Rosa Park
Photo: Rich Stapleton

Rosa Park, director of Francis Gallery, first founded the gallery in 2019 in Bath, U.K., with the second Los Angeles location on Melrose Avenue opening four years later in 2022. The gallery supports a diverse roster of 30 international artists; Park’s narrative-driven curation is rooted in an emotional response to the work, not art-market trends. The Seoul, Korea-born, Vancouver, Canada-raised gallerist and former magazine editor (she founded Cereal with her husband in 2012) moved to L.A. in 2021 and has since carved out a space for the unique art objects that reflect her interest in interiors and travel.

What is your go-to museum in L.A.?
My favorite museum in LA without competition is the Norton Simon, mostly because I love their permanent collection. I believe it’s the only museum on the West Coast that has a Raphael. They have a phenomenal collection and that’s the main reason I go at least once or twice a year. I also love the outdoor area they have with the sculptures, and I like the intimacy of the museum – it’s very manageable in a singular visit.

What’s a go-to place for you to find curatorial inspiration?
It changes every season, because it depends what show is on [at the gallery]. I’m a longtime admirer and fan of Edmund de Waal, who recently had his solo show at the Gagosian, and to time with that he has his year-long show at The Huntington, particularly in the Chinese and Japanese gardens. I think the way his work has been incorporated into the viewing experience of the gardens is immaculate. I really responded to his vitrine being installed at one of the houses in the Japanese gardens, as if it were always there. That kind of placement and curation is what makes it so special to see these shows.

What’s your go-to café or restaurant for an artsy business lunch?
At the moment, I’ve been taking most of my work meetings and lunches at San Vicente Bungalows in West Hollywood — because it’s so close.

What’s one of your go-to places to pick up a gift for a friend who’s interested in art?
I’m kind of a big believer that when you’re gifting you’ve got to play to your strengths in terms of what your city has to offer, and I think L.A.’s strength is food, so I tend to buy people a lot of food-forward gifts.

But my go-to gift shop is Dosa. The downtown showroom space is truly an L.A. institution with the best, one-of-a-kind gift items. I’ve gifted people her cushions, coasