First things first! Congratulations Michael Pukac! Winner of The RAWard for Best Artist in 2009. Michael was selected from five finalists on December 12 at a truly fabulous awards show; I wish you all could have been there. Make it a goal to see Michael in 2010. He shows all over town and often accompanies his work with live painting, an interactive experience that allows you to be part of his artistic process. 

Secondly, January was Los Angeles Arts Month, presenting a unique and international visual gift to the people of Los Angeles. The LA Art Show, Photo L.A. and Art Los Angeles Contemporary were the biggies of the past month, not just locally but also as international attractions. I hope you had a chance to explore at least one. The Los Angeles Art Show gathered work from over 100 galleries spanning the world. Red Truck Galleries out of New Orleans was one of my personal favorites. A blend of mixed media, modern folk art laced with ironic messages effective enough to make me laugh and think–hand sewn and quilted, often bordered with crafted and painted frames. The show also featured a country near and dear to my heart, Uruguay; my mother was raised there. Showing work with a clear stamp of home—a blend of European influence and local landscape—Uruguay brought its best and most original. 

Photo L.A. continued in its 19th year at the Santa Monica Convention Center. From iconic images to painted prints, the photography was intense and diverse in subject matter, style and process. The gallery that was most interesting to me was Fahey Klein Gallery which presented the "Created Equal" series by Mark Laita. Laita’s portraits hung as diptychs juxtaposing two images that were flip sides of the same coin: a polygamist with his wives next to a pimp with his ‘hoes;' three choir boys next to three motorcycle gang members; an older beauty parlor customer in curlers against a younger man in curlers. You get the point. Fahey Klein Gallery is here in Los Angeles on La Brea. Browse Mark Laita's amazing series on the gallery's website. 

Let 2010 be the year the arts dominate. Enjoy and revel in the experience of color, line, structure and form, sound and movement. Discover your favorite artist and show support with your presence and patronage.

Photograph: "Polygamists / Pimp" (2003) Mark Laita, Courtesy of Fahey/Klein Gallery