Katya

Los Angeles has a sprawling footprint with a multitude of small communities sprinkled throughout.  This is one aspect that makes the city unique yet challenging at the same time. The more people you meet, the more there is to experience but sometimes all it takes is one simple chain reaction from a friend that leads you to another and so on. The beauty of this type of “chain reaction” is that you are often introduced to people & things that might have taken you longer to discover on your own. For instance, there’s this great spot along Mission Avenue in South Pasadena called SPACE (or: South Pasadena Arts Center). This space happens to be a gallery featuring local artists, art making workshops (for both children and adults) and handcrafted gifts. It’s a family-friendly environment that encourages an open dialogue between artists and patrons within its community. SPACE has been open for about five years. Luckily, it was introduced to me by my friend (and Poetry of Living contributor) Karen Rizzo, who shares with us here a short reflection on Katya Shaposhnik, SPACE Gallery Director and tireless supporter of all things Art!

Katya: By Karen Rizzo

I have a uniform.  Each season it’s a take on the last—black long-sleeved shirts give way to black short-sleeved shirts, then black tank-tops; black boots to the same shade of shoes and sandals, and the same jeans worn through the ages and climate changes.  So I’m always in awe when a woman rocks a vintage, thrift style that’s all her own, a style that hasn’t morphed from some magazine or movie or current trend. And when the woman is six foot and sylphlike, isn’t a movie star, has kids and a lifestyle that’s under the radar, and still rents after fourteen years in Los Angeles because “renting was good enough in Brooklyn [and] why the fuck not?” I’m a fan.

Enter Katya, who you wouldn’t know speaks Hungarian, Russian, Hebrew, and some Spanish unless you asked (and why would you?), or that long ago and 3000 miles away, before husband and kids, she worked at the Met in Manhattan, which, by her standards, is “still the dreamiest place in the world to work.” She was also employed at a small gallery in SoHo, which was owned by “a wacky Scientologist,” and it was there that she made some of her best friends.

She may let on that she’s Co-Manager and Gallery Director of the neighborhood art gallery/studio in South Pasadena aptly enough called SPACE (whose director and founder is the generous and lovely Hope Perello).  It’s no surprise to anyone who knows both Katya and Hope that they encourage some of the most interesting women artists around town (as well as budding artsy types from ages 5 and up, through classes, outreach and summer camp.

Katya claims that her biggest fear is The Apocalypse—but she’s certainly no pessimist, because she’s the first to admit that if she had five bucks left to her name she’d spend it on art.  Her house is full of artwork—art by her friends and kids (a boy, fourteen, and a girl, eleven), art by the famous and not-so famous, art found and art by accident.  In fact, Katya can find art in almost anything, especially if it’s old, worn and beautiful and hasn’t been messed up by being fixed up.

On a walk near the Arroyo, she points to an old Spanish stucco home past its glory days, but beautiful and dignified with its faded trim, original windows and yard of wildflowers.  “See, now someone’s gonna come and fix that place up and ruin it.  I love it just the way it is.”

Her biggest joy?  “Being loved.”

Of course.

SPACE is located at:
1506 Mission Street
South Pasadena, CA 91030
Phone: 626-441-4788

Gallery Hours:
Tues-Fri 12pm-6pm
Sat 12pm-5pn
Or by appointment.

Photos: Kelly Norris Sarno
Artwork pictured is from the exhibition “Family Totems” by artist Susan Arena.