Roger Martinez and I attended the LA Art Show’s Opening Night Premiere on Wednesday, February 15th, 2023 at the Los Angeles Convention Center in California. We have covered the show several years and each time enjoy learning of new artists, galleries, and participants. We make an effort to focus our coverage on Latino participants.

We began by walking down the first wide aisle the entrance to the art exhibtion hall led us to and slowly explored the varied art that filled it. We walked by Fox 11 reporter Susan Hirasuna and introduced ourselves to her. The friendly reporter asked about our work. I explained, “We are a media company which covers topics, people, and events of interest to the Chicano community of Southern California.” She replied by asking who our favorite Chicano artists in the show were. After a moment of reflection I answered, “Isaac Pelayo who is represented here by Bruce Lurie Art Gallery. I like his use of color and historical references he contrasts with modern symbolism.” I then pointed her towards the direction of the Bruce Lurie Art Gallery booth 1312 as we said goodbye. I wish I had remembered to tell her about the work of Isaac Pelayo’s father, Antonio Pelayo. Antonio Pelayo is a Chicano artist who, according to his website (AntonioPelayo.com), uses his artwork to question ideologies of home, identity, and trust. I especially liked Antonio Pelayo’s paintings of paleteros exhibited at the Bruce Lurie Gallery booth because of childhood memories of these ice cream vendors. These vendors roam the Latino neighborhoods of Southern California interrupting games ringing bells attached to their carts they sell ice cream from. The neighborhood kids respond by dashing home to ask parents, grandparents, siblings, and neighbors for money.

Isaac Pelayo (left) and Antonio Pelayo (right) art by Roger Martinez

We then walked to Tizoc’s booth 1353. I was drawn to the booth by Jose Luiz Zuno’s beautifully chaotic paintings. The Los Angeles artist’s unique ability to bring to his canvas the gods and myths of my indigenous ancestors is a reminder of LA’s connection to Chumash, Pomo, Mojave, Aztec, Mayan, and other indigenous cultures. I must emphasize that his work at first is chaotic, but as one begins to focus the beauty becomes more apparent. I presumed I would be able to find his murals all over Los Angeles because of the large sizes of some of his work. I was wrong; he explained he does not create many murals.

We started walking out of the Los Angeles Convention Center but stopped because a small crowd had gathered near the exits. We saw the crowd was watching Robert Vargas, the talented Boyle Heights artist, paint. His brush quickly put the face of the beautifully dressed woman posing in front of him on the wall. The woman was dressed in a beautifully colored dress, distinct shoes, headdress, and makeup. His mural is titled Protect the Life Givers and he intends to raise awareness of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women movement with it. Isaac Pelayo, Antonio Pelayo, and Susan Hirasuna were all part of the crowd. I took the opportunity to introduce these Angelenos to each other.

Anthony James’ Portal Series art in Melissa Morgan Fine Art by Roger Martinez

We decided to stay a little longer and ended the night by sampling the food served by various LA food vendors. My favorites included Vesti’s muffaletta sandwich, Brown Sugar Bakery’s peach cobbler, Lillie’s at The Culver Hotel tartar, and Il Fornaio’s red pasta. After sampling the food, we were drawn to a bright mural with a nude woman and a yellow backdrop. The mural seemed more and more familiar as I got closer to it. I read the signage on the booth and learned it was Judy Baca’s two-sided mural that had been exhibited at the Museum of Latin American Art in Long Beach, California. The Mexican-American’s work to me is a beautiful political message that uses colors in a distinctly Mexican influenced style.

John L. Hill art in MRG Fine Art Gallery by Roger Martinez

Corey Pickett art at Abend Gallery by Roger Martinez

https://www.laartshow.com/