Mizuno Gallery

The Mizuno Gallery was operated by Riko Mizuno from 1967-1984. The gallery occupies an important place in the history of art in postwar Los Angeles as a venue for contemporary artists such as Chris Burden, Mike Kelley and Billy Al Bengston.

From the description of Mizuno Gallery records, 1955-2005, 1967-1981. (Getty Research Institute). WorldCat record id: 720384137

Biographical / Historical Note

A partial chronology of exhibitions held at Gallery 699 and Mizuno Gallery is available at: http://archives.getty.edu:30008/getty_images/digitalresources/2010m84_mizuno_chron.pdf

Riko Mizuno operated the Mizuno Gallery from 1967-1984. The gallery occupies an important place in the history of art in postwar Los Angeles as a venue for contemporary artists such as Chris Burden, Mike Kelley and Billy Al Bengston. Mizuno was born in Tokyo in 1932. In the mid 1950s, she arrived in Los Angeles assisted by a family friend who also knew Nelbert Murphy Chouinard, of the Chouinard Art Institute where Mizuno enrolled as a ceramics student. While there, she met many other student artists, such as Stephan von Huene and Ed Ruscha. In 1966, encouraged by Guy Williams' wife, Mary, Mizuno took over the space formerly occupied by the Rolf Nelson Gallery and opened Gallery 669.

The first exhibition at Gallery 669 was of Henry Miller's watercolors. The following year, Eugenia Butler joined Mizuno as co-director of the gallery, but soon left to found her own gallery. Mizuno then renamed the gallery Mizuno Gallery. During the ten years Mizuno occupied that particular space, she exhibited historical figures associated with the Ferus Gallery, including Ken Price, Ed Moses, Larry Bell, Robert Irwin, and Billy Al Bengston, and other major artists, such as Vija Celmins, Ay-O, Jack Goldstein, Alexis Smith, and Doug Wheeler. In addition, Chris Burden’s early performance, Deadman, took place at her gallery in 1972, as did his first solo exhibition (1974). In 1976 Mizuno closed the gallery, and in 1978, reopened it in Little Tokyo. This was the site of Mike Kelley's first solo exhibition in 1981. Mizuno relocated again in 1983 to 454 N. Robertson Blvd. The gallery closed in 1984. Although Mizuno no longer works out of a public storefront, she continues to operate as a private dealer.

From the guide to the Mizuno Gallery records, 1955-2005 (bulk 1966-1988), (The Getty Research Institute Special Collections 1200 Getty Center Drive, Suite 1100 Los Angeles, California, 90049-1688 (310) 440-7390 http://hdl.handle.net/10020/askref)