The Box, a prominent Los Angeles gallery, announced it will close after 19 years, with its final exhibition—a two-venue collaboration with Parker Gallery for late California artist Wally Hedrick—ending April 4. The closure will be marked by a fashion show for Johanna Went on June 6. Founder Mara McCarthy cited a combination of factors, including changing economics around support for her father Paul McCarthy's work and the loss of her family's homes in the January 2025 Eaton fire, as making continued operation impossible.
The closure of The Box represents a significant loss for LA's art scene, as the gallery was known for championing experimental and under-recognized artists, often operating like a nonprofit within a for-profit model. It is part of a wave of gallery closures in Los Angeles, following the recent exits of Marian Goodman Gallery, Tanya Bonakdar, LA Louver, and Tim Blum's gallery. The Box's unique mission—founded to uplift peers of Paul McCarthy who had not achieved market success—highlights ongoing challenges for galleries that prioritize radical, non-commercial art in an increasingly difficult economic environment.