been providing assistance to fire victims. Over 150 local artists donated new works, each priced at just $500 except for a small selection by high-profile local artists including Rafa Esparza, Beatriz Cortez, and noé olivas, which were being sold in a silent auction to benefit those impacted.
"I particularly loved the details in the pastoral paintings of William Schaeuble, who was the sole artist exhibited by the Chicago-based gallery Povos. Across the works that make up his solo presentation, titled Where is everyone going?, an Elvis impersonator stands on top of a podium, tiny cars are burning in the countryside, and dogs are barking everywhere, including in trees. "
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