Frieze Los Angeles to Proceed as City Struggles to Recover from Devastating Fires
128Jan. 22, 2025
The organizers ofFrieze Los Angeleshave said that this year’s iteration of the art fair will take placeas planned, even as the City of Angels fights its way back from several ravaging wildfires. The sixth edition ofFriezeLA will run from February 20 through February 23 at the Santa Monica Airport. Fair organizers cited a desire to support the city’s economy and its arts community as behind the decision to move forward with the event.
“After careful consideration and extensive conversations with galleries, partners, and city-wide stakeholders, we can confirm that the sixth edition ofFrieze Los Angeleswill go ahead,” read a statement from the fair. “Our hearts are with everyone affected by the devastating fires in Los Angeles. Since the fair’s founding six years ago, Frieze has been proud to support and be part of this vibrant community. The challenges the city is currently facing only strengthen our commitment to work alongside the community to rebuild and recover together.”
The Felix Art Fair and the upstart Santa Monica Post Office will run concurrently with Frieze LA, as planned. Both events are encouraging donations to fire-related funds, with the former urging VIPs via email to contribute to the art-world-focused Grief and Hope, and the latter promoting the California Fire Foundation and the World Central Kitchen, among other aid organizations. Frieze is a founding contributor to the $12 million LA Arts Community Fire Relief Fund. Aimed at assisting artists and arts workers affected by the conflagrations, the fund inaugurated its application process on January 20 and will accept applications through February 18.
“Frieze moving forward is good for the local art community,” veteran dealer Tim Blum, a stalwart of the LA art community, told Artnews, “but, to the global art world, it sends a signal that we, collectively, know how to move forward and support each other.”