The spirit of Al’s lives on

In 1979, Marc Kreisel found inspiration in Joseph Beuys’s “Honey Pump”, a large tube pumping honey around a free university. As a conceptual artist experimenting with social practice, Marc noted there is nothing free in Los Angeles. So he went looking for a “Money Pump”—a place where artists could circulate money.

To bring this idea to life, Marc found the American Hotel, a four-story, unreinforced-brick building in downtown Los Angeles. He organized its purchase and began filling its rooms with artists. The building came with a bonus—Al’s Bar, a rough-around-the-edges dive where artists came to relax, get drunk, socialize and party. Above the bar, a green neon sign made the rules clear: Tip or Die.

The American Hotel also had a street-level storefront, soon converted into the American Gallery. Marc’s vision was complete. But it became bigger—and more important—than even he imagined.

Artists flocked to the hotel, but musicians took a special liking to Al’s Bar. Over the years, its tiny stage hosted future legends like Nirvana, Tool, and Fear. A very young Beck played his first gig there.

Throughout the ’80s and into the ’90s, Al’s Bar, the American Gallery, and the American Hotel became a hub of raw creativity. No-Talent Nights, cutting-edge art shows, and underground performances helped define and launch the Downtown L.A. Arts District. UCLA now preserves many artifacts from Al’s in its Special Collections archive.

Fifty years later, Marc Kreisel is opening Musée du Al—L.A.’s smallest contemporary art museum. It features rotating exhibitions from Al’s collection, plus curated group and solo shows. Many of the represented artists are part of the original Al’s scene, while others comfortably fit its punk-dadaist spirit.

The Musée is open by invitation or appointment only. Want in? Sign up for our list, and you’ll be invited.