Various Small Fires (VSF) is delighted to announce the retirement of its longtime Highland Avenue location and the upcoming opening of its new flagship gallery at Western Ave and Clinton Street, a burgeoning cultural hub in Los Angeles. Inspired by walkable art enclaves and filled with a growing number of galleries and restaurants, this location in historic North Koreatown is now celebrated as Los Angeles’ fastest-evolving arts neighborhood.
Timed to coincide with Frieze Los Angeles 2026, the “VSF K-Town” opening marks a pivotal chapter in founder Esther Kim Varet’s creative evolution of Various Small Fires. At this historical moment, operating a traditional white cube seems misaligned with the evolving needs of the public. Instead, in nearly 5,000 square feet, VSF K-Town will include traditional galleries for art viewing in its first phase of build — and in its second phase in Fall 2026 K-Town will open an additional adjacent space for the community with a wine bar, coffee shop, and florist residency.
“VSF’s move to Koreatown leans into my personal roots as the daughter of Korean immigrants. VSF has always been a dynamic vision of the world —articulated in the form of a physical space that holds revolving voices in our society. Right now, our society is faced with tectonic shifts, and so our articulation of thoughtful consumption must evolve with the times. VSF K-Town is a proposal for a new model of art consumption and community building in this era and beyond.”
-Esther Kim Varet
Various Small Fires began in 2012 as an informal artist project space in Esther Kim Varet’s Venice Beach living room, where conversations with artists and curators unfolded around her kitchen table. In 2015, the gallery opened its first permanent location in Hollywood—a 5,000-square-foot compound designed by Johnston MarkLee Architects, featuring three exhibition spaces, a dedicated sound corridor, and an expansive outdoor sculpture gallery. Over the past decade, VSF has grown into a globally recognized brand for its highly-relevant program, opening outposts in Seoul (2019), Dallas (2022), and most recently, Orange County, California (2025). These expansions reflect the gallery’s commitment to transnational dialogue and investment in emerging and established artists across multiple geographies.
Various Small Fires’ exhibition program engages a range of curatorial inquiries, including climate and social justice, media, identity, democracy, equality, and the personal dimensions of artistic vision. The gallery is known for debuting artists, facilitating intergenerational conversations across its roster, and stewarding the legacies of artists within broader art historical frameworks.
VSF's new K-Town location will be open to the public Tuesdays through Saturdays, 10 AM–6 PM, beginning in February 2026. Details about the inaugural exhibition and programming will be announced in the coming months.
For media inquiries, please contact:
info@vsf.la