It presents group and solo exhibitions in a variety of media. The main focus is showcasing contemporary art that pushes the boundaries of form and subject matter in the context of national and international programming. Serving the local art community, the public, and Otis students and faculty, it presents emerging and established Los Angeles talent as well as international artists. Originally named the Otis Gallery, the exhibition space was initially sited on the College's downtown grounds. In August 2001, the Gallery moved to Otis’ Westchester campus and was dedicated in honor of Benjamin N. Maltz, a local businessman and founding director of City National Bank, who was a supporter of many nonprofit art organizations. Designed by the Los Angeles-based Frederick Fisher and Partners, the Gallery is located on the ground floor of the Bronya and Andy Galef Center for Fine Arts, which also houses the Bolsky Gallery for student exhibitions, numerous art studios, critique rooms, and offices. Kate McNamara has been the director since March 2015. She was previously Director and Chief Curator at the Boston UniversityArt Gallery and held positions in curation at MoMA PS1 and the Bronx Museum of the Arts. From 2003 to 2015, the Ben Maltz Gallery was directed by Meg Linton. She was previously the Executive Director of the Santa Barbara Contemporary Arts Forum and has held many curatorial and teaching positions in California and New York. She succeeded former Director Anne Ayres, the respected Los Angeles art historian and curator who managed the Gallery from 1988 to 2003 after taking the reins from Otis’ former School Director, Al Nodel. Considered one of America's renowned nonprofit galleries, the Ben Maltz Gallery was the recipient of the "Best Exhibition in an Alternative Space Award" by the International Critics Association for Karen Carson’s 1996 "The Language of Space" exhibition.
Public Programs
The Ben Maltz Gallery oversees the Otis College’s "Jennifer Howard Coleman Distinguished Lectureship and Residency." This program was created in 1995 in collaboration with the Samuel Goldwyn Foundation to pay tribute to the memory of Jennifer Howard Coleman, who was an artist and Otis alumna. The biannual appointment acknowledges leading contemporary painters by granting a residency at the College and by according them a solo exhibition at the Ben Maltz Gallery. The "Otis Speaks" lecture program is also produced in association with the Ben Maltz Gallery. Free and open to the public, the weekly event series offers a platform for contemporary artists, designers, curators, filmmakers, writers and critics to share their projects and ideas about the visual world. Recent exhibitions have included BROODWORK, Keith Puccinelli, Travis Somerville, and Mark Dean Veca.
