Work in Progress: A New Pop-Up Art Installation & Marketplace Co-Curated by Roger Gastman and Doug Davis

Los Angeles, CA, October 30, 2015 (Newswire.com) - Created by cultural curator and urban anthropologist Roger Gastman and co-curated with entertainment entrepreneur and philanthropist Doug Davis, W.I.P. will provide unprecedented access to available works by a slate of contemporary artists who are currently on the meteoric rise; including POSE, REVOK, Richard Colman, Shawn Kolodny, Adam Wallacavage, Cleon Petersen, Tasya Van Ree and Sage Vaughn (bios below). Select prints by Ed Ruscha and John Baldessari will also be on display and available for purchase. As the current art market continues to grow, celebrated artists are becoming increasingly harder to collect. The environment created by W.I.P. dispels this notion, making desirable contemporary art immediately available in real time.

“Typically, these artists have extensive waiting lists for their work,” explains Gastman.  “It could be months before collectors can access their work.  Between us, Doug and I know an incredible number of talented contemporary artists and we wanted to do something a bit crazy to get their work in front of the people who want to see it.   It’s our Christmas present to the world.”

W.I.P. will transform a prominent but now defunct karaoke club in Downtown Los Angeles into a warren of pop-up galleries with each room devoted to one artist. New work will be added to the show on an ongoing basis throughout its temporary tenure, making the experience an interactive art immersion and ever-changing work in progress in and of itself

Paying homage to the building’s legacy, there will be one functioning karaoke room outfitted by artist Adam Wallacavage, which will be open to the public as part of the experience.  Neon sculptures created by Cleon Peterson in collaboration with Lisa Schulte, will be available for the first time at W.I.P.  The show will also feature a gift shop with smaller pieces of art and design objects, and host art-driven lectures, discussions, book-signings, and performances featuring artists and key figures from the world of contemporary art. Guests are invited to peruse the galleries, embrace their inner rockstar, and get their artful holiday shopping done at this one-stop art space.

“I am a huge supporter of new and established artists and am always happy to help bring attention to their work.” adds Davis. “What excites me the most about Work In Progress is that we have made fine art and an art marketplace more accessible to everyone. There will be no intimidating sales process that new buyers often face when going into a gallery for the first time. There is also NO buyer screening, no waiting lists, and no extended wait times to take home your purchases. The best part is, it’s just a fun way to end the year and bring people together around a few rock-star artists, and a bit of good old fashioned karaoke.”

W.I.P. opens to the public on Friday, November 27th and remains open through December 27th. W.I.P. is located at 317 S. Boylston Street, Los Angeles, CA 90017. Regular exhibition hours are Tuesday-Sunday 1-9 PM, with extended hours the week of Christmas.

For press or event inquiries, please contact Emily Nerad at Secret Agent PR [email protected] 213-925-7485

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The Space

Existing in a past life as a well-known karaoke bar, the building’s structure remains intact - the exhibition built around one remaining karaoke room. This 5,000+ square foot funhouse features a large main gallery with an additional eight connected  exhibition spaces. The unique layout allows the exhibition to showcase multiple artists in their own dedicated spaces under one roof, creating less of a traditional gallery show and more of a multi-faceted museum exhibition.

The Programs

Following opening events, programming at W.I.P. will be curated by Shelley Leopold. W.I.P. will host art driven lectures and discussions, book signings and performances featuring artists and key figures within the contemporary art community. Hosted events and private screenings may also be available. In the spirit of the holiday season, charitable events and community driven art awareness programs are planned tie-ins.

Who we are

R. Rock Enterprises

R. Rock Enterprises [RRE] is a trusted mediator between the multitude of contemporary art scenes and the rest of the world. RRE is founded and managed by Roger Gastman, widely considered as a curator of culture and urban anthropologist.

The Davis Firm, PLLC

Doug Davis is an entertainment entrepreneur, event producer and the founder of The Davis Firm, PLLC, one of the most prominent music, entertainment and sports law firms in the country.  The Davis Firm focuses primarily on the music industry’s most successful artists, record producers, songwriters, executives, as well as television production companies, video game companies, clothing/brand companies, actors and some of newest trend making painters.  

The Team

Roger Gastman

No stranger to ambitious art initiatives, Gastman is perhaps best known for co-curating Art in the Streets at the Museum of Contemporary Art in 2011, the first national comprehensive survey of graffiti and street art with an attendance of over 250,000. Connecting cultures and further aiding the advancement of contemporary art led to his involvement in the acclaimed film by Banksy, Exit Through the Gift Shop.

Gastman went on to produce multiple books and films and in 2013 he curated PUMP ME UP: D.C. subculture of the 1980s, an exhibit at the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. in conjunction with the release of The Legend of COOL “DISCO” DAN, the feature documentary he co-directed. His recent exhibition, Cruel Summer in New York City, was featured in two gallery locations and included an electrifying cast of artists, from contemporaries such as Shepard Fairey, Maya Hayuk and HuskMitNavn to graffiti legends Blade and Haze.

Doug Davis

In addition to founding The Davis Firm, Mr. Davis is a licensed NBA player agent representing new, star and veteran players and is the executive producer of the legendary annual Clive Davis Pre-Grammy Gala.  Mr. Davis has been featured in stories in and for The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The New Yorker, Billboard Magazine, ESPN The Magazine and The New York Post, amongst others. In 2012 The Hollywood Reporter called Mr. Davis’s Twitter (@DJD) one of the “Top 5 Music Power” accounts and in 2013 the UJA named Mr. Davis to its prestigious 40 Under 40 list of Industry Leaders. Mr. Davis received a J.D. from Fordham Law School and a B.A. from the renowned Maxwell School at Syracuse University.  Passionately committed to giving back, Mr. Davis sits on boards of the Music For Youth Foundation, the Forum on Law, Culture & Society, the Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music at New York University and F**k Cancer. Mr. Davis serves on the Executive Committee of the City Of Hope National Medical Center, on the Entertainment Committee for the annual MMRF Gala and on the Entertainment & Media Committee of, and has chaired fundraising events for, the UJA-Federation of New York. Mr. Davis received the prestigious Amsterdam News Education Foundation Entrepreneur Award at the Amsterdam News’ 105th Anniversary Gala, and in 2014 was the Honorary Chair of the Carcinoid Cancer Awareness Network’s Celebration Of Life gala. He also has a great sense of humor.

Shelley Leopold

Shelley Leopold is a media and events veteran, with bonus credentials as an art world reporter. Leopold is an award-winning creative director, filmmaker and writer, whose work has appeared in many publications, books, and one Oscar-nominated street art documentary. She currently creates content, produces events, and runs top tier marketing strategies for numerous arts-related organizations and brands, and is the board chair at NewFilmmakersLA. Leopold previously served as Marketing Director for LA Weekly, Village Voice Media, where she designed and executed numerous signature food, art, and music events, established and grew their social media network and guided branding efforts to win 6 Belding Awards for best local advertising. Prior to her tenure at VVM, she worked as an art director in print and television at numerous advertising agencies in New York and San Francisco, creating multi million dollar campaigns for clients ranging from high end chocolate and liquor, cable networks to video games.