Hold Up Art

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Went for their Dia de los Muertos event! It was so much fun! They had free food and drinks, photo booth, live band: Viernes 13. The art was amazing! They know how to throw a party!

While wandering around in Little Tokyo one of my friends directed me into this cute art gallery. I wasn’t expecting to buy any of the prints but once I saw what they had I was very intrigued!
Sometimes you need to let go of things and try out new ones. This was one of those moments where I thought to myself should I spend this $ 300.00 work of art that I will keep and cherish forever? Yes… I did!
A really must see place to get inspired by some of the artist that you might have never known existed and some that are famous. It is all art and I have to say I enjoyed every moment of my visit.
The ladies are super nice and very helpful, they will lay it all down for you if you have never bought a piece before. I really really wish them the best and I hope to come back soon for my second piece!

This place is really cool, urban & artsy. A friend had his awesome opening this weekend & we stopped by for a bit.
The first level was Cryptik, our friend’s feature, with music and art all around. The way he showed off the masterpieces were like the marketplace in Arabia with all the draping around. It was soo cool!!! It got pretty crowded in there when we arrived around 8 pm.
Other artists were showcasing their items in the next floor up. I love the spacing here, very open and flowing.
One thing I had to learn was how to lock the bathroom door. I was having a hard time and had a guy walk in on me. :S Luckily I was only washing my hands. So it was all good. Even the bathroom was artsy. Lots of colors and people being funny.
I’d love to come back for another show!
Heres the link for Cryptic’s Pop Up Show:

Floor to ceiling art — check
Punk/​Trendy guys running the show — check
Bumping random ass music — check
This place is pretty neat. Just happened to swing through while in Little Tokyo (which was an accident also — that’s just how I roll). Place was pretty neat and enjoyed the art.

Really cool gallery in the heart of Little Tokyo. Came here in April to see the ‘Just the Tip’ opening with AUGOR, Pharoe & a few more. The gallery is pretty cool. I like the front room a lot. It’s well lit and the art throughout the space is set up well.
MAJOR CON: No air condition + mass people = NO BUENO. You’re walking around enjoying the dope art and you start to get mad sweaty and super uncomfortable. There’s a small hallway/​space in the back of the gallery that gets super bad with the heat. Then again, maybe the A/​C was broken that night.
MAJOR PRO: Besides the art of course; THE MUSIC! They play real dope music. Real dope music while scoping out cool artists is a nice touch. Also, the staff is suuuper friendly and welcoming.
Parking is a real bitch if you’re checking out an opening night. It’s downtown and any downtown area has crap parking. Be prepared to park at a meter or pay 6+ dollars for a lot space. Either way, you’ll end up with a little walk.

Tiny but they have great artwork displayed! I liked most of what I saw, and there was great variety too. There was one particular painting I was quite fond of and would seriously love to own. Sadly, it was $ 5000. Lol. Great for a visit on a relaxing Saturday though.

Hold Up Art is awesome. I went to their UNO event a few weeks back. Great vibe and interesting mix of people. They had 20 or so artists showing, and the mix of art worked perfectly. There was also an artist doing a live painting. Oh, and did I mention the OPEN BAR and COOKIES?! Ummm, perfection!!!
Briefly spoke with the owner, a really warm and inviting character. If you ever get a chance to check out the gallery, it’s in a really cool section of Tokyo Town. Lots of good places to eat nearby. This area is a good spot to go on little adventures with friends or to impress a hot date. Lots of $ 5 parking lots around too.

Great little boutique gallery in the core of Little Tokyo. The art is very visually and mentally stimulating. The music they play here is also VERY good.
Saw a series on Hello Kitty and others on urban art and mix media. This gallery is almost like the convenience store of galleries as you get a quick exploration on some interesting art without having to divulge many hours.
Located in a great place that fosters this sort of exploration and interaction.
They also sell prints here. I have myself a nifty thinking robot.

this is one of the best art galleries I have ever been to! I love how they have amazing urban art on display! It’s a very unexpected little gem down in Little Tokyo!
A must-​to-​go if you are a big urban art fan! This month they have amazing selection of works until March 6^th. My favorite artist is Sean D’Anconia. he does a great job of interpreting pop art.

