Featured artists include Alison Saar, Ed Ruscha, Kenny Scharf and more
Nearly five decades after its very first art walk, the Venice Family Clinic Art Exhibition + Auction has grown into Los Angeles’ longest-running charity art show, returning this spring as a 10-day celebration of art and public service.
From May 8 to May 17, the exhibition will showcase a wide range of work from seasoned trailblazers and rising creatives at the corner of Abbot Kinney and Main Street.
Sculptor Alison Saar, this year’s signature artist, said the role is meaningful because the exhibition harnesses art to bring people together in support of care and community — which reflects the themes in her own work.
“My work is rooted in exploring history, identity, and the layered stories carried through materials, giving form to experiences that are often unseen or overlooked,” Saar said.
Alison Saar’s sculpture titled “Sea of Moisture”Credit: Courtesy of Venice Family Clinic
Saar, a Los Angeles native, creates sculptures and installations using found materials like wood, metal, glass and other urban debris. Having studied art history, Saar explores issues of gender, race and heritage in each of her pieces.
Saar’s art will be displayed alongside more than 150 artists, including pop art icon Ed Ruscha; light and space pioneer Helen Pashgian; East Village legends Kenny Scharf and Ed Moses; conceptual artist Frances Stark; skate culture visionary Ed Templeton; and ceramicist Peter Shire, alongside Laddie John Dill, Max Hooper Schneider, Sula Bermúdez-Silverman, Umar Rashid and Nancy Evans.
Hannah Greeley’s artwork titled “Diving Lesson”Credit: Courtesy of Venice Family Clinic
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Venice Family Clinic, which first opened its doors in 1970, has a long history of providing medical care to underserved communities, including mental health services, dental and vision care, as well as healthy food distributions. The clinic uses a holistic approach to address patients’ individual needs. Venice Family Clinic is made up of a team of over 500 staff members and 1,000 volunteers, and treats patients regardless of income or personal circumstance.
According to CEO Dr. Mitesh Popat, the Venice Family Clinic Art Exhibition + Auction has a substantial impact on the amount of outreach the clinic can provide, supplying crucial funding since 1979, which allows it to keep doors open throughout the year.
Artwork to be featured Venice Family Clinic Art Exhibition + AuctionCredit: Courtesy of Venice Family Clinic
Dating back to its creation, the exhibition has raised over $25 million to provide healthcare to thousands of Los Angeles community members.
“Now more than ever, amid uncertainty in federal and state safety net funding, this support means everything,” Popat said. “We are deeply grateful to the artists and collectors whose generosity helps ensure every Angeleno can access the compassionate, comprehensive care they deserve.”
The art exhibit is free and open to the public from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., located at 910 Abbot Kinney Blvd in Venice. Artwork can be viewed both in person and online, with the auction closing on May 17.
