The north end of La Cienega Boulevard was the center of the Los Angeles art world from the 1950s to the 1980s, as famously documented in the Getty’s Pacific Standard Time 1945-80 initiative. Most people know about Ferus Gallery, founded by artist Edward Kienholz and curator Walter Hopps in a small space behind an antiques shop that went on to show luminaries such as Ed Ruscha, Billy Al Bengston, Robert Irwin, Ed Moses, Wallace Berman and Ed Kienholz from 1957 to 1966. But what most people likely remember is the year 1962, when Irving Blum, having become Ferus’ director at the time, gave Andy Warhol his first L.A. show — in fact his first commercial gallery show anywhere exhibiting his now iconic Soup Cans. Heritage Gallery, owned by Ben Horowitz, showed Charles White and Ernie Barnes — besides Ankrum and Hunsaker/Schlesinger galleries, was basically was the only place on the block showing work by African Americans. Felix Landau opened his space in 1951 and showed European icons like Egon Schiele, Gustav Klimt and Francis Bacon, bringing many of them to L.A. for the first time…
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