10 L.A. Art Spaces That Change Our Idea of What an Art Space Is

The Finley Gallery

Taft Green's Divided by Objects

Look closely at the Los Feliz Villas, a pleasant-looking, Spanish-style apartment building on Finley Avenue, and you may notice something a bit out of the ordinary. Inside of a set of three windows, you can see a bunch of art hanging on the walls that overlook a stairwell. A concrete step has been thoughtfully installed on the lawn just outside these windows, acting as a viewing platform for those who want to get a closer look. A sign beneath the windows announces the artist and the title of the current show.

Welcome to the Finley Gallery, a sly private/public showcase for art that turns art seekers and the curious into peeping Toms. The space was conceived by Villa residents Sarah Lehrer-Graiwer and Jeff Hassay after the former wrote an article for L.A. Weekly that ruminated on the experience of living with art.

The building's residents do indeed get to live with the art, passing by it whenever they go through that stairwell. Others are kept at a remove that feels a little illicit; they either encounter it from the street by accident or seek it out on a tip. Opening receptions are mostly private affairs, but the art can be viewed by anyone at anytime. Nighttime viewing tends to work best, as the gallery is lit from within. 4627 Finley Ave., Los Feliz. (617) 794-4530, thefinleygallery.artcodeinc.com/pages/about.

Tucker Neel

323 Projects: all you have to do is call

Talking on the telephone is so last century. People are so accustomed now to texting and other forms of efficient keypad messaging that voice communication over the fiber networks has been relegated to urgent business and intimate check-ins.

This situation just might work in favor of 323 Projects, an exhibition space that consists solely of a voicemail account. (It was featured in our Best of L.A. Issue.) "Shows" by artists are regularly curated by founder Tucker Neel, and listeners need only call the number to experience them. Past projects have included a serial drama, the reading of a novel, a series of noises made by children and adolescents, an interactive sing-along and "October Surprise," a group show with a focus on election season.

The voicemail function has been used to allow people to leave comments or their own sound art, which may be used in future shows. (323) 843-4652, 323projects.com.

Up next: Art on a Facebook page