Arts ReSTORE L.A.: Westwood

For the month of November, the Westwood Village came alive with the creative force of L.A. artisans and craftspeople through the Arts ReSTORE L.A. program. The program aimed to re-energize Westwood by creating a pop-up village that enlivened the neighborhood with a new and vibrant retail experience.The village included empty storefronts in Westwood, which were temporarily filled by an array of local vendors who sell goods such as crafts, apparel, furniture and even food. From Nov. 1 to 24, these vendors occupied and decorated the empty stores, and ran their businesses as they would in a permanent location.“Our vision is to inspire the retail property owners of Westwood to tap the extraordinary creative community of L.A. as a strategy to activate the Village long-term,” the Arts ReSTORE LA website said. “Everyone benefits if these empty spaces come alive with locally produced goods, crafts, apparel and furniture, and the neighborhood becomes a vibrant community where consumers can buy unique, locally made products.”According to Executive Director of the Westwood Village Improvement Association Andrew Thomas, Westwood focused too much on entertainment during the '80s. This made the village too noisy, with too much traffic. Thomas said that this entertainment preference got Westwood to the point where musicians no longer play live music. It’s a challenge for someone to even have a pool table or karaoke in their restaurant.“If [Arts ReSTORE LA] becomes synonymous with the Westwood Village, I think it will have a huge impact on the economics of our District,” Thomas said.One notable vendor was Fruitique!, a pop-up store from the Fallen Fruit Organization. Fallen Fruit is a long-term art collaboration which aims to blur the lines between urban and agricultural communities by working on installations and public projects, using fruit as their main medium. Fruitique! collaborated with artists to create a site-specific art installation that functioned both as an exhibition and also as a retail store open to the public.IKO IKO, another notable vendor, is a L.A.-based concept gallery that artfully displays its merchandise and focuses on design and possibility. IKO IKO’s space features works made for their lines WAKA WAKA and Rowena Sartin. WAKA WAKA is a collection of handmade wood furniture, while Rowena Sartin is a limited-run clothing and accessories project exploring new construction ideas and fabric.The project was sponsored primarily by the Hammer Museum, UCLA and LA2050, and supported by a grant from the Goldhirsh Foundation.Thomas said he hopes some of the project's vendors might stay in Westwood and improve the village's image.“Regarding what might happen with the artists and artisans after the program ends, it's my hope that they have very successful runs in the District.” Thomas said. “It's a lot to ask for them to sustain a brick and mortar business because there is a huge difference between operating a temporary pop-up operation and doing it full-time. Still, it would be amazing if one or more of our pop-ups decide to give it a try for the long run.”osherman@thesamohi.com