chung king road gallery strip welcomes newcomers
Chinatown’s ever-expanding gallery row, huddled on and off Hill Street around Chung King Court, continues to garner the interest of new art scene dealers. As the area becomes more established in the circuit, the quality and scope of arriving venues is growing as well.
Four weeks ago, fine art gallery North Hill debuted after a lengthy restoration process of its two-story historic home, which was overseen by architecture firm Fung + Blatt.
North Hill is owned by artist Cindy Bennett and takes its seat next to Bonelli Contemporary Art Gallery on Hill Street across from Central Plaza. Printmaking services and event space rentals are offered.
Around back in Chung King alleyway, POV Evolving Gallery arrived June 7 and bills itself as fine art printing studio, offering custom printing solutions, scanning and large format archival services in addition to holding contemporary exhibitions.
POV also curates a series of limited editions works in an ongoing project called POVeditions, where hand-selected pieces from various artist are digitally reproduced and offered for sale online. 10% of every print sold is donated to the company’s Artist Endowment Fund.
Across the way, a unique use of retail space has emerged called Automat — a stark room filled with red vending machines and picnic tables, making it a kind of experimental fast food joint.
But instead of greasy burgers and french fries, the machines are stocked with unusual products from all over the world. Cuban soda, Japanese candies, Sahale snacks, gourmet sandwiches and barbecue kettle corn from Indiana are few of the items available.
Automat arrived in April next door to Mary Goldman Gallery and has become a popular destination for area boutique owners looking to stay clear of all the local Chinese food dives.
North Hill
945 N Hill Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
213-500-7778
northhillchinatown.com
POV Gallery & Print Studio
939 Chung King Rd
Los Angeles, CA 90012
info@povevolving.com
povevolving.com
Automat
936 Chung King Rd
Los Angeles, CA 90012
213-617-0422
-gallery scene in chinatown continues to expand
-new boutiques shake chinatown’s touristy image
7 comments
Anyone ever seen the Hong Kong film Chungking Express? I love it. For anyone into Downtown living, it’s the ultimate in “cool” of dark/light romance big city films. Having this cult classic in your movie collection should be essential to any Downtown Angelino. Believe me, after viewing this, you won’t be hear the Mamas & the Papas’ “California Dreaming” the same again.
I love Chinatown… I wish the wealthy Chinese in the San Gabriel Valley would stop moving further out into the exurbs (Diamond Bar, Chino Hills, etc.) and come back into the urban city and invest those millions of dollars into Chinatown. If there was an influx of Chinese buyers, that could boost demand up enough to resuscitate the plateau in Chinatown mixed-use development.
Maybe we could even get a 99 Ranch Market with condos above, a la Ralphs Fresh Fare at Market Lofts.
Automat–experimental? Risking showing my age, or more so, my dad’s age–he’s from Chicago and pines for the days of the Automat. It was different back then, they actually employed people behind the “machines”, which were apparently nothing more than a receptacle for money, and little doors with windows where you’d see & select your food. The employees would refill the little windows. Same concept. They also have the mechanized ones in Europe, I think I saw them in Amsterdam. I hope it catches on here. Yay for Chinatown!
Hey TheLAstranger, I love that movie, I remember when it played at the Laemmle’s Grande, i think it was 1996 or 98.
Tony Leung and Wong Kar Wai my favorites along with their movies-” In the Mood for Love” and “Happy Together”.
I’ve seen the New York Automat of yesteryear in many old black & white movies. I bet you notice it now, too!
@loveandhatela: Definitely In the Mood for Love, Days of Being Wild, and Happy Together are the three most perfect Wong kar-wai films all incorporating the one of only great actor Tony Leung. Chungking Express doesn’t get as must praise as those titles I just mentioned only because I feel the first part of the film isn’t nearly as strong as the second section, you know, with Faye Wong just taking over the picture, dancing around being cute as hell…I saw a double bill of Days of Being Wild and Happy Together a couple of years ago at the New Beverly Cinema on Beverly Blvd in West LA. If you don’t mind a ghetto old theatre, seats with no head rest, no drink holder, small screen, etc., the New Beverly is always playing cool classic films for I think about six bucks a double feature.
there has been galleries relocating. esp. in chinatown. like the sister gallery reloated to the peres gallery and some moving and replacing the galleries.