The Brewery Lofts

I’m a huge people watcher. As a writer and an actor, I tend to take bits and pieces from the people that walk in and out of my life, and TBL Art Walk has always been really dope for that. Very interesting art and very interesting artists. It’s a biannual experience so make sure you know the schedule so you can make it happen :)
I don’t know why I’m writing this review so late other than Unilocal reminded me to lol.
5 out of 5 stars, easy.

I love coming to the Brewery Lofts for their art walk. It’s a great place to meet artists and find great art.
The art walk does get crowded and the parking lot might fill up so be prepared to walk for some time on one of the side streets. They have a good amount of food trucks and Barbara’s on premise for food options.
All in all, a very good time.

I’ve been going to the Brewery art walk for years. It’s a nice way to spend the afternoon. I love the old rustic bridge.
A multitude of artists live here, and most open up their lofts. You can also get lunch here. My only complaint is that most of the art is the same year after year. I’d like to see some fresh blood move in, and maybe more performance type installations. The guy with the drum machine was cool.
They have a parking lot, but I usually opt for street parking.

I love these lofts. They have such authentic character. These aren’t some constructed lofts. This really used to be PBR brewing factories. Every area within the complex is unique. Just like the residents. Of whom, I’m known a few. And of course, the Brewery Art Walk is just a joy. I even met a woman there, I ended up dating for years. So perhaps I’m partial to the Brewery, but it is undeniably an incubator of the strange and wonderful.

I am a world away from being an artist yet still think that the art walk is an awesome event to attend. I love the people watching, the fact that you get to go into someones apartment and check out their kitchen décor and how anything and everything can be classified as artistic. And you can do it all with a drink in your hand courtesy of the on bar located within the community!

This is a very chill brewery. I like to come here in the evenings and drink some of the local beer they are serving. They have good happy hour and place is ‘artsy’. I’m no artist myself but I can appreciate this place. The bartenders are pretty cool and will make small talk with you, and the place is pretty open & spacious. The only thing I don’t like is the food. Ordered pizza here couple times and it was OK at best and wouldn’t recommend that. But other than that, I enjoy this place and the beer they serve.

I’ve been living here for half a year now. It’s a neat place with interesting folk, some friendly others not so. I sure have enjoyed it.

As an artist, this is the most magical place on Earth. Screw Disneyland!
The lofts are amazing and built from scratch. I have had the pleasure of being invited to one of these lofts and literally, the artists construct their own plumbing, electricity, and design of their entire space. Tell me that’s not magical.
To live in the loft community is much like a co-​op system… portfolio reviews, interviews, and a highly selective process. I have heard from multiple sources that there is even a wait list involved.
Yards of land, creativity, and inspiration surround this place. There is definitely a spark that creates motivation of artistic and aesthetic principles.
The best way to get in on any typical day is to eat at the Brewery and make friends with the locals. On any other day, just enjoy the view by trespassing.
Be sure to go to the bi-​annual art walk!!!

Place: Great! If you haven’t been you should at least once. I believe they have the art walk twice a year. It’s a big place, so you can make a day trip out of it.
Art: Very diverse, something for everyone. Plants, music, architecture, etc.
People: People there are very welcoming. Lots of people through out the day.
Food: small café, have not try.

Sssshhhhh don’t tell anyone about this perfect little hideaway! It’s the perfect date spot or just a spot to chill in general. Always a nice crowd and not loud…
And don’t miss the artwalk it’s a blast!

You have to check out their website to find out when the next art walk is, otherwise there may not be a lot to see… brew​er​yart​walk​.com/
The art walks are super fun though, especially with all the new spaces that have moved in.
I did a review of the last one in April, which you can view here:

This place is awesome. An old SoCal Edison Power Plant turned Pabst Brewery turned creative live/​work spaces!
Because of the old warehouses and building structures and aesthetics the community still feels like it is the 1920s walking around. There are old railroad tracks running through people’s units, through parking lots, some units have all glass fronts, and some have the original warehouse rolling doors. As you walk through you’ll see the original iron/​steel doors, old lamps, old railings, and all this cool OLD STUFF (try to find the hidden spa, which is one of the coolest things i have seen and still in use).
There are different sections of the community with different types of live/​work spaces from producers to set designers to fashion people to dance studios to photographers graphic designers, etc. The cool thing is each unit is completely different from each other because each unit floor plan is different AND the tenants are allowed to do what they want to the interior. During the Brewery Art Walk you get a chance to see how everybody sets up their own space — I saw some with multiple rooms, some like large studios with no walls, some with lofts, some with built in stairs, some with hanging beds, almost anything you can think of.
There is Barbara’s which is the community bar/​pub and it has GREAT food and GREAT beer /​drink choices that you will never hear of. Especially the «secret squirrel» which was a secret, but delicious!
The vibe is awesome, relaxing, and suprisingly private, but also creative and it seems as if there is always something going on with people always walking around or one of the tenants building the set to a new movie.
As you can see I like this place… A LOT

I grew up in the Rust Belt in a city which is prominent on every year’s «Top 15 Most Dangerous Cities in the US» list. Flanked by mobsters and gangs, my hometown was brought to such devastation due to the fact that it was a steel mill town which became abandoned after shut downs. Typical story of the mid-​west. However sad this may be, this environment made me who I am and caused my art to bud. My love for photography of industrial and abandoned places grew into a passion in that city and continues to this day.
What does any of that have to do with the Brewery Lofts? The Brewery Lofts are not only a welcome haven as a work/​live space for eccentric artists but it is also conducive to visitors to the premises. It doesn’t take a scientist to know that these lofts were at one time an actual operating brewery. Thus, the compound has several warehouses, steel buildings, factories, and other industrial formations which provide studios for budding and established artists alike and lovely grounds for industrial photographers such as myself. Alright, maybe you don’t think of rusty steel as «lovely» but I sure do.
The Brewery Lofts provide various studio space layouts which range from one floor studios to 2-​floor spaces which look straight out of Ikea. The best thing is that the artists have free-​reign and live within their art with very little rules. I’ve attended some get-​togethers at various studios and everyone lets their creativity run free. As a visitor, I feel the same freedom being allowed to walk the grounds and photograph the buildings to my heart’s content without some guard telling me I need a permit which is usually the case at many LA buildings and parks. Basically, the Brewery Lofts satisfies my photography outlet of abandoned and industrial buildings which although rampant in the city I grew up in; more of a needle in a haystack in LA. Finding a spot like this provides me with a creative outlet and release which I direly need.
If you want to check out the works of the artists and to roam the grounds, the Brewery Artwalk weekends provide free art entertainment. Photographers, woodworkers, avant-​garde exhibitions, sculptures, cooking classes; you will find it all at the artwalk. The best part is that most of the attendees are truly art-​appreciators versus pretentious folk whom want to seem artsy.
Whether you are an artist seeking some studio space, an art-​lover, or a individual who loves industrial settings; the Brewery Lofts will satisfy your cravings.

There’s something magical about an industrial loft space that you can take and do most ANYTHING with…
The Brewery (once a Pabst Blue Ribbon brewery) is a living playground for individuals that took pride in coloring outside the lines growing up. Its a world for big kids with vivid imaginations… a place where outside of the twice a year artwalk, a select few seem to even know about let alone are able to live.
In order to get a space you are either going to have to do one of the following things: get on a long waitlist and hope that something comes up, pay a ton of money, meet someone who lives here and find an opening, or lastly… pure luck… Rooms are sometimes listed and posted within the compound. Even if you are able to get through all of that, the Brewery is a very tight knit group of individuals. It is said that you are not likely to get invited into the space unless you can prove you have artistic visions.
That said, when I’d first came to LA and embarked into the adventures of the art world I’d heard tales of this place but feared that if I went here I would want nothing more than to live here. I vowed that one day before I left Los Angeles entirely that I would make that happen.
About a year ago, I ended up meeting someone who lived in one of the more popular lofts. He knew of my love of photography and on that first date he said «You know I have a darkroom in my apartment in case you ever want to… see me or something again.» I had no clue what I was getting into. Conventional darkroom spaces are becoming more and more mythical. How did I happen to run into someone who just had that readily accessible to him? Of course, he lived here. And then I saw the space.
I would later come to find out that this was not the only studio that had this equipment. There is a studio on the grounds where you can actually rent darkroom and enlarger space. Perhaps someday I will do that. Or perhaps someday I will be able to afford the massive pricetag that comes with renting an entire loft and build one myself in one.
For the commonfolk, twice a year you too can see the canvases of homes nestled in these old buildings. No two are alike. Many of the artists not only create pieces within their home, but for many, their home is an extension of that.
You will be amazed at the work that these artists are putting back into the world in the colony. Rather than tell you about it, I bid you to just go to the artwalk and see it for yourself.
Bring your camera. Bring a friend. Come EARLY because the parking is a nightmare if you don’t.
This is a completely different experience than the DTLA artwalk… its genuine. It’s in people’s homes.
The next artwalk comes around next– it just passed so the next will be around October or November. It’s free and open for an entire weekend. Get there early as parking can be a bit of a hassle. Bring some cash for vendors and food. Artwalks here are held twice a year. Once in the spring and once in the fall.
Fair warning: Be careful. After seeing these lofts, if you are any bit of a budding artist, you may indeed fall in love.

THE BREWERY ARTWALK 4÷17÷2011.
Who would have thought that hidden in the outskirts of DTLA, you’d find a small colony in what looks like an industrial dump yard. Nestled off Main Street and hugging the 5 freeway, there you’ll be transported to what has been described as a burgeoning cultural hub in the heart of the city. By far a better experience here than the one at the DTLA Artwalk. It had to do more with the intimate setting and the «anti-​festival» sentiment this event possessed, allowing visitors to truly enjoy and appreciate all the artists’ work in their creative element. The inspiration and creativity was strangely palpable in this artists enclave. It’s also deceptively hidden next to an old brewery, which many Angelinos overlook on a daily basis as they commute on the 5 Freeway at the 10 fwy junction.
This was the next stop of our adventure to familiarize our good friend, and new LA resident (formerly of Vegas) to the best that the city has to offer. The Brewery Artwalk begins at 11am and ends at 6pm. We arrived at around 3pm. 3 hours was enough for us, though we weren’t able to visit all the galleries. At its center, you’ll find food through catering, or a bar, should you be hungry or thirsty. Be sure to grab a printed map so you’ll be able to take notes on your favorites. You can easily get lost in the loft buildings through all the corridors and multi-​level passageways. With so much to absorb and see, how can you not get lost?
Not all the works of art were able to strike me as brilliant. In fact, I found some to be a little amateurish in technique and effort. If I could produce the same level of work, given I had the time, then you’d understand how some artists left me shaking my head in disappointment. However, my artistic tastes differ from the next person, and so too my level of appreciation.
I’m sure I will miss a few honorable mentions, but overall, the experience was much more entertaining and fulfilling than DTLA Artwalk. It’s just a shame that this happens only twice a year. DO NOT MISS THIS!
TOP NOTABLES:
Sam Kopels — Paintings. My TOP CHOICE for this event. I was immediately drawn to «Los Angeles 1, although a few of this others can easily be considered my favorites. The abstract use of such basic colors left me lost at this painting for while. I could probably stare at it for hours and still be intrigued.
.
Scott Miller — Paintings. «Koi Series» and «The Spirit» placed last on my list of top choices. That doesn’t mean his work is horrible, just rounding out my favorites list. The guy didn’t let me take pictures. I didn’t like all his work, just the two mentioned.
Telemachus Studio — Architecture. Very chic modern architecturally designed rooms and exteriors. Since it’s also functional art, I would place Telemachus as my fourth in line.
James Hill — Metal Sculptures. James has been committed to his passion for the past 25 years! His metal works have been commissioned all over the city and is a must see in person. If I had money (about $ 3500), I would definitely buy one of his sculptures for my future house. His work placed him as my third top choice.
Gisela Colon — Paintings. She didn’t have a specific gallery there, only an art dealer was displaying her work. She definitely had some pieces that stopped me on my tracks. Her work simply stood out against all the others in that one gallery loft. One piece in particular caught my attention, a multi-​red painting that was placed along the loft stairwell. A solid second top choice IMO.
MY HONORABLE MENTIONS:
Bruce Dean — Paintings. I give him props for his hand-​written sign at the front that says «It’s not so scary once you come in». And when you do walk in you’re greeted with a warm inviting environment and paintings that transport you to another world. Very trekkie in some aspects.
Level Natural Soap Factory — Soaps. Surprisingly refreshing and aromatically attractive. If this is «functional» art, it’s certainly worth mentioning for all you people who love aromatic soaps. (Favorites — Blood Orange and Grapefruit)
There was another photographic artist who superimposed digital photographs of birds, landscapes, and industrial facilities against the backdrops of LA brushfires. I found this interesting and morbidly alluring at the same time. It sort of gave the impression of post-​apocalyptic scenes around Los Angeles. I forgot to get her information, but certainly worth a gander.

This place is near the San Antonio Winery. For some reason the website gives the most convoluted directions from the Southbay. I would ignore them because we made about 4 unnecessary turns.
Parking was free and plentiful. Also, they had maps to help you navigate through the tricky floorplan of the lofts. Let me just say that I am in no way an expert on art nor do I have good taste in I collect art of any kind. I was here purely for fun and to see what I could see. I liked that the artists were very welcoming and kind considering they were letting strangers roam around their homes and look at their personal works. Some even had fruit and beverages out.
I saw some cool stuff, some odd stuff and some shocking stuff. I liked the guy with the evil, horrific dolls just because it was so off-​the-​wall and violent. I enjoyed making random conversation with people about misc. topics from global warming to laser printers. =P
Prices for paintings seemed high, but I am sure a collector or curator could find some up-​and-​coming work to show off.
TIP: Eat before you get there unless you wanna buy a hot dog for $ 6 or a cup of fruit for $ 5.

Their artwalk is amazing! I don’t know why I haven’t found out about the artwalk sooner. Admission was free, parking was a breeze, and the freeway is a block away.
I loved seeing great works of art, chatting with the artists and seeing their work space. Sadly, I didn’t get to see everything within property but there was so much to see! I definitely have to check this place out again and explore some more!
Check this place out!

*artwalk review*
I think the Brewery Art Walk is 10x better than the regular DTLA Art Walk that takes place every second Thursday of the month. So if you can catch this biannual treat, make sure to clear your plans for an experience.
Thankfully it wasn’t as packed the day I went! (I suppose all the hipster kids went to Coachella? *yesss*)
The artists open up their homes and showcase their art in their own homes. Only artists are allowed to live in these particular lofts, and we’re lucky to catch a glimpse of what they do FOR FREE. Free parking as well!
It’s interesting to see all the different styles of artists and how much of their home they’re willing to expose for the public. If the tenant does not want to participate in the art walk, he/​she simply just shuts the door.
Some of the artists are very welcoming, as one tenant was slicing a tub of onions near his door and welcomed people to come back at 5 p.m. for his special soup! I didn’t come back for soup, but what a warming way to lure people into buying your art. Some units were selling beer, and some were selling an unmentionable brownie of herb…
There are restaurants, food trucks, tents that sell water, snacks, and sangria right outside.
The only thing to complain about is that it was scorching hot that particular day, but I can’t review LA’s unpredictable weather. Just be prepared ;-P
**look at my photos for an idea**

This pertains to the semi-​annual artwalk, and I do have to say, this is an amazing Art Walk.
Everytime you enter a studio, it’s so different from the last. It feels more like a collection of very small museums in a trendy warehouse/​loft that could only be described as a hipster’s heaven.
The people are great and the aptrons are cool. The place isn’t too packed, maybe because it’s somewhere you’d really have to hear about to go.
A big part of the appeal is that you get to see how to artists and producers live. Their personal quirks they add to their homes adds so much. It really makes you want to just buy a loft yourself, hang cactus and christmas lights everywhere, and scatter the floor with paint splatter and cigarette butts, with the ubiquitos black and white photo or glassless window thrown in.
I’m so happy to have found this place and so inspired to do art, partake in art, live in these nice studios, and just ascend to the hipster mecca I so rightly belong.
Brewery Art Walk, not your typical art walk where everyone’s boozing, but an actual art complex. Go go go!

I was able to squeeze in a quick walk-​thru of the Brewery Lofts during their Open House ArtWalk this past weekend. My first time here was a couple of years ago for a cooking class with Hipcooks (highly recommended! Check out my review for them, too!) and the loft community looked so cool I really wanted to come back to spend more time exploring.
I thought I would be able to park, breeze in, and pop into a few spots before heading to dinner Downtown, but heck no! This place was jumping! Lots of people everywhere, and almost every loft had their doors open. Since I’m not the artsy-​type, I’m more of a wish-​I-​was wanna-​be, I get real intimidated when I saunter through galleries and I’m the only one in the room with the artist. «Am I supposed to get it?» But there were so many people around, I never felt like anyone was watching for my reaction or criticizing my taste.
Two of my favorite spots actually scared the bejeezus out of me or gave me an eerie feeling. Art is supposed to have an affect on you, am I right?! Well, these spots definitely did it. One was the «Let’s Play Dead» loft… holy moses, I’ve still got shivers over that one! The second one was «Strange Girls! Fotographic Visions of the Carnival Sideshow.» This guy’s photographs were intense and gorgeous, but definitely not for the kiddies.
The ArtWalk happens twice a year, so keep your eye out for the next one if you missed it.