Phantom Galleries

A few years ago while walking past an unused furniture store front in Pasadena along Colorado Blvd., I noticed it wasn't filled with furniture, and the building wasn't even open, but there was art in all of the windows! Each set of windows had a different exhibit with a small plaque with an artists' name. The art consisted of paintings, textiles, sculptures, abstract and concrete. The exhibits rotate a few times a year. I later found of this exhibit and the others that replaced it were part of a larger project called Phantom Galleries.

Phantom Galleries are art galleries available for public viewing for free 24 hours a day. They are placed in empty store fronts. It makes the streets more interesting to walk on and gives people a place to show different types of art to pedestrians. Los Angeles has a few of these galleries in Pasadena, downtown LA and Long Beach.





Since the store fronts aren't necessarily the most ideal viewing conditions, it does lead to different impressions of the art. That in itself enhances the experience in some ways. I also never get a chance to look at the Pasadena installations during the night, which means reflections from the street sometimes interfere with the art.

I find myself excited to walk past these displays. Even if I have seen the pieces before, they look different with varying weather or window dirtiness. Based on the Phantom Gallery website, it looks either the current display in Pasadena is being switched out at the end of the month or it will go away completely.

If you're in these neighborhoods, I'd recommend trying to make an effort to walk past a phantom gallery! Check out the website for current locations.