Will the Experience NoHo Festival Bring Out More Art in the 'Arts' District?

When I used to tell people I lived in the NoHo Arts District, the conversation usually went like this:

Them: “The NoHo Arts District! That’s a cool area, we go to that one restaurant all the time!”

Me: “Yeah, it’s a pretty cool place to live. I can walk to everything there.”

Them: “So are there a lot of art galleries too?”

Me: “Sorta. Kinda. Not really. I know of a couple off Lankershim, but that’s about it.”

And when a co-worker — also a NoHo resident — and I started talking about the lack of art galleries, we began wondering about the reality of the “Arts District” title. There is a definite creative culture in the community, as there are nearly 40 theatres or companies in or near the area. But when it comes to the “gallery art” facet of the “Arts”, only the , and the come to mind.

I’d only lived in the Arts District for three years and yet I could barely recall very many art events like the popular Downtown L.A. Art Walk. I always found myself comparing my neighborhood to that of other vibrant creative communities that hold their own art walks like L.A.’s Silver Lake and Echo Park (home to the studio of Peter Shire, designer of the ) or San Diego’s North Park.

When I visited Culver City’s own Art District for their annual art walk, I couldn’t help but imagine if such a scene could exist in my own neighborhood. And believing that my residency in the NoHo Arts District somehow deemed me an art expert, my out-of-town friends would ultimately ask where to go for a good L.A. art scene. Part of me would always be heartbroken as I referred them to that city over the hill off the 405 freeway, where the area near Washington Boulevard and La Cienega Avenue is home to over 30 galleries.

Perhaps I and other people are too quick to narrowly define the meaning of an “Arts District.”  NoHo truly does live up to its name, but not in the sense of most people’s definitions: it’s more of a vibrant performing arts district where an artist’s craft is best enjoyed in a small, intimate theatre and later discussed outside as the crowd spills onto the sidewalk, rather than strolling galleries door-to-door with a plastic cup of wine in hand.

Now that the  is set to take place this Saturday, Nov. 12, I’m saddened that I’ll be out of town to check it out. And despite  of the Arts District, I'm still a regular at all my old favorites. The event will further establish North Hollywood as a community supportive of the arts, and many — including this writer — will be cheering it on and watching to see how it evolves.