The Ben Maltz Gallery at the

Otis College of Art and Design Otis College of Art and Design is a private art and design school in Los Angeles, California. Established in 1918, it was the city's first independent professional school of art. The main campus is located in the former IBM Aerospace headquarte ...

is an art space in

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

Overview

It presents group and solo exhibitions in a variety of media. The main focus is showcasing

contemporary art Contemporary art is the art of today, produced in the second half of the 20th century or in the 21st century. Contemporary artists work in a globally influenced, culturally diverse, and technologically advancing world. Their art is a dynamic com ...

that pushes the boundaries of form and subject matter in the context of national and international programming. Serving the local art community, the public, and Otis students and faculty, it presents emerging and established Los Angeles talent as well as international artists. Originally named the Otis Gallery, the exhibition space was initially sited on the College's downtown grounds. In August 2001, the Gallery moved to Otis’ Westchester campus and was dedicated in honor of

Benjamin N. Maltz Benjamin N. Maltz (1901–1993) was an American banker and philanthropist. He was the first Chairman of the City National Bank (). Early life Benjamin N. Maltz was born in 1901 in Chicago, Illinois.John M. BroderBram Goldsmith: Maverick Banker to ...

(1901–1993), a local businessman and founding director of City National Bank, who was a supporter of many nonprofit art organizations. Designed by the Los Angeles-based Frederick Fisher and Partners, the Gallery is located on the ground floor of the Bronya and Andy Galef Center for Fine Arts, which also houses the Bolsky Gallery for student exhibitions, numerous art studios, critique rooms, and offices. Kate McNamara has been the director since March 2015. She was previously Director and Chief Curator at the Boston University Art Gallery and held positions in curation at

MoMA PS1 MoMA PS1 is a contemporary art institution located in Court Square in the Long Island City neighborhood in the borough of Queens, New York City. In addition to its exhibitions, the institution organizes the Sunday Sessions performance series, th ...

(Long Island City, NY) and the

Bronx Museum of the Arts The Bronx Museum of the Arts (BxMA), also called the Bronx Museum of Art or simply the Bronx Museum, is an American cultural institution located in Concourse, Bronx, New York. The museum focuses on contemporary and 20th-century works created by ...

. From 2003 to 2015, the Ben Maltz Gallery was directed by Meg Linton. She was previously the Executive Director of the Santa Barbara Contemporary Arts Forum and has held many curatorial and teaching positions in California and New York. She succeeded former Director Anne Ayres, the respected Los Angeles art historian and curator who managed the Gallery from 1988 to 2003 after taking the reins from Otis’ former School Director, Al Nodel. Considered one of America's renowned nonprofit galleries, the Ben Maltz Gallery was the recipient of the "Best Exhibition in an Alternative Space Award" by the International Critics Association for Karen Carson’s 1996 "The Language of Space" exhibition.

Public Programs

The Ben Maltz Gallery oversees the Otis College’s "Jennifer Howard Coleman Distinguished Lectureship and Residency." This program was created in 1995 in collaboration with the

Samuel Goldwyn Samuel Goldwyn (born Szmuel Gelbfisz; yi, שמואל געלבפֿיש; August 27, 1882 (claimed) January 31, 1974), also known as Samuel Goldfish, was a Polish-born American film producer. He was best known for being the founding contributor a ...

Foundation to pay tribute to the memory of Jennifer Howard Coleman, who was an artist and Otis alumna. The biannual appointment acknowledges leading contemporary painters by granting a residency at the College and by according them a solo exhibition at the Ben Maltz Gallery. The "Otis Speaks" lecture program is also produced in association with the Ben Maltz Gallery. Free and open to the public, the weekly event series offers a platform for contemporary artists, designers, curators, filmmakers, writers and critics to share their projects and ideas about the visual world. Recent exhibitions have included BROODWORK, Keith Puccinelli,

Travis Somerville Travis Somerville (born 1963) is an American artist based in San Francisco, California. Known for tackling Southern racial issues, Somerville’s works incorporate collage painting and sculptural elements, as well as site-specific installations. ...

, and Mark Dean Veca.

External links

Ben Maltz Gallery

Schmap Worldwide Travel Guide review
{{Authority control Art museums and galleries in Los Angeles Contemporary art galleries in the United States Otis College of Art and Design Westchester, Los Angeles