Actual Size

[uds-billboard name=”actual”]

Actual Size

Address: 741 New High St. Los Angeles CA 90012
Email: info@actualsizela.com
Website: www.actualsizela.com
Phone: (213) 290-5458
Gallery Hours: Saturday and Sunday 12 – 5 • Monday – Friday by Appointment

How is the project operated? For-profit, non-profit, artist-run, etc.
Artist-run.

How long has it been in existence?
Since April 2010.

What was your motivation?
Our mission was to create a gallery that presented work formally and that encouraged critical discourse, but that was also welcoming and flexible.

Number of organizers/responsible persons of the project.
4: Lee Rachel Foley, Justin John Greene, Samia Mirza, and Corrie Siegel.

How are programs funded? (membership fees, public funding, sponsors, etc.)
Our organization is funded by membership fees, sponsors, donations and sales.

Who is responsible for the programming? (Curators, Directors, etc.)
We collaboratively direct and curate exhibitions and events, though we also work with with other curators and artists on selected projects and initiatives.

Number and average duration of exhibitions/events per year.
We host about 18 events per year, at the gallery and off-site. Our exhibitions are usually on view for 4-5 weeks.

What kind of events are usually organized?
Our events range from openings of solo and group exhibitions to events that make use of the space as a multi-faceted resource for artists. In addition to formal exhibitions, we hold lectures, screenings, musical performances, BBQ’s, brunches, and panel discussions.
For one event, entitled 12:12 Song, a participatory concert began at 12 midnight and ended at 12 noon the next day. During these 12 hours, over 50 visual and performing artists collaborated to create a continuous sound experience through overlapping sets and improvisation. This project recruited the efforts of artists around the world who contributed live performances within the gallery and via Skype.

How is your programming determined?
Detailed discussion and consensus.

Do you accept proposals/submissions?
Yes.

What is your artistic/curatorial approach?
We present work by a diverse range of artists, and hope to enrich the cultural landscape of Los Angeles by supporting investigative work and critical dialogue. Through studio visits, conversation and correspondence, we encourage artists to take risks and to expand on traditional concepts of the exhibition. We attempt to activate the space through events that involve different audiences and invite viewers into the culture of the artist’s work.

What’s working? What’s not working?
Working: Spirited collaboration with each other, artists and the community.
Not working: The mysteriously disappearing toilet seat in our bathroom.

What kind of role do you hope to play in your local art scene or community?
We hope to encourage artists to share their visions with the community and create a space for new ideas and approaches.

What idea are you most excited about for the future?
We are interested in the way our satellite projects will push our curatorial practice and develop ongoing conversations about the work.