Education Lab Returns to Los Angeles: ‘Mentoring Moments’
Education Lab Returns to Los Angeles: ‘Mentoring Moments’
The Education Lab ‘Mentorship Moments’ explores the transformative power of mentors who impact, nurture and inspire. Henry Taylor has credited artist and educator James Jarvaise with being a pivotal figure in his development as an artist, offering unwavering encouragement, constructive support and critical guidance. In honor of this mentorship, the lab invites reflection on the many mentors in one's life.
In collaboration with Arts for Healing and Justice Network, California State University Los Angeles Department of Art, Inner-City Arts, Luther Burbank Middle School and Ramón C. Cortines School of Visual and Performing Arts, the Learning team invited over 100 participants, ranging from ages five to adulthood, to create a painting commemorating the meaningful impact of a mentor on their creative journey. In keeping with Taylor’s early practice, the artwork was made using repurposed materials—echoing his philosophy that creativity is not confined to traditional canvases.
About ‘Sometimes a straight line has to be crooked’
Opening on Sunday 29 June, at Hauser & Wirth Downtown Los Angeles, ‘Sometimes a straight line has to be crooked’ is the first exhibition to put the work of Henry Taylor, one of today’s most celebrated painters, in dialogue with that of his teacher, California modernist James Jarvaise (1924 – 2015). Taylor will explore an idea he has long carried: to pay homage to Jarvaise—an artist who saw something special in him as a student in the 1980s—through an exhibition.
Composed along loosely thematic lines and consisting largely of paintings, this major installation will span the 1950s to the present, with new works created especially for the show by Taylor, whose interest in landscape, alongside the figure, will be freshly explored. The first exhibition of Taylor’s work to take place at Hauser & Wirth in Los Angeles, the title is taken from advice Jarvaise imparted to his student: the words of a vital teacher who offered Taylor many lessons on how to build a painting with integrity.
The interactive lab is on view from Sunday, 29 June 2025 to Sunday, 5 October 2025. ‘Mentoring Moments’ welcomes visitors to view participant creations, explore a selection of literature chosen by Taylor and take part in a communal visual activity.
The Education Lab is part of the gallery’s commitment to inclusive learning programs that instigate a dialogue between art, artists and diverse audiences. Located at our galleries in Downtown Los Angeles, Menorca and Somerset, as well as the Chillida Leku museum, each Education Lab is a collaboration with a local community group, school or university. The interactive spaces take their starting point from one of our international artists, facilitating a platform for discovery, discussion and additional resources.
Images: Education Lab: ‘Mentoring Moments,’ Hauser & Wirth Downtown Los Angeles, 2025. Photo: Sarah M. Golonka | smg photography
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