FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 2026
The Loved One Opens in Echo Park / Historic Filipinotown
as a New Gallery, Bookshop, and Community ‘Third’ Space for the Arts
Los Angeles, CA – The Loved One, a new fine art gallery, art bookshop, and community space dedicated to contemporary art and books programming, announces its official opening in the Echo Park / Historic Filipinotown neighborhood of Los Angeles.
Founded by J.C. Gabel of Hat & Beard Press and Aubrie Wienholt of Wienholt Projects, The Loved One is conceived as a hybrid cultural space that brings together fine art exhibitions, artist books, literary programming, and interdisciplinary events under one roof.
Named after Evelyn Waugh’s satirical Hollywood novel, The Loved One was founded in response to a cultural landscape increasingly shaped by algorithms, monopolized platforms, and digital consumption. By creating a space rooted in physical experience, conversation, and discovery, the founders hope to cultivate meaningful encounters between artists, writers, publishers, and the arts audiences.
The project expands upon Wienholt Projects’ curatorial mission of supporting artists across mediums and career stages while fostering dialogue between emerging and established voices in contemporary art.
Located at 1634 W. Temple Street, The Loved One will serve as both an exhibition venue and an art-focused bookshop, offering visitors an ongoing program of rotating exhibitions, artist talks, literary readings, performances, publications, and community gatherings that explore the intersections of visual art, publishing, and cultural production.
“In an era when so much of our cultural experience is filtered through algorithms, we wanted to create a place where discovery could happen in a more human way,” says J.C. Gabel, co-founder of The Loved One and founder of Hat & Beard Press. “The Loved One reflects our ongoing commitment to independent publishing, artist-centered production, and the belief that books, artworks, and ideas are best experienced in conversation with one another. We see it as a place for curiosity, serendipity, and genuine cultural exchange.”
“The Loved One is intended as a living space for ideas,” says co-founder Aubrie Wienholt. “We wanted to create a nontraditional environment where contemporary art exhibitions, books, performances, and conversations can exist side by side. At its core, the project is about creating opportunities for artists and audiences to engage with one another more directly, while building a community around contemporary art and culture that feels accessible, dynamic, and deeply personal.”
Together, the founders aim to create a platform that is both accessible and experimental. Programming will include curated exhibitions, book launches, artist conversations, literary readings, performances, and interdisciplinary events, with a focus on Los Angeles-based and international artists working across photography, painting, sculpture, and mixed media.
Part gallery, part bookshop, and part gathering space, The Loved One seeks to offer an alternative model for cultural engagement, and one that is rooted in dialogue, discovery, and community.
LOCATION
The Loved One
1634 W Temple Street
Los Angeles, CA 90026
ABOUT WIENHOLT PROJECTS
Wienholt Projects is a Los Angeles–based curatorial project developing alternative frameworks for supporting and presenting contemporary art. In 2023, Aubrie Wienholt founded Wienholt Projects as a platform for innovative exhibitions and programs. The initiative grew out of the contemporary art focused creative agency she established in 2015, and reflects her long-standing experience working with artists, galleries, and institutions.
Committed to supporting artists and their evolving needs, Wienholt Projects seeks to challenge conventions, advance contemporary art, and foster cultural dialogue.
Website: https://wienholtprojects.com
Instagram: @wienholtprojects
ABOUT HAT & BEARD
Hat & Beard is an independent, Los Angeles-based publisher.
Hat & Beard Press, with their illustrated book imprint, publishes original, illustrated nonfiction titles of pop-cultural and historical significance that draw on existing cult audiences. Hat & Beard Editions, their literary imprint, publishes books of essays & interviews.
Hat & Beard also produces Big Table, a literary podcast about books and conversation, produced with our sister company, the arts nonprofit Invisible Republic, based in Los Angeles.