Another Sunday morning arrives where I once again find myself strolling down the unique street of Abbot Kinney. I gaze at the numerous storefronts decked out with racks of vintage dresses, trays of scrumptious treats and the typical whacky artwork painted by a local of the Venice art colony. Then, I see all the familiar cafes and clothing stores: Lemonade, Surfing Cowboys, Ananda, etc. But out of the corner of my eye, a mutilated Barbie Doll grabs my attention, sparking my curiosities about the doll and the story behind it. Never mind my growling stomach or the windy weather; this storefront convinced me to wait a little longer for breakfast and warmth, and possibly put my standing artistic inspiration into question. This painted Barbie, rocking a big paper mache head and other intriguing features, urged me to walk in the gallery and cure the curiosity that had successfully overwhelmed me.

Ten Women, a gallery that strictly features local female artists, opened my eyes to an art scene which had never been exposed.  As a cooperative art gallery, the diverse artists share everything from setbacks to spotlight, working as a team, to decide what new addition they can display in the gallery. Ribbon-laced mobiles dangling from the ceiling, mixed media paintings gleaming with vivid color schemes and little trinkets displayed near the register stunned me upon my first steps into Ten Women. With an array of fused glass art and mod-style ceramics, as well as mixed mediums on large canvases and digital art, this obscure gallery tickled my artistic inspiration, compelling me to grab hold of a piece of trash- in this case a Barbie doll or the featured mosaics- and produce something one-of-a-kind. Next Sunday morning, I know Ten Women will surely reveal a new wave of curiosity and influence within me.