This Week in LA: Oct. 23→29
From the Getty to the Streets: Masters, Mavericks, and New Monuments
This week, we’re traversing the full spectrum of Los Angeles’s art landscape—from the hilltop elegance of the Getty Center, where centuries-old drawing techniques reveal the foundations of artistic mastery, to the intimate galleries scattered across the city’s diverse neighborhoods. David Zwirner brings us into the mordant mind of underground comics legend R. Crumb, while Track 16 in downtown invites us to explore the push and pull of human emotion through the lens of “valence.”
The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA presents a powerful dialogue between decommissioned monuments and contemporary art, and the H Foundation for the Arts in San Marino showcases the untamed spirit of artist Zheng Chi, whose work transforms limitation into boundless creative energy. From Brentwood to San Marino, from established masters to emerging voices, this week’s selections remind us why LA remains an essential destination for art that challenges, moves, and transforms us. Check out this week’s top picks below…
This week's edition of LA Insider is presented by Curatorial — your partners dedicated to preserving, preparing, and connecting fine art with people around the world. Learn more at curatorial.com
On View Now
Getty Center | Brentwood
Learning to Draw
On view through January 25, 2026
This exhibition explores artistic training and the mastery of drawing in Europe from about 1550 to 1850, examining how drawing—the foundation of painting, sculpture, and architecture—was actually learned through study and practice.
Richard Heller Gallery | Santa Monica
Riikka Sormunen: Only Lovers
October 25 – December 20, 2025
Sormunen’s first solo exhibition in the United States features theatrical paintings set by the sea and on various beds, balancing sensory overload and sensual bliss through texture, pattern, and color.
David Zwirner | Hollywood
R. Crumb: Tales of Paranoia
On view through December 20, 2025
New drawings and prints by the iconic illustrator reflect on life in his eighties and themes of personal and mass paranoia, marking his first extensive solo comic work in over two decades.
Beyond the Streets | Los Angeles
Let There Be GWAR
On view through November 2, 2025
A sprawling retrospective showcasing the 40-year legacy of the legendary art collective and shock rock band through handcrafted costumes, instruments, weaponry, stage props, and video installations.
Wonzimer Gallery | Lincoln Heights
Drawing from Imperfectionism
On view through November 23, 2025
A group exhibition featuring contemporary drawing practices that embrace spontaneity, mistakes, and the unfinished as essential elements of artistic expression.
The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA | DTLA
MONUMENTS
On view through January 5, 2026
This exhibition juxtaposes decommissioned Confederate monuments with contemporary artworks, expanding the context in which they are understood and highlighting gaps in popular narratives of American history.
Track 16 | DTLA
Azadeh Shladovsky and Daniel Wheeler: Valence
On view through November 15, 2025
Curated by Galia Linn, this exhibition explores the multifaceted nature of human existence through sculpture, installation, and material investigations inspired by the psychological concept of “valence.”
Band of Vices | DTLA
Monica Ikegwu: New Growth
On view through October 25, 2025
Anchored by four self-portraits, this exhibition explores Black hair culture as both subject and structure, transforming style into a visual lexicon of belonging, play, and power.
H Foundation for the Arts | San Marino
Zheng Chi: Chi: The Untamed Spirit
On view through December 13, 2025
The exhibition traces Chi’s creative journey across major series, channeling longing for movement into an unrestrained artistic voice through works that serve as sites of confrontation, release, reflection, and renewal.
$erious Topic$ | Inglewood
Aaron Maier-Carretero: Hook, Line and Sinker
On view through November 8, 2025
New paintings and drawings emerge from dedicated doodling that spirals and multiplies, creating archetypal forms that dance on the precipice of meaning while buzzing with signature energy.
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LA Insider is the weekly newsletter that connects you to LA's vibrant art and culture scene. From the Hollywood Hills to downtown, Malibu and beyond, we uncover a curated selection of standout exhibitions, cultural events, and creative experiences that define the City of Angels.
Delivered weekly by the editorial team of Fabrik Magazine, connecting LA's art community since 2008.
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Nice write-up, thanks.
It's cool seeing new Crumb work. In a 1969 interview, Crumb commented that comics are 'an American folk art'. It was a perfect assessment.