MARFA — A new art space is opening in Marfa — and with it, a new exhibit. Run by Lauren Klotzman, an artist with longtime ties to Marfa, the gallery is called LTK Enterprises. It’s at 903 W. San Antonio Street, on U.S. 90 near the westside Stripes convenience store.
With the new space, Klotzman promises what they call a “curatorial experiment” that is different from traditional galleries. The space is divided in two, with a “Viewing Room” focused on video and new media in the back and a “Flatfile” space, which will feature more traditional art forms, in front. The first exhibit unveils this Friday, March 19, with the theme of healing. The show focuses on “how to heal oneself,” Klotzman explains, “in a society that’s literally gripped by disease right now.”
While Klotzman’s new space is technically divided in two, Klotzman says their goal is to exhibit shows that make sense together and can work in tandem. “There’s always two shows,” they say, but “there’s always a pairing.”
Klotzman found a perfect pairing with their first artists, Los Angeles-based Jess Williamson and New York-based Laurel Atwell. Williamson, a musician who will be running a show in the front “Flatfile” gallery, is curating (mostly) self-help materials. Those include books on astrology and psychic powers that address “our present moment of ‘forced pause’ wherein global mankind is both literally and spiritually held hostage by disease,” according to a news release about the event.
Then, in the rear gallery, there’s Atwell. A dancer, Atwell has been “experimenting with video but didn’t have a solid opportunity to do things more seriously,” Klotzman explains. “So, I reached out to her.” It will be her first solo exhibition.
In that exhibit, Atwell aims to translate “her tools of movement composition onto the screen.” That exhibit — which will use “familiar surroundings, people, online ephemera and ‘worthless objects’” — aims to create what organizers call a “21st century science fiction musical-comedy/romance as [a] visual collage.”
Originally from Victoria, Texas, Klotzman has long been drawn to art. Among their early influences, they point to an elementary-school art teacher and their grandmother, who painted Texas wildflowers. Klotzman also credits their grandmother with their interest in the desert.
“I was the only child she would allow in her studio,” Klotzman said. “She knew I cared, and we’d paint together sometimes. I was there to learn and observe.”
Klotzman attended Sarah Lawrence, where they focused on arts (Sarah Lawrence doesn’t have traditional majors). For their junior year, they took a break, coming out to Marfa around 2008.
The experience proved transformative. “I had a real coming-of-age story in Marfa,” Klotzman says. They got to meet artists, hung out with musicians and just generally “had a blast.” They’ve been coming to Marfa regularly ever since.
After graduating from college, Klotzman moved to Austin, where they stayed involved with art. But they likened living in the city to being in a “velvet rut” — a place too comfortable to be conducive for serious projects. Besides, the rapid gentrification of Austin became grating.
They moved to Boston with the goal of being an archivist — but that was too much in the other direction. Instead, “I decided to pursue an MFA,” Klotzman said. “I like to say I’m an archive-school dropout.”
Seeking a midground between art and curation, Klotzman bought a house in Marfa around January 2020. Their original goal was to start an artist residency.
But the pandemic started, and Klotzman avoided coming out to Marfa. “I wanted to respect the town.”
That idea ultimately morphed into LTK Enterprises, which aims to offer something between a residency and a gallery. “It has the same ethos of my residency idea,” they said, “but it’s just in the form of a gallery instead.” With the pandemic still going, Klotzman says they aren’t sure if Williamson and Atwell can make the trip this time.
Despite now owning a gallery, Klotzman bristles at describing themself as a curator. “Everyone is a curator now,” they say. “You can be a shoe curator.” And besides, Klotzman says, pointing to a display of rare books, “the only thing I’ve really curated here is this wall” — plus bringing in exhibiting artists. The rest of the space will be mostly left up to the exhibiting artists.
“I’ve never been a fan of being called a curator,” they said. “The verb ‘curate’ isn’t necessarily what I’m doing.” Instead, Klotzman prefers the term “facilitator.” “This is an artist space,” they say. “This is a project.”
For people interested in seeing the gallery, Klotzman stressed they are taking COVID precautions, including temperature checks and an occupancy limit of three people. People can schedule appointments to visit the gallery online at LTKEnterprises.com. “Appointments are great,” Klotzman says with a laugh. Or, for those hoping for what Klotzman calls the “old Marfa” experience, visitors can just stop by. The gallery will also be open, as a news release puts it, “by chance.”
