The City of West Hollywood’s Arts Division will present a one-night-only pop-up art exhibition as part of its Art on the Outside program on Saturday, September 16, 2023 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Plummer Park’s North Parking Lot. Limited parking will be available at the south entrance to the park, located at 7377 Santa Monica Boulevard.
Presented by High Beams, a Los Angeles-based curatorial collective, HB7: Cruising is a one-night exhibition featuring sculpture, installation, painting, video, and performance artworks by 20 artists. Parking lots have traditionally been stopping points for “cruisers” to meet-up with friends, regroup before a party, or even to hook-up with a sexual partner.
While undeniably tamer than their historical analogs, the “cruisers” expected at HB7 will be able to walk through a temporary art garden that is wide-ranging and interactive, reflective of a City as diverse as the work, while paying homage to West Hollywood’s legendary nightlife. The themes associated with much of the work are varied, though commonalities include trauma, an impending planetary crisis, body autonomy, and eco-feminism. Other artists have chosen to work with themes around hedonism, pleasure, and simple comfort to distract from the endless parade of anxiety-inducing news.
High Beams is a five-person curatorial group run by artists Carl Baratta, Dani Dodge, Alanna Marcelletti, Sean Noyce, and Katya Usvitsky, who have collectively organized six exhibitions together. Baratta and Usvitsky are also lead curators at Tiger Strikes Asteroid – Los Angeles (TSALA) and have organized numerous exhibitions around the globe. Baratta is also the lead curator for B-LA Connect, a Berlin-Los Angeles curatorial exchange that includes more than 40 galleries from both cities. Dodge, Marcelletti, and Noyce are lead curators at Durden and Ray, and have also organized exhibitions locally, nationally, and internationally.
The Art on the Outside Program is the City’s temporary art program that installs rotating artworks throughout the city. The artworks can include sculpture, murals, digital art, and other outdoor works. Most exhibitions remain on display between six months and three years. All projects are subject to the Art on the Outside Program Review and Approval Process. The program is funded through the Public Beautification & Art Fund.
