The Los Angeles art world is getting a vibrant nod with the ReflectSpace gallery's latest exhibition, "Embracing Diasporic Art: Portraits of Joan Agajanian Quinn," a showcase of thirty-five unique portraits by diasporic, immigrant, and culturally diverse artists. These pieces, handpicked from Quinn's own collection, span more than three hundred works and celebrate not only her influence on the LA arts scene but also the rich stories of the artists themselves.
Renowned for her knack for fostering arts and culture, Quinn, the ultimate Los Angeles art maven, has had her portrait done by more celebrated artists than most like Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat. As a former West Coast editor for Interview Magazine and host of "The Joan Quinn Profiles," her stamp is found all over journalism and philanthropic endeavors in the arts. The exhibit, running from March 22 to May 23 inside Glendale's ReflectSpace at the Central Library, features talent that reflects Quinn's storied career and tireless advocacy for artists regardless of their roots.
Not to be confined to the gallery walls, the exhibition spills into the PassageWay offering visitors a glimpse into Quinn's own snapshots, her uncanny skill for capturing unscripted moments with icons like Warhol and Basquiat on full display. This additional layer reveals her ability to immerse herself in the very artistic dialogues she documented, a participant as much as an observer.
The curators behind "Embracing Diasporic Art," Ara and Anahid Oshagan, have carefully composed an exhibition that talks across generations and cultures through these varied portraits and photographs, making it clear that the continuity of Quinn's commitment to unifying artists shines on. ReflectSpace continues to live up to its reputation as a venue where social justice, human rights, and genocidal issues are dissected through art, as stated in its mission. The library-based gallery invites visitors to explore both virtually and in person, located at 222 East Harvard Street in Glendale, California.
ReflectSpace is no stranger to socially conscious fare either, curated by the capable hands of the Oshagans, who have honed the gallery into a space marrying art, tech, and media to provoke thought on Glendale's communal past and present – as well as global human rights concerns. For more details on the exhibition, other services of the Glendale Library Arts & Culture Department, or to plan a visit, head over to ReflectSpace.org. An opening reception is slated for Saturday, March 22, so pencil it into your cultural calendar if you're keen on art that doesn't just hang there, but speaks.
