by Garrison Frost

It's not hard to find somebody who has critical things to say about the South Bay art scene. There aren't enough galleries, these folks say. People don't appreciate fine art. Artists don't get the support they need. The media doesn't promote the arts. There isn't the vibrant intellectual culture that is needed to support a good arts scene.

I'm not going to be the one to say that there is a problem with the South Bay arts scene, but I do have a few things to say to those who wish it were more like San Francisco, Silver Lake, West Los Angeles or downtown Los Angeles — places, most will agree, that have more vibrant art scenes.

This is a conversation I have had quite a few times in the last few years. People want to know how to get from here to there. They see galleries on the Westside and they want to know how to get them in downtown Manhattan Beach. They see large artist spaces like the Brewery in downtown Los Angeles and wonder why there isn't something like that in Torrance. And they see economically successful areas of San Francisco that combine culture, art and community space and wonder why San Pedro isn't like that. I don't know how to get these people what they want, but it might be educational to take a look at a few of the elements that contribute to these more vital arts scene.

Of course, for any art scene to get going, it's important to have a lot of artists. An arts scene without them is something weird. Still, it's not impossible to have an arts scene without artists, as I will explain later. But just having artists isn't enough. In order for the artists themselves to contribute to a scene, I think it's important for them to view themselves collectively. I don't mean that they all have to do the same kind of art or even like each other. They just need to see themselves as some kind of collective entity, to at least identify with each other. If a group of artists sees itself as being centered in a specific geographic area, or around a certain style, other people will see them that way as well. The South Bay does not lack for artists, but it's safe to say that these artists are about as disjointed as they can be, and the art scene suffers as a result. Artists also need to be savvy. I suppose it's possible to just make your art and be discovered, but most artists need to get out and mix a bit in order to sell their work or develop the kinds of relationships that help them grow. There are some great artists in the South Bay, but very few of them market themselves very well or take advantage of the experience of their peers.

You also can't say too much about cheap studio space and inexpensive housing. These factors contribute immensely to the success of the Los Angeles, Venice and San Pedro art scenes. Numerous examples show that cool art scenes spring up out of economically depressed areas. Unfortunately, the presence of artists usually is the first sign of a turnaround in a particular neighborhood. The artists make the place more appealing, then other businesses come in to take advantage of the atmosphere. Rents go up and eventually you have Melrose Avenue, an arty community without any artists. Anyway, it's no surprise that more artists are working out of San Pedro than Manhattan Beach these days. I would guess that an economically mixed community would be optimal for artists. This would allow lower income artists easy access to wealthier patrons and galleries. One can actually find this type of thing in urban settings like San Francisco or downtown Los Angeles. The key is that artists have readily available cheap housing and studio space.

Galleries are another thing altogether. To have any success at all, a gallery needs to have roots in the artist community while at the same time be accessible to patrons who probably don't live in those areas. Another thing one notices is that individual galleries rarely flourish unless they are surrounded by others. Galleries, unlike hamburger joints, succeed when there's a lot of competition around them. Groupings of art galleries can become a destination for art lovers. Bergamot Station in Santa Monica is probably the best example of this. Which means that for a gallery scene to get started from scratch, someone has to take a risk and go it alone. How to get more galleries in the South Bay is anyone's guess. Some have opened and closed, while others seem to get by in isolation. But there isn't a grouping of them that will draw people from outside the area to come in large numbers.

In discussing venues, I don't want to downplay the importance of noncommercial spaces such as Angels Gate, the Torrance Cultural Arts Center or the Palos Verdes Arts Center. Aside from their value as educational institutions, these places provide venues for local emerging artists. In an area like the South Bay, which doesn't benefit from having major institutions like the Getty, MOCA, LACMA and the Norton Simon, these places can be vital. It's a pity there aren't more.

The above items are important, but they're not what I hear about from people who lament the state of the South Bay's art scene. Most people talk about support — support for the arts, artists, galleries, education and events. They ask questions like: Why don't people support our local artists? Why don't they buy their art here? Why don't they get involved in this or that arts organization? A lot of this type of talk has an element about it of self-pity, a feeling that there's this enormous group of supporters out there who have chosen another, less deserving art scene for its attention.

My own thought is that a vibrant art scene is the result of many factors, some of which I've discussed. But moreover it's the result of a lot of people putting out their time and money and creativity to achieve what they want. I recently had a conversation with the chairperson of a local arts organization who told me that the only way she gets people to join or contribute is to sell them on the idea one-to-one. That's how it happens. You can't just put up flyers or write letters to the editor complaining about how insensitive people are. If you want a better art scene, you need to build it. It can start with just one gallery, one studio, or simply one energetic person willing to spend an afternoon on the phone.