Ace Gallery Los Angeles

An «in the know» place to view a rotating collection of contemporary art.
The space feels removed from Wilshire and something I would find in Downtown LA wandering the streets during DTLA Art Walk.
The experience is unique as the gallery is a bit hidden on the second floor of the art deco Desmond Building. What adds to the charm is what you’ll find in the elevator.
Looks like LA Fashion Week has some runway shows in there as well.
When I visited I had the entire place to myself exploring the larger than expected art exhibition space.

After taking a delightful elevator ride up one flight, I was greeted and allowed to wonder around the gallery at my own pace. The layout itself was very interesting and created many rooms and ways to display the fairly large assortment of art and sculpture. I especially enjoyed the frosted windows on the ends of the gallery. I spent about 30 minutes or so sketching a couple interesting architectural features of the space– crown moulding beginning in the middle of a wall, solid steel doors and trim, exposed wood timber combined with concrete columns and many other Art Deco details. I took the stairs back to the main lobby where again was greeted by the elevator super. Worth the trip!
Con– not sure this gallery has AC– it wasn’t too hot, but enough to notice.

I’ve attended several fashion events in this space, and I love it. They have live installations, and usually populated by a hip crowd. The only negative is that they never turn on the AC. That’s right, it’s hotter than Dante’s Inferno.
Scoring a parking spot isn’t too hard, they also have a lot – 10 bucks, I think.

This is a very cool gallery just a couple of blocks from my apartment. I really can’t believe that I’ve never been because it’s just so lovely. They had an extensive Ed Moses exhibit and were also showing the works of a few other artists. The building and space itself are drop-​dead gorgeous and the layout is perfect for displaying small exhibits.
The crowd assembled seemed to be in their 50’s and 60’s and they serve wine and alcohol. In all it is a very nice, civilized but substantial gallery. I plan to become a frequent visitor.

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The Wilshire Tower, ACE Gallery founded in 1961 by the Gallery’s current director Douglas Chrismas, has been a prominent figure in the contemporary art world. ACE Gallery has a history of installing museum quality exhibitions. Ace Gallery is probably 1 of the largest art collections, if not the largest in LA.
The Gallery’s exhibition program balances a selection of emerging and mid-​career artists with artists who have become fully established over the last forty years, according the gallery.
I came here to prep for LA Fashion Week #LAFW, got to check out the gallery with some of beautiful art works of over 70 artists exhibits and installations.
— THE DATE FARMERS — An exhibition celebrating the Bicentennial of Mexican Independence — Exhibition open to the public through APRIL 2011.
— HELEN PASHGIAN — COLUMNS AND WALL SCULPTURES — Exhibition open to the public through MARCH 2011.
I love the way the gallery lay out, you can just wander around and enjoy the pieces for hours. If you love art, you should definitely check it out.

A gallery with heart. As Barry said, there’s adventure in the elevator. In this building is one of the last remaining freight elevators of its kind in Los Angeles. It’s something that you come across and dream about (or at least I have) living in a building that has one.
In this elevator is a gentleman with many tales. He has been there for over 20 years. He could talk to you for hours if you let him. (One of these days I believe I may have to let him.)
The space itself is clean and huge. Just when you think you are through it, you will find more. There’s lots to discover here. All of the employees are very warm and welcoming. Their biggest shows are done quarterly.
Parking in the back is also free for those that go to the gallery. Fantastic considering the area. If on the miracle mile, look for it. You might just blink and miss it otherwise.

Opening receptions are fun. Beautiful people, free booze, and some kind of art (that no one is really paying attention to).
Seriously, the gallery does a great job in bringing talented artist to the forefront, and allowing the public to get up close and personal to the art.
Weekdays are best to appreciate the art. Opening receptions are best to appreciate the free alcohol.

