Meet Alexis Kharel | Arts and Events Publicist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Alexis Kharel and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Alexis, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
When I first moved to Los Angeles from New York, there were only a handful of galleries that were really pushing the envelope, (not counting The Brewery compound of course). However, I watched and participated in what eventually morphed into a new renaissance for the Los Angeles Art Scene.

I think there were many attributing factors regarding the influx of new art, artists and galleries. Large spaces became available as the film industry here moved from prop houses and large scenic studios to green screen. Artists expats from the San Francisco, Bay Area flooded the LA area as the high cost of living in Northern CA skyrocketed, and New York started getting hit with hurricanes. Los Angeles became the center focus of a new, refreshing and vibrant art scene that is still growing. However, there was a point where the market became saturated, and in that realization is where my business model was inspired.

Gallery owners could not compete and keep a full-time seasoned staff. I saw where my 20+ years in the business could fulfill a need by promoting their events, training their less seasoned staff, and jumping in where needed. We could create packages to fit their needs, and we realized our model could expand beyond just art events.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My career path was highly untraditional. My father had a unique assignment in the military. As a child, we moved a LOT.
By the time I graduated high school, I had attended 14 different schools.

Decidedly, right after high school, I would not be continuing with the uniformed caravan, and made my way to San Francisco. I was a book worm, but acclimated to being assertive.
I found myself at a very commercial gallery down by the San Francisco Wharf thanks to my book smarts on art. They called us Wharf rats. We sold basically glorified decorative art and though I was not impressed with the art it was technically well painted.

I was hungry for more though. I lived at the library and would fill my tiny apartment with anything I could find regarding every art genre. Then I discovered Vorpal Gallery. It was a 20,000 sq. ft. gallery behind The SF Opera House. More like a small museum, I was entranced by every inch of the place and would spend hours there. One day, Muldoon Elder the owner was there from NY and I watched him at his desk, and when the gallery was about to close, I walked over and introduced myself. I was 19.
I sat down and said, “Hi, my name is Alexis and I am going to work for you and I’m not leaving until you hire me.”
Truthfully, I wasn’t even sure if he was going to call the police. Instead, taken aback, he laughed. It turned into a 3 hour conversation that ended with me showing up bright and early the next day for my first day on the job.

By the time I left Vorpal to move to NY, I was Assistant Director of that venue.
I would later pursue my academic accolades at the age of 27, but there is not a person out there who can claim I did not know my trade or that I was not completely dedicated.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Los Angeles is a city of great contradiction. You must maintain a sense of humor to live here. I suppose I would start with the museums; The Getty, LACMA, The Broad, The Hammer Museum. Each neighborhood has its own flavor. We would have to explore Downtown LA, Chinatown, Little Tokyo, The Fashion District, The Arts District. Followed by beach combing the Westside trailing from Malibu down to Long Beach.

There are exquisite restaurants here, but I would have to introduce them to some of my favorite Mom & Pop places in Artesia and the saturated flavor of the road side taco trucks.

If they want to see a few celebrities, I might score them a few free tickets for one of the talk shows. Truthfully, there is an endless amount of things to do here.
It’s one of the reasons we post a free community board on Instagram for the general public @urbanrodeo.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My journey has to be credited to so many people, each with a unique story that accompanies how I came to be the person I am.

However, I would have to attribute my biggest leaps to my daughter and my partner Allison Brass. There was a point in my life that I had fallen on my face so many times, I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to get back up again.
I found myself with a 4 month old child and filing for divorce with my entire life falling apart in front of my eyes. I had just dropped a deposit check on a gallery I was going to open myself, and found myself backing out of the deal because of the uncertainty I faced.
I owed it to my little girl not only to stay strong, but to move forward.

A few years later, I would meet my partner, who wouldn’t take no for an answer, saw what I capable of, and pushed me back onto my path, and for that I am beyond grateful. Call it what you want, but the universe will always send you people and experience to redirect you to your purpose I think.

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