THE RENDON HOTEL
FILM LOCATIONS
CURRENT RESIDENCY
JD SMITH
Art At The Rendon hosted Venice Beach, CA-based artist JD Smith at their private pop-up artist residency studio in Los Angeles. This marks Smith’s first art residency in his career. In this video, Smith speaks about his latest series that has been in development during his 8-month residency, where he renders intricately detailed World War II battleships on sheets of paper measuring up to twelve feet in length.
CURRENT PROJECT
ART OVER HATE: ANDREW HEM MURAL
February 26, 2023
Following the success of large-scale murals already erected in Greece, Portugal, and New York City, Art At The Rendon was proud to offer the wall space for the fourth mural in a series of 10+ murals organized by Artists 4 Israel (A4I) and the Combat Antisemitism Movement painted by local artist Andrew Hem.
RECENT RESIDENCY
RAPHAEL GRISCHA
Art At The Rendon hosted Swiss-born, Berlin-based multidisciplinary artist Raphael Grischa at their private pop-up artist residency studio in Los Angeles. Raphael speaks about his illustrative and bold signature style, and the process behind the mural he created titled “Pina Looking at the Sun” during his residency. The mural is located at 48 Brooks Ave. Venice, CA.
ONGOING PROJECT
THE RENDON MURALS
Explore the murals created on the face of the historic Rendon building by renowned LA and international artists. The Rendon is in a constant state of evolution, existing in the heart of a creative community, celebrated through the creation of incredible works of art, recorded here.
RECENT PROJECT
STATE OF THE WORLD
Publicly displayed for viewing November, 2020 – April, 2021
“State of the World” is a temporary outdoor mural exhibition at 2001 E. 7th Street, organized in collaboration with Art At The Rendon and SO|DA Architecture, both based in the Downtown Los Angeles Arts District. Featured are eleven Los Angeles based artists who have historically painted on the building, as well as current artists who are connected to the Arts District.
PAST RESIDENCY
BISCO SMITH
Art At The Rendon hosted contemporary artist and DJ Bisco Smith for 6 weeks at their private pop-up artist residency studio in the Downtown Los Angeles Arts District. “This collection of works is a response to the current state of the world both internally and externally. From becoming a parent for the first time to the pandemic, politics, and power, it’s all in the paint. Looking forward to sharing the energy with you all.” – Bisco Smith, 2022
PAST PROJECT
FILM SCREENING OF BAG
July 9 – 11, 2021
An all-cardboard short film created by Robin Frohardt with original music by Freddi Price, BAG follows the journey of a plastic bag from the present day to the far off-future. Intricate handmade sets and lo-fi special effects come together to weave an ode to the foreverness of plastic. BAG Premiered at the Aspen Shorts Fest in 2020 where it won the Ellen Award and Special Mention in the animation category.
PAST EVENT
INSIDE THE RENDON
ARTISTS SALON
EPISODE 1 | now available
Have you ever wondered what goes on in the mind of an artist before, during, and after a public event? Find out at INSIDE THE RENDON // ARTISTS SALON, a discussion with the artists, actors, musicians, and dancers behind the multidimensional productions at the historic Rendon Hotel.
PAST EVENT
RHYTHMS OF THE CITY
Friday, November 8 – Sunday, November 10, 2019
An immersive, site-specific experience that will fuse various styles of live music and dance into a simultaneous, collaborative performance that transforms the building itself into a musical instrument. Following the success of HIDDEN ROOMS and STORIES in 2018, Art At The Rendon’s latest production will highlight the musical and cultural diversity of Los Angeles, while emphasizing the synergy of the city as a whole.
“There are art experiences, there are music experiences, there are performances, installations, and walk- throughs. Sometimes, in a city as diverse and exciting artistically as Los Angeles, you get a mix of the visual and aural in one cool package, tied up with a metaphorical bow.
But it is a rare event to have something as haunting – the score is still in my head from Sunday’s performance – as lush, loving, and soul-stirring as Rhythms of the City at the Rendon Hotel in DTLA. On top of the beauty of the program, which included music, dance, and installation art, the event itself had a beautiful purpose – 100% of the proceeds from Rhythms of the City benefitted Play with Music, an LA-based nonprofit bringing music and tech education to underserved youth, connecting them to eight- week mentorship programs.”
Genie Davis | Diversions LA | November 15, 2019
PAST EVENT
STORIES
Friday, November 9 – Sunday, November 11, 2018An operatic work that transformed The Rendon Hotel through a layering of film projection and live performances activating both the exterior and interior of the vacant hotel. Following the successful inaugural event HIDDEN ROOMS, Art At The Rendon’s STORIES continued the creative narrative of the building and its colorful history. The original corner dive bar, Licha’s Bar and Grill was reimagined as a 1920’s speakeasy with libations by Angel City Brewery, Infuse Spirits and Pali Wine and music by The Vignes Rooftop Revival. All are based in the Arts District.
PAST EVENT
HIDDEN ROOMS
Friday, June 1 – Sunday, June 3, 2018
Curated by Cindy Schwarzstein of Cartwheel Art, this community celebration featured over 85 renowned artists and performers who transformed the historic Rendon Hotel, located in the Downtown Los Angeles Arts District, into a fully immersive art experience.
OVER 45 SITE-SPECIFIC INSTALLATIONS. Visitors were able to explore the building, the rooms upstairs and the bar and lounge area on the ground floor, even the parking lot.
“Hidden Rooms is different. None of this artwork is for sale. This is all just an installation. Each artist is doing a site-specific installation that is here, in the moment, and then goes away right afterward.” The diverse artists and the varied themes in their work create dramatic contrasts as visitors walk from room to room, and the entire hotel is bursting with creative energy. Curator Cindy Schwartzstein says, “For me, it’s not even so much about the individual artists as about that they’re all co-existing, creating and collaborating together.”
Lisa Beebe | LA Weekly | June 1, 2018