Outside of our city, LA isn’t known primarily for their galleries, That said, if you live here, you know that there are tons of them, and lots of great ones to choose from. Enough that I’ll probably never get to all of them. Yet I keep coming back to Hold Up.
Part of it is that they’ve got their finger on what’s happening in the youthful LA art scene, part of it is that I love most of the art they pick. But it’s also the friendly, laid back atmosphere, the fact that you can walk in and feel like you’re there to have a good time. They have great art, no boundaries and they’ve housed some of my favorite local artists, artists that I haven’t seen anywhere else within the city, artists that have had to go to London or SF to get shown. Check it out, it’s worth a look.
I’ll be going back tonight and again this weekend for their one-​year anniversary show. Can’t wait!

I attended this gallery to see the works of Tony Hong and Double D’s. The gallery is a beautiful space. There are two rooms I would say. The first room I walked in was of medium size. The room had mostly Tony Hong art work but there were other artists featured in the same room. The lighting on some of the pieces complimented the art very, very well.
There are stairs that lead to the next room which is enormous! The other room feature Double D’s art work. The space was used very well and aside from the canvas pieces, there were art work drawn on the walls. There is a wall panel that almost divides the big room into two but it also features art work. Double D’s art is a mixture of pop culture cartoons and the vices of pop culture. There were pieces about Kate Moss, Starbucks, Charlie Brown, Superman, Mickey Mouse, etc.
Also, there were two receptionist working the day I went and they were extremely helpful and welcoming! They answered all my questions about the art work, so that was really nice.
Overall I am definitely going to keep myself updated on the upcoming exhibits opening at this gallery. Not only is a great gallery with nice people but its surrounded with other great stores.

My daughter and I came here for the Marxist event last night.

My daughter Kass had a great time meeting and greeting, getting a bag screen printed by Toks w/​the Hit and Run crew (
), having a picture drawn on her by El Fatom (Phantom) and taking photos of all the designs that she was particularly fond of. Phantom was gracious enough to draw a design (flower) on Kass after leaving Briana marked and branded herself (moving masterpiece?). It was also interesting to see kass’s expressions seeing recognized labels twisted to form a completely different expression changing the meaning of the brand and label with the rearranging of the alphabet.
I was hoping that there would be more than just the walls being printed/​designed/​painted/​framed on. Maybe more singular pieces as everything seemed to be cohesively blended. The bottom floor seemed to have a couple of these (singular framed pieces), but the top floor was one endless merge of color thought and expression. Which in and of itself was fine for some of the wall space but I suppose I wanted to see something more tangible in a different format as this was touted as a revolutionist event. Am I missing the point? Is there something revolutionary about a painted wall? who then will paint on me? I am a labryinth, brick by brick — deconstruct me
throught palette and symmetry.
I’m accustomed to the banksy-​esqueness of painting/​sticking/​lettering on walls/​buildings and I appreciate the time, effort, creativity taken in making such pieces/​murals/​expressions. I suppose I was a little let down by only seeing a singular piece that wasnt attached to the said walls. It was a hand grenade in the shape of a bunny (?). I wanted something to make me yearn to reach out and touch and thus it would alternately touch me through inspiration instead I felt as if i was inside a giant notebook/​journal or looking at the fragmented scribbles of a bathroom wall filled with rants and raves and witty expressions that if stared at long enough fill you with their existence but just as easily can be overlooked as linear prints on paint in the minds landscape, nothing more than a twist and turn of the wrist — an anonymous letter left to ‘whom it may concern’.
Overstimulation at first I believe, I think after taking time to slowly gaze over them (the event/​pieces) for a second time I’d finally get shook with the message but there were too many faces, too much conversation enveloping over me to stand alone– just myself and the point, to grasp it. That’s probably my fault though for being so prone to reacting to my environment.
I also found it strange that there was a ‘beer garden’ at an art gallery because although i know that i had kass with me (she’s 10) — I don’t generally think her seeing someone drinking alcohol in moderation and viewing art simultaneously as essentially a bad thing. I found it particularly more interesting because as I stated above, for a revolutionary event — seperating one from the other seemed quite a conservative move on their part.
The staff were all very friendly and helpful and the place was well lit and ventilated though it was getting a bit hot at some points because of the vast amount of people there. I did notice there were a couple of food trucks that were also parked out front but unfortunately by the time we arrived they were packing up.
Overall, i had a good time with my daughter and my other two companions. We took pictures, inspiration and ran into some familiar faces. I would definitely come back for another event/​viewing and more than likely will bring Kass out again.
P. s. Giving credit where credit is due — for most photos
goes to this guy:

I’m no art critic, but I do love Eric Joyner. I respect any man who can base a career off of robots and donuts. My parents went to the opening night of Hold Up Art and came home with a numbered print of a robot at a drive-​in to hang in my little brother’s room. Every time I see it I scheme about how I can make it mine.
All of the art at Hold Up is comparably fun, cheeky, and cool. The pieces are geared toward an audience that may not have the disposable income to become serious art collectors, but quite a few of them are within reach for a twenty-​something with a job. There are definitely some paintings that I’d like to have in my room, as well as a few that would probably give me the creeps after a while. There is one artist, for instance, with a few paintings on display of animal heads on female bodies. I would bet his left nut that he hates women. Sexism aside, the art is all interesting and worth taking a close look at. No boring landscapes need apply.
The space is also great, clean but hip with art laid out in an orderly fashion on two floors. I love the Little Tokyo location and will probably swing by if I’m walking anywhere around the block.
For the sake of disclosure, I will say that I’m friends with the curator Brian Lee, who, for the record, is a chill guy worth buying some art from. Still, I know I’m not biased enough to find awesomeness where none exists. Hold Up Art rocks. If you don’t believe me, go see for yourself.

Hugo C. is the most difficult person to shop for. Why? Because I never get a clue or hint that he remotely wants or that he is even interested in something. But I do know that one of his favorite modern contemporary artists is Eric Joyner, the robot donut man. I’m not really sure why but Hugo is a total fan. I’ve been to my share of Joyner showings and all in all I still don’t understand his robot love. But I can appreciate his overall concept.
Color me surprised when I noticed Joyner pieces at the Passport to Little Tokyo Elite Launch Party. My wheels quickly started turning and I asked Ciara G. and Fabiola N. to find out which was his favorite piece. He of course loved them ALL. But he kept going back to this particular piece on display on the window «The Final Blow.» And every time he would point out something else that he liked about it.
With the help of Ciara I was able to purchase the piece without Hugo noticing. And set up a Thursday pick up date with the gallery owner.
Sadly Hugo spoiled his own surprise and literally caught me red handed as I was picking up his present. We were having dinner at Spitz (across the street from the gallery) and I honestly thought I could pick up the piece, run it to my car and then meet up with him. But I underestimated the size of the frame and honestly could have not taken that thing to my car two blocks away, it was huge!
Overall I had a great buying experience from the ease of purchasing from afar to the pick up plus my reminder phone call. I’d definitely consider buying from here again!
And YES Hugo loved his present!

Wow! when did this place move here? I just noticed it yesterday and wandered inside. I like the gallery, it has quite a few interesting pieces of art and welcoming environment. I could even see buying a few of the pieces if I had the room.

Unique space with a lot of mixed contemporary pieces for sale. Great location in the heart of Little Tokyo. I love the multi-​level space with a wide array of artists’ work on display. Check it out if you’re in the area. It’s worth a walk-​through.

Came in last night for a preview of the location for Unilocal Passport to Little Tokyo Launch Party. I met Jessica who works the gallery. .. had a nice chat with her and told her I’d be back for the Unilocal Event on August 1^st…
It is a spacious gallery and I look forward to seeing how many Unilocalers this place can actually fit. .. Jessica told me all about the DJ and the sponsors they’re expecting. I’m really excited. I took pics. .. will post a lil later. .. looking forward to seeing ya again Jessica. .. Cheers!!!
And with regard to their art for sale, it’s pretty inexpensive for the most part. ..

I may just be a hamburger, but this is the hottest gallery that I’ve been to in LA! They’ve got a great mix of artists/​designers showcased with a unique emphasis on Pop-​Art that really resonates with the downtown vibe.
Another thing I like is that the art is accessible and positive! Nothing nihilistic and angry.
Cheers to the incredible staff, owners and of course — Manny Hirst — the inanimate man!

New Gallery Space in Little Tokyo
small great space and location, young, friendly, amazing art, good range of style and price