DTLA Artwalk

Happening every second Thursday of the month, we were able to catch Downtown Los Angeles Artwalk last night.  And we weren’t the only ones – the turnout was huge.  It’s really grown since starting in 2004.  There are over 40 galleries and museums participating in the event and some are just almost too packed to get into – one of the growing pains in having an event see such growth in the past few years.

All this foot traffic isn’t lost on the numerous food trucks on-hand, providing artwalkers with korean bbq tacos and ice cream sandwiches.  You can have a nice meal on-the-go while window-shopping the galleries you might want to peep.  It adds a little more clogging to already congested sidewalks, but you don’t really complain about that when you’re the one grubbing.

It really is a lot of walking for a city not really known for people walking around.  And of course, as with other art events, you’re going to see things that you don’t see normally in regular daily life: people with face paint on stilts, a combined costume of a zebra with two butts and no head, grade school kids in a band playing live rock music, a mime trapped in an old bank vault and various other attention grabbers.  For the brave and spontaneous, there were even haircuts being offered on the streets – and this stylist was by no means gentle with his technique on the dry hair of those willing to step up.  Those with a craving for belgian waffles topped with ice cream and fruit were in for a treat with models being body painted at Syrup.  Unlucky for this with waffles and nowhere to sit.

Overall, a good night for art, food and bumping into a lot of like-minded familiar faces.  With the support of the food trucks and great Southern California weather, the Downtown LA art scene is a great community to be a part of.  With such a diversity of artists, galleries, restaurants, food trucks and people in general, Downtown Los Angeles Artwalk is an event that everyone can go to and come away with many different experiences.