Cella Gallery in North Hollywood is an interesting place. It’s a little hard to find at first, but it’s well worth it. When I walked in, I was immediately struck by how not a New York gallery it was. It’s smaller, and in a lot of ways, more casual, than anything I’d seen on the east coast. This is very intentional. As I got to talking with Kenzie Alexander, co-owner of Cella Gallery, I learned a great deal about her perspective on the art world, about being a New Yorker in L.A., and life in general. We also talked about the gallery’s current show, Something Wicked This Way Comes. 

The pieces in the show are all very dark and surreal. Kenzie told me that Stephanie Chefas, the guest curator, chose artists who were known for incorporating these themes heavily in their work. The show seems a little over stuffed; the most interesting pieces would have seemed more impressive if they appeared with fewer pieces around them, but this is a group show, so it is more important that more artists appear.

The show is comprised of relatively unknown and some more prominent artists. It is important to Kenzie and her business partner Shannon to give opportunities to young artists, because, as she puts it, “there are so many talented people who haven’t shown.” The gallery has a submission page on their website for just this purpose. Cella starts in emerging art, which for the layman means under ten thousand dollars. They cater to the beginning collectors, and the lesser-known artists of Los Angeles. Much of the sales come from prints, as this is a relatively inexpensive way for younger collectors who can’t afford originals to start building a collection of art. 

Something Wicked This Way Comes is a show comprising the works of Annie Owens, Christian Rex van Minnen, Christine Wu, Chrystal Chan, David Ball, Fulvio Di Piazza, Jana Brike, Jessica Ward, Judith Supine and Michael Page. It is guest curated by Stephanie Chefas, from the art blog Platinum Cheese. 

Something Wicked This Way Comes is on view at Cella Gallery until March 23rd.

Cella Gallery is located at 11135 Weddington St, Suite #112, North Hollywood, CA 91601. More information can be found here.

 

Reach Staff Reporter Avery here. Or Follow to her on Twitter at @Averyregen.