These Days
There is no denying that over the last few years, Downtown Los Angeles has experienced a major shift in activity. Any drive along the 110 Freeway will highlight the number of working cranes erecting up more and more structures. One of the biggest scenes in downtown has been that of the Arts District located east of Little Tokyo and West of the L.A. River. Poketo, Apolis and Alchemy Works are amongst some of the more successful (non-eatery) spots to open on 3rd St. drawing in the artists already living in an area more affordable than trendy Silverlake. But perhaps the most notable are those who can envision a future in areas that long seem lost and forgotten. Stephen and Jodi Zeigler settled into an off-the-beaten path area of Downtown L.A. between Main Street and Skid Row around 2008 before that section began to shift. Downtown LA is steeped in such rich history that Stephen & Jodi are proud to celebrate and share some of it with their patrons. On a recent Sunday afternoon we popped by These Days Gallery and Store and had the opportunity to speak with then both and learn a little about the history of their building as well as how the store/gallery and yogi studio first took form.
“The building was originally built in 1887 and operated as a piano store and SRO Hotel. In 1906 the first jail sentence for pimping in the history of L.A. was given to the manager of the hotel for "Preying on the misfortune of fallen women and running a disorderly house". In the 1930's the headquarters for International Labor Defense and The Young Pioneers Society were housed on the first floor.
In the mid-30's it became a Catholic Mission. In the 40's it was bought by a nun name Sylvia Cresswell and run as "Sister Sylvia's Soul Patrol" as a mission for alcoholic vets who found themselves on Skid Row after returning from the war in Europe. It was condemned in the 50's the re-opened in the 60's as a series of hiring halls. In 1974 it became United American Indian Involvement, the first federally funded urban Native American rehab/mission/service center.
UAII left in 2001 and the building was absorbed into The Toy District. We moved in in 2008 and operated as an art gallery/project space, yoga studio, and meditation hall under the name 118 Winston until October of 2014 when we rebranded as These Days.”
The building also is home to various street artists with its rotating art murals on the side, which originally began as an effort to clean up the area directly outside. The alley was a popular hangout for homeless Native Americans and became known at the time as Indian Alley. It’s now a destination for those seeking some cultural aspects to their photos and celebrates the tradition of Los Angeles remaining a cultural artistic destination.
The gallery had a fabulous artist in residence project going on with Wild Life, a street artist who has never felt at home just showing in a gallery. Being in residence allowed him to create some pieces to later be distributed throughout different spots in the city.
Prior to Wild Life’s residency, an artist named Jim Olarte had some massive fiberglass artwork hanging in the gallery. Sad to have missed it but happy that you can find smaller pieces for sale at These Days store. The store itself carries many artisans that specialize in their craft as the Zeigler’s are constantly seeking out people devoted to their medium. You can tell instantly how much care and detail goes into curating this small but special space.
These Days is located at:
118 Winston St. (2nd Floor)
L.A., CA 90013
Photos © Devin Sarno