*** Much character here … the adventure begins with its elevator. ***
I love this old building. To access the gallery (2^nd level), you must
board an old-​style elevator (manual). Cool olé dude welcomes you
to the gallery, closes elevator gate, then the door, then cranks to «up».
I really like the olé guy. He was really quite charming and very nice.
The gallery space is humungous with several corridors and rooms.
There are two that open to huge windows for natural lighting … nice.
I came here to see the last exhibit of sculptor, Robert Graham.
He is renowned for a number of public works of famous athletes.
He recently passed away in Dec. The main room holds his work.
*** Not Graham’s best work by far, but I’ll definitely return to Ace. ***

LA’s best kept secret.
The first time I went to this particular Ace Gallery was back in May of 2006. That day was full of awe, surprise and an appreciation for a gallery that was not only immense in terms of scale but as well as space. Housed on the second floor of the old Desmond’s building on Wilshire Blvd., it’s 1930’s art deco vibe adds a sense of nostalgia to your visit. And when Ruben Pardo, the elevator operator, answers your buzz, it helps to add to that yesteryear feeling.
From the outside of the building, Ace Gallery is simply unassuming. Even when getting off the elevator for the first time you have no concept of how immense the gallery truly is. Just a few steps past the office and you’ll soon be taking in not only the current installation but the space itself. The 20 foot ceilings in certain rooms, the mini-​rooms of art, off to the side as you walk from one installation piece to the next, the natural lighting, all of it, adding to your enjoyment. Every installation I’ve seen here has been an experience that I haven’t soon forgotten. In addition to the space, the gallery is more often than not, empty. Not another gallery go’er around. No distractions, no ill-​timed conversations. Just you, the art and your thoughts. And it’s free, which in today’s economical turmoil, is perfect.
Anyways, I guess what’s most important to me, or what I’m trying to say, is that Ace Gallery is a perfect space for art. The Gallery’s design/​décor never takes away from the installations. If anything, it adds to it. The place is recommended.
I check their website regularly to see what’s going on… you should too.

If your paintings don’t fit the doors, the dealer was willing to lift the roof to deinstall it. One of my instructors is represented here and the space used to be a bank. The parking has a security guard that gives you a once over when you get out of your car. This is a really great museum quality venue segmented into different rooms. You will enter an old elevator with an operator to get into the gallery.

I know not of the cool creaking floors that Bryan R. mentioned in his review.
All I remember from my visit last weekend was the oppressive oppressive heat. (And the bar was set up in possibly the warmest room of them all.)
It was a shame that the place was soo hot. The fashionable crowd was noticeably uncomfortable. In fact people were congregated in the two rooms (which had no art in them) on the far side of the the gallery, which happens to be in the shape of a capital I placed on its side.
To make matters worse, there was a persistent smell of drying paint that followed me throughout the gallery and I can only guess that the stifling heat exacerbated the fumes. Not fun at all. (I’m not one for huffing.)
I loved the layout and the height of the ceilings.
Considering how painful the experience was I’m hesitant about going back,– but I think it has soo much potential.

I don’t know shit about art and art galleries — but this place was cool. Extremely helpful knowledgeable staff. My girlfriend had to do a write up on one of the exhibits there (Judy Fox — Snow White and the Seven Sins. I’ll post pics later, it was fucked up)
Once the staff heard what we were there for, they supplied my girlfriend with more than enough literature and information on the exhibit to get an A. They seemed excited to talk to us about it. They were our age and seemed into the same stuff we were into, so they were easy to talk to. Didn’t feel like we were talking to our grandma about the Wyland print in the sun room of her beach house in Laguna Beach, you know?
By looking at the front of the building, it looks small and like there’s not much to see — but the interior is huge. Tons of enormous rooms with even taller ceilings. The floors were interesting. Shifting concrete slabs that grind, creak, and echo their way throughout the gallery. Cool shit.
Oh, and there’s a private parking lot with free parking. The only thing i hate more than driving in LA is parking in LA, but Ace Gallery takes care of that for you. Definitely appreciated.