“Winners” at Morrison Hotel Gallery at the Sunset Marquis Hotel

Cover photo- Cuba Gooding Jr. takes time to pose with his date at the Sunset Marquis. Seen in the background is Ross Kolde, Scoop LA journalist. Inside photo- Arsenio Hall(L) with Actress Bai Ling (C) and Artist Tim White. Photo by Zach Whitford.

Hosted by Whoopi Goldberg and Julian Lennon, the stars celebrate photos and art of the Oscars and Grammys

By Ross Kolde and Aimee Musser

There was a time in American society when culture experienced a total overhaul in a way that was so drastic it was unprecedented. Beginning in the middle of the 60’s and carrying shock waves well into the 70s, this movement will probably be known in history books as the Last Great American Renaissance. Music, art, love, politics, expression… counterculture had the perfect blend of righteous outrage at the marginalization of entire peoples, artistic abandon, and pure and absolute boredom with the status quo. People like me, people who talk about it with awe, as though we were there, were never actually there. For some, the shame at having been born too late is encompassing.

This is where Timothy White will be seizing more and more attention. Timothy is an iconic American photographer and a man whom carries a spark in his heart. Every month for about a year he has been throwing parties at The Morrison Hotel Gallery, where he is the co-owner and curator. He invites his celebrity friends to host each event with the expectation of artists of all media to show up in droves and cut loose. However, partying isn’t his goal. His goal is to rebuild a sense of community amongst creatives of all kinds. He believes that the world is due for a second wave of counterculture and artistic boon; that the conditions in the world are all coming together in just the right way. White talked about the modern generation not having as strong of an identity, that we are moving farther away from a “My Music vs. My Parents Music” era and, in general, how most people are open to absorbing as much art in whatever medium they can to create new genres based not so much on the past, but what they want the future to be. For people like us, people who truly felt that American culture had reached its high water mark in the 60s/70s, never to peak again, his dream is terribly exciting.

The most recent event was held on Thursday the 9th, hosted by Whoopi Goldberg and Julian Lennon. There were plenty of other well known faces and important people in the arts, including major art dealers, managers, photographers and agents. The celebrities in attendance included Cuba Gooding Jr., Bai Ling and many others, but we spotted Arsenio Hall in the crowd, and had to talk to him. He was down to earth and enthusiastic as he told us how he had ended up there that night. His friend Whoopi had invited him to come by for a “surprise”, the surprise being the exhibition of White’s photos. Arsenio admitted to being a big fan and he seemed abundantly pleased to be there and to be exposed to such high quality prints of Timothy’s work and that of other talented photographers.

These events go way beyond the usual superficiality of Los Angeles parties and into the realm of living art for the artist’s sake. Live music, visual art, multi-media presentations, tray passed hors d’oeuvres, two sponsored bars and friendly familiar faces everywhere you turn; to quote White “Watch out for 2017, this year, we have big things coming” and with next month’s event rumored to be featuring the surviving Doors members, we can’t wait to re-experience his vision. the surviving Doors members, we can’t wait to re-experience his vision. The exhibit, titled “Winners”, will be running through February.

For more information, visit  www.morrisonhotelgallery.com.