workspace — coming atcha in lowercase, like bell hooks — defines itself by what it isn’t: It isn’t “the Man.” A venue for queer, alternative and feminist discourse, the gallery doesn’t literally say “no BIG ART, white male bureaucratic BS allowed,” but it really doesn’t have to. The space caters to its friends, fellow students in the USC, UCLA, CalArts, Art Center, UC San Diego, Irvine, etc., grind, giving them a place to work it out before tackling the big time. It plays host to a flurry of visiting curators who are encouraged to take over the small Lincoln Heights storefront, run by couple Daniel Ingroff and Paul Pescador, both artists in their own right (the space doubles as Ingroff’s studio in the daytime). workspace has featured everything from Darin Klein’s release of San Francisco’s trans male magazine Original Plumbing — which attracted the likes of James Cameron Mitchell and featured artists such as Zachary Drucker and Rhys Ernst — to the semi-regular Five Points reading series, which has featured readers as diverse as the L.A. Weekly’s very own Jonathan Gold and By Hook or by Crook filmmaker and Whitney Biennial participant Harry Dodge. It also hosts an annual Homoerotic Valentine’s Day reading, which was curated this year by artist Eve Fowler. Fellow Lincoln Heights DIY space Night Gallery, run by Columbia grad Davida Nemeroff, often teams with workspace for group shows and events. Perhaps the most exciting reason to visit workspace, though, is the many young, hungry artists on the brink of breaking out who regularly show there: Katie Herzog, Lia Lowenthal, David Gilbert, Kelly Sears and Cayetano Ferrer, to name a few. 2601 Pasadena Ave., Lincoln Heights. (323) 223-8086, workspace2601.com. —Nikki Darling