Shana Nys DambrotFrom the handmade to the heartfelt, ephemeral and functional, experiential and edible, one of a kind and coveted—here are the L.A. Weekly Arts Editor’s picks for last-minute, local gifts for the artsy ones on your list.
John Waters Pope of Trash, Trash Can at the Academy Museum Gift Shop
Everyone Loves Trash:
The landmark John Waters: Pope of Trash exhibition at the Academy Museum has spawned a legion of new fans, a spate of related programs and events, and, inevitably, a gift shop and online store packed with crazy merch. Cockroach dress fabrics, Divine rolling trays, ornaments, clothes, books, decor, keepsakes, memorabilia and in the most meta of merchandising puns—an adorable garbage can dedicated to the Pope of Trash. academymuseumstore.org/collections/john-waters.
Handmade with Heart:
Ceramics at Tierra del Sol Gallery
Tierra del Sol’s new West Hollywood location has a gift shop. An early champion for inclusion of people with disabilities in the contemporary arts discourse, based on the important work of its parent foundation’s studio arts programs, the gallery recently relocated from its beloved Chinatown space to a permanent home in a gallery-rich West Hollywood neighborhood. Among the many charms of the new gallery is a dedicated gift shop featuring one-of-a-kind handmade goods from the program artists. Bright and quirky tote bags, obviously, but there’s so much more. Prices start at $10 for an artist-made zine, hand woven bags starting at $100, and ceramics from $100 up to $1,200. Also, for their inaugural exhibition (through December 23) they invited every program artist to contribute a single small work—and that show is also quite affordable ($250-$750) and, helpfully, cash and carry. tierradelsolgallery.org.
grantLOVE at Fred Segal
A Popup with Love:
The grantLOVE project has a popup shop at Fred Segal Sunset through January. Artist Alexandra Grant founded the initiative in 2008 to help raise awareness and money through collaborative art and design objects. What started out as a public art beacon, soon became the art world’s must-have adornment—and has since grown into a full-fledged line of jewelry, home goods, apparel, editioned art works, and more inventive, quirky, luxe, and sustainably produced goodies. Always available online, for the holiday season, grantLOVE set up shop at Fred Segal Sunset as part of the iconic store’s charitable program, which benefits nonprofits that support arts education and youth experiencing homelessness—that’s in addition to the philanthropic core of the project itself, growing the love. fredsegal.com/collections/grantlove.
Beato Chocolates “Titanic”
Chocolate with a Story:
Beato Chocolates, an Ojai company founded in collaboration with Ojai’s Beatrice Wood Center for the Arts, uses Wood’s original artwork to create homage packaging for its locally made fair trade chocolates. There are more than a dozen varieties with new flavors being added all the time—such as the special commemorative “Titanic” edition, which combines rose petals and sea salt to celebrate that Kate Winslet/Gloria Stewart’s character in the film (Rose Dawson) was based on Beato and her life story.
Beato Chocolates
“Bed Stories” charms with super sexy crushed raspberry snow on dark chocolate, and don’t skip my own personal obsession, “Saturday Night at the Voltaire,” with its chic, zingy candied lemon and ginger bits. The chocolate is delicious enough, but since it comes with spirited art and the blessing of Beato, it’s so much more. beatochocolates.com.
Beatie Wolfe & Money Mark (Photo: Mario de Lopez)
A Rhizomatic Edition:
Artistic innovator Beatie Wolfe & legendary music producer Money Mark have made mushroom stamps (sort of). The pair collaborated to release the A-Z of CA Flora, Fauna & Funga—a limited edition stamp sheet and open edition poster, to benefit the important work of Abalone Conservation in Cayucos, CA. The alphabetic 26 are each represented by quirky, poetic illustrations that cover the common to the exotic species and their fancy names—a Abalone [Red, Green, Pink, Black & White] (Haliotidae); b Black Bear, California (Ursus Americanus Californiensis); c Chanterelle (Cantharellus Californicus); d Desert Tortoise (Gopherus Agassizii); r Rattlesnake, Mojave (Crotalus Scutulatus); s Sequoia, Giant (Sequoiadendron Giganteum); t Tarantula, California Ebony (Aphonopelma Eutylenum); y Yucca [Brevifolia] (Joshua Tree); z Zauschneria Californica (California Fuchsia).
Beatie Wolfe & Money Mark: A-Z Flora, Fauna, Funga
And the scholastic energy of the limited edition print is not by accident. The project is specifically aimed at updating future conservation curricula to include the crucial role of—and very real ecological threats to—our fungal neighbors. beatiewolfe.com/moneymark
The Hammer Store (Photo: Eric Petschek)
One Stop Shops:
You literally cannot go wrong with a visit to Artbook at Hauser & Wirth Los Angeles. Art books, yes, of course, it’s right there in the name—some of the world’s most gorgeous and eccentric catalogs, monographs, artists books, and curiosities, as well as space for local authors—but also every kind of imaginative gift from the cheap but super cute to the finer and fancier for the self-professed art lover.
Tecuan Bag by Carla Fernandez at Craft Contemporary
You can, similarly, visit literally any museum store, large or small—all of whom also have online versions of their shops, though a quick art trip and giddy browsing on the way out is part of the fun, and not all the unlikely treasures make it to the web store. The Craft Contemporary and Fowler Museum are into global handmade goods; the Autry is a gem (their Native American arts department is incredible, and they also host the Los Feliz Flea this weekend); the Huntington has a legendary gift shop (and sometimes a plant sale) that spans every kind of decorative confection and flourish you could ask for, at a range of price points.
Andy Warhol Brillo Tote at the LACMA Store
The Hammer, MOCA, Getty Center, and LACMA (who also has a super cute line of Artist Totes online now), are all famously gifting-friendly, with offerings tied to their exhibitions and beyond. Think puzzles, scarves, sculpture editions, ceramics, jewelry, notebooks, ornaments, boxes, bags, toys, decor, sometimes clothing, magnets, and things we can’t imagine until we see it and decide we need it.
Frog Katsina at the Autry Store
Jonas Wood Beach Towels at the MOCA Store
Morris & Co.’s Strawberry Thief Tea Set for One at the Huntington Store
Sacred Heart with Milagros at the Autry Museum Store
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