Frieze Week Insider — 5 LA Galleries Beyond the Fair
- Anna Lilli Garai
- 11 hours ago
- 2 min read
Frieze Los Angeles brings nearly 100 galleries to the city. Alongside the fair, many Los Angeles galleries maintain their regular exhibition programmes. This Curatory Radar focuses on five spaces to visit during Frieze week, selected for their exhibitions, contexts, and approach to showing work.
Nonaka-Hill
A discrete Japanese garden in Hollywood is home to this space. Here, contemporary Japanese ceramics and minimalism meet in a space that is tranquility itself. In contrast to the focused energy of a fair booth, the gallery offers the full "Curatory" experience: design, silence, and material focus. It is worth scheduling a more in-depth visit alongside your fair agenda.
The Pit
A former auto body shop transformed into one of the most important springboards for young, emerging painters. Here, art is raw and direct; in contrast to the sterile "white cube" of a fair, the very walls tell a story. The Pit’s Glendale location brings the atmosphere of an artist’s studio to life.
Commonwealth and Council
Located in Koreatown, Commonwealth and Council is an exhibitor at Frieze 2026. Their own venue, however, focuses on community and socially relevant works, often speaking in a unique voice outside the shadow of the big-name players seen at Frieze. Their experimental program makes them a Curatory favorite.
Bel Ami
Also in Hollywood, this small, artist-run space features in the Frieze Focus section. The emphasis here is on experimentation, and the gallery space is intimate and surprising. They often exhibit emerging European artists making their first U.S. debut.
Parker Gallery
Situated in the Los Feliz neighborhood, Parker Gallery is designed within a residential home, where art and domestic intimacy merge. This personal touch is the peak of the "soft" aesthetic, something difficult to replicate in a commercial fair environment. Visit them in the afternoon if you are looking for quiet and inspiration after Frieze. The gallery is currently closed for installation and reopens on February 14, making it a good stop later in Frieze week.
Frieze Los Angeles runs from 26 February to 1 March 2026. These galleries are open during Frieze week and are worth visiting outside the fair as part of a broader look at Los Angeles’ gallery landscape.