The Culver Arts Foundation has carved out a bit of a holiday on the last Monday of each month – The Artist Meet Up, a regular get-together for any and all artists looking to network. The events have ranged from drinks on a patio to sessions in art studios and galleries, sparking the imagination and creating connections.
This past Monday evening on September 28, 2026 Culver Arts hosted a unique artist meetup; a critique at Afuri Ramen in Downtown Culver City. On the patio tucked into the back of the Culver Steps, a few dozen artists gathered to chat and exchange thoughts on their respective works. The atmosphere was pleasant and lively, with the day fading from dusk to twilight as locals strode by on their way home from yoga class or Salt & Straw.
CAF Secretary Sehnita Joshua Mattison kicked off the night with some opening remarks, looking towards the upcoming events; Tito’s Fiesta Mexicana on October 4 and the Culver City Arts Festival on October 10.
Following her introduction, muralist and CAF board member Brooklynd Wild Flowers took the reins and began leading the critique. Wild Flowers has been active with the foundation for years, and her mural work can be seen in many parts of Culver City.
Before bringing up the first artist, she encouraged folks to provide constructive feedback that focused on actionable steps or suggestions.
The participating artists presented works that covered an eclectic range of visual media, including watercolor, oil, photography, charcoal pencil, and ceramics. Hearing about the intricacies of each artist’s process and understanding how they arrived at the current iteration of their work was fascinating. While many of the pieces were technically “unfinished,” the level of artistry was still remarkable from top to bottom.
Everyone participating was genuinely invested in the ideas of the featured artist. The artists varied greatly in how far along they were in their careers, but still held space and reverence for their fellow creators.
The event was also refreshingly dynamic in that you could participate in the structure of the critique or choose to mingle with the other folks there, many of whom knew each other already.
The location was also perfect for the spirit of the event. It wasn’t in a quiet room or studio of an exclusive art center, but rather in a public outdoor space, in plain view of countless passers-by.
The downside of this central location was that the event was located right next to a rather enormous corporate function on the lawn of Amazon Studios. Shortly after the critique began, the DJ of the corporate party began their sound check and gradually increased the volume until the booming music was loud enough to drown out the hundreds of partygoers on the lawn.
But the evening carried on. People had to speak up, but they were heard. Perhaps it wasn’t an ideal situation for the most fruitful artistic exchange, but the folks present cared deeply enough about the event to live with a bit of discomfort and still make it worthwhile for every artist that shared their work.
In the midst of an ever-increasing loss of public spaces to corporate ownership, artistic communities will always find a way to persist, even if it means being pushed into smaller and less conventional spaces. And even with this unfortunate overlap of two events, it was a inspiring the way that the artists responded to it.
If you’re an artist in Culver City (or even Los Angeles) looking for feedback on your work or just looking to connect with people doing the same thing as you, I highly recommend checking out the next Culver City Arts event.
The next CAF artist critique event will be on Oct. 26, 2026, location to be announced.
Tom Rubio
Photo credit – Sehnita Joshua Mattison
