Mission Statement:

To give you an idea of how it’s been conceptualized, here is the press blurb: {"at the Brewery project" is an independent art space that features an ongoing series of contemporary art exhibitions. It specializes in artist-organized exhibitions for emerging and established artists and links their work to the world in which we live. It is also occasionally a forum for exhibition exchanges with abroad that interlinks the work of different communities through an exchange of artists and artwork. The general director of the project is John O’Brien. The specific exhibitions of the project calendar are each directed by the independent curators or artist organizers who proposed them. The project is located at 626 South Avenue 21, No. 33 in the historic 1904 "Los Angeles No. 3 Steam Plant", designed by John Parkinson on the premises of The Brewery in downtown Los Angeles.}

The exhibition idea is pretty straightforward, I think. Besides the nuts and bolts of putting up the art work and having it open to the public during the regular hours, I ask that all artist organizers/curators who are themselves artists, put their own work up in their exhibition. It is the best way to develop the kind of poetics the project has been set up for. The only other thing I would like to ask you to consider is to involve more rather than fewer local artists with your exhibition. This is a political position for me since there really is so much good work being done in Los Angeles and it doesn’t have enough outlets to be seen. Also, on the practical side, it makes the tending of the project all the easier. For the rest, whatever tack you take as an artist organizer and whatever you wish to explore, will find my active support. As for the specifics of the nuts and bolts, you can do most anything you want in the space. The floors can be drilled into, the ceiling hung from, whatever it takes to get the work in the right spatial disposition. The artists themselves should be tasked with doing that work but I will be happy to consult with you and them about techniques and the such. The doorway into the project is, unfortunately, the only way to get stuff in and it has size limits. Things that cannot be fitted through the doorway or reconstructed in the space will not be able to make it in. During the installation period, the space will be available to you through a lock box with keys so you can enter and exit at anytime of the day or night. The openings are all planned for a Saturday evening from 7 – 10 in conjunction with other Brewery spaces like Coagula and the gallery should be regularly open from 12 - 5 on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. You and the artists will have access to the space via the lock box during the entire run of the exhibition, so additional appointments can be made at any time. The sitting is to be divided among the participating artists so, depending on the number, it is anywhere from an afternoon to two for each. Just for your information, it is always possible for each of them to pay someone else to sit the exhibition in their stead, but it is somewhat a defeated purpose. The reason to have a project space that contains one’s work would be to have people come down and see you there. If each artist takes a little time and prepares some phone calls to friends, colleagues and collectors, the sitting becomes a productive and significant part of the engagement with the viewing public. I will take care of the press releases and Carlson Industries will print a simple color postcard invitation that will be distributed to the project’s general mailing list and given out to you and the other artists involved for diffusion. The postcard has been designed by Haven Lin-Kirk and the text side of the postcard will remain constant with names and dates changed for each exhibition. The front (color image) side needs to be provided by you, if you desire. A default cover with just a simple color field is available should you have no desire to intervene. Franklin Odel and Oversight magazine has been maintaining a site on the web for past projects, so if you want them to have info to post or if you wish to eventually be placed into the updated site, please have everyone involved in your exhibition forward 5-10 images of work to put up on it. This doesn’t have to be the same work on exhibit, just so long as it’s representative of the artist. If any text is required (titles, resumes, etc.) with the images on the web site, please give it to me via e-mail it to . I also will draw up and print out a site map to the works in each project exhibition, since uniform labeling on the project walls is impossible, so we will need to coordinate locations and titles just prior to the opening.

What I’ve learned from past experience is that you should try to work with artists who are used to and like accomplishing all of the work on their art installation and presentation. The fewer people ’drop things off’ for someone else to take care of, the more pleasant and ultimately successful the process is. If you can have a date in mind to give the artists for the delivery and the installation of their work as well as dates for them to sit the show already ready when you speak to them the first time about their involvement, it will be much easier to adjust for the usual last minute changes later. Everyone involved needs to know that it is a project space and not a gallery. It is a showcase, but it’s is self-wrought. The most important thing I have found in the process is to frame the event from the beginning with as much deliberateness as possible. If the artists in your exhibition know what is going to be about and how much involvement it will take, then they can say yes or no with more clarity. Most participants have liked the experience, a very small minority has felt they were not being taken care of enough. Please feel free to ask me about anything you like. I have been through every single kind of hassle imaginable One last thing (since it keeps coming up), The Brewery Project is not an appropriate place for the work of full time graduate or undergraduate students. It is neither the proper moment to present their work nor is it the best way to give support to them. Please be aware this matter is of importance to the overall configuration of the Brewery project.