Just as it was gaining momentum as a contemporary art gallery worthy of note, Topanga Canyon Gallery (TCG) will close out its all-too-brief run at 137 S. Topanga Canyon Blvd. (formerly Abuelita’s restaurant) at the end of the month. The building has been sold and the new owner will be using the space for other purposes.
While it searches for another space—we hope in Topanga—TCG invites its patrons to attend its last two events at this location on Sunday, February 19 at 2 p.m., when artists John Couch and June Kim will be hosting an artists’ talk with a Q&A session; and on Saturday, February 25, the final weekend, for a closing reception from 1 to 4 p.m.
Following the lead of the first Topanga Artists’ Guild in the 1950s, the gallery was originally founded in the 1980s and opened at its first location in Pine Tree Circle. This is a stinging blow to what has been an intricate part of Topanga’s arts culture, a cooperative endeavor for more than 40 years, that provided space for local artists to present and sell their works. Its annual Studio Tour was a successful fundraiser that invited art lovers to meet the artists in their studios and will be sorely missed.
“Our contribution to Topanga Canyon comes in many layers,” states member artist Idelle Okman Tyzbir. “Providing a beautiful gallery for artists to display and sell their works has been our constant priority. We’ve also encouraged an artists’ community within beautifully natural Topanga Canyon.
“The Topanga Artists’ Studio Tour is a much-anticipated event in Topanga and all of the surrounding communities. Every year hundreds of people flock to Topanga in search of great art, great restaurants and unique small businesses. The Tour gives people the incentive to explore and has positively influenced home buyers & sellers.”
Sadly, there is no plan in place for a 2023 Studio Tour as it centers on a gallery location and requires the effort of a highly functioning group of volunteers.
Topanga Canyon Gallery, 137 S. Topanga Canyon Blvd., Topanga, CA 90290 through February 26. Hours are Fridays, 1-7 p.m.; Saturdays and Sundays, 12-6 p.m. through February 26. For information: info@topangacanyongallery.com.
