The organizers of this past weekend’s East of Eden exhibit and gallery open-house included more than a dozen art spaces across the Eastside. No, make that the “Eastside of LA.” Or, how about, “Los Angeles East”? All these words and terms were used in event publicity, which shows what a struggle it can be when you invoke the “E” word, as the Militant Angeleno describes it, when no one can seem to agree where Eastside becomes Westside.
So, event organizers, playing up this debate, let guests describe which side they are on. On Friday night, they spread a map out on a table outside at the Municipal Gallery at Barnsdall Art Park and asked people where the boundary was located. Of course, this generated some awkward moments, as described by this comment on the Militant Angeleno:
“I pointed out (and marked on the map) the fact that Main Street was the divider between the east and west street addresses, which amazed the people sitting at the table (whatever). They had no idea that the city had already been set up with an east and a west side. Not sure it made much of a difference.”
P.S.: Event organizer and gallery owner Mike Kelley said he thought of the “East of Eden” name knowing it was going to be a touchy subject. His comments and more about the map if you click here.
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