Redcat (gallery)

Redcat (gallery)
Name	Redcat
Established	2000
Location	Downtown Los Angeles, California, United States
Type	Contemporary art, performance, multidisciplinary

Redcat (gallery) is a nonprofit contemporary arts center located in Downtown Los Angeles, California, sited within the Walt Disney Concert Hall complex. Founded in 2000, the institution presents interdisciplinary programs spanning visual art, experimental music, theater, dance, film, and public events, and operates at the intersection of contemporary practice and civic engagement. Redcat has served as a platform for emerging and established artists from Los Angeles, the United States, and the international scene, engaging audiences through exhibitions, performances, publications, and educational initiatives.

History

Redcat opened in 2000 following planning and collaboration among cultural institutions tied to the development of the Walt Disney Concert Hall, an architectural project associated with Frank Gehry and funded in part through philanthropic efforts linked to the Walt Disney Concert Hall campaign. Early leadership included figures active in the Los Angeles arts ecosystem such as curators and producers with ties to Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, and Hammer Museum. Across the 2000s and 2010s, Redcat organized projects that intersected with festivals and organizations including LA Phil, CalArts, UCLA, USC and international partners such as Tate Modern, Haus der Kulturen der Welt, and Centre Pompidou. The gallery’s programming history reflects collaborations with artists affiliated with movements and events like Fluxus, Performance Art Festival (Various), and biennials such as the Venice Biennale and São Paulo Art Biennial, and has been shaped by funding and policy environments connected to foundations such as the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.

Architecture and Facilities

Redcat occupies a ground-floor space within the Walt Disney Concert Hall, a landmark building designed by Frank Gehry that sits within the Bunker Hill neighborhood of Downtown Los Angeles. The facility includes a flexible main gallery configured for exhibitions, a black box theater adaptable for performances and screenings, and administrative and rehearsal spaces. Technical infrastructure supports staging requirements similar to venues like Roy and Edna Disney/CalArts Theatre (REDCAT), with lighting rigs, sound systems, and modular seating to accommodate programming linked to organizations such as Los Angeles Philharmonic residencies and partnerships with performing arts presenters like Center for the Art of Performance (CAP) at UCLA. Proximity to transit corridors and civic sites including Walt Disney Concert Hall and The Broad situates Redcat within a cluster of contemporary cultural institutions.

Exhibitions and Programs

Redcat’s exhibition history spans solo presentations, group shows, and experimental presentations by practitioners affiliated with galleries and institutions such as Gagosian Gallery, David Zwirner, SFMOMA, and New Museum. The program has featured work by artists whose careers intersect with international institutions like MoMA, Serpentine Galleries, Sotheby's, and projects that echo discourses seen at events like Documenta and Manifesta. Performance programming includes collaborations with ensembles and collectives such as Los Angeles Contemporary Dance Company and composers linked to Bang on a Can; film programs have screened work associated with festivals like Sundance Film Festival and Venice Film Festival. Redcat’s interdisciplinary approach has created opportunities for collaborations with theater-makers rooted in traditions represented by The Public Theater and dance artists connected to Baryshnikov Arts Center.

Education and Community Outreach

Educational initiatives draw on partnerships with academic and cultural organizations including University of Southern California, California Institute of the Arts, University of California, Los Angeles, and K–12 partners operating within Los Angeles Unified School District contexts. Outreach programs have included artist residencies, workshops, and youth engagement models similar to those developed by International Contemporary Ensemble residencies and public programming used by institutions like Walker Art Center and Museum of Modern Art Education Department. Community events at Redcat have aligned with civic partners such as Los Angeles County cultural offices and neighborhood organizations in Downtown Los Angeles to facilitate access, audience development, and participatory projects.

Artists and Curatorial Highlights

Redcat has presented exhibitions and performances by a wide range of artists and curators connected to institutions including Marina Abramović, Laurie Anderson, Cindy Sherman, Tino Sehgal, Shirin Neshat, Kara Walker, William Kentridge, Anish Kapoor, Ai Weiwei, Yayoi Kusama, Tracey Emin, Mark Bradford, Darren Aronofsky, Mike Kelley, Ed Atkins, Rirkrit Tiravanija, Ryan Trecartin, Urs Fischer, Krzysztof Wodiczko, Paul McCarthy, Jenny Holzer, Theaster Gates, Cai Guo-Qiang, Rashid Johnson, Sarah Michelson, Satoshi Kojima, and curators with histories at Tate Modern, MoMA PS1, ICA Boston, and Haus der Kulturen der Welt. Exhibitions have often highlighted cross-disciplinary practice, bringing together artists known from biennials, museum retrospectives, and performance circuits such as Performa and Next Wave Festival.

Funding and Governance

As a nonprofit arts organization, Redcat’s operations have been supported through a combination of public and private funding channels including foundations like the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Annenberg Foundation, Guggenheim Foundation, corporate sponsors, and government arts agencies akin to National Endowment for the Arts and California Arts Council. Governance structures reflect board models seen across institutions such as Los Angeles County Museum of Art and The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, with advisory and artistic committees that collaborate with donor networks from philanthropic entities like Ford Foundation and Rockefeller Foundation. Leadership transitions and strategic planning have aligned Redcat with regional cultural policy initiatives and partnerships across the Southern California arts sector.

Category:Contemporary art galleries in the United States Category:Museums in Los Angeles County, California