Dropping down into LA, we sidetracked to Eagle Rock to check out Cactus Gallery. This little gem is off the beaten LA track for galleries and it's brightly colored exterior only hints at the art inside. The owner, Sandra Mastroianni was a sweetie pie, showing us around with obvious enthusiasm for her space and artists. The inventory in the shop and gallery includes a plethora of hand made items, folk art & crazy local flavor, Day of the Dead objects, mosaic works and fine artisan crafts. Definitely a place to shop for gifts and yourself. The current exhibit - "Dollmakers" features art dolls by many artists, some which are very familiar to Eclectix visitors and readers - Christine Benjamin, Sheri DeBow, Kurtis Rykovich and Carisa Swenson and some wonderful new discoveries. All were fantastic, felted, sewn, carved and/or ceramic, each with their own individual style and footprint on doll making.
The place was packed wall to wall and floor to ceiling with eclectic art, every little nook and cranny. Even the tiny back rooms had killer pieces. A great place to explore and support. Below are just a few tasty nibbles - from the exhibit and the shop, enjoy!
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| Carisa Swenson |
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| Sheri DeBow |
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| Kurtis Rykovich |
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| Christine Benjamin |
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| Sheri DeBow |
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| Christine Benjamin |
Cactus' next upcoming exhibit looks promising as well, a tree themed show which opens April 9th.
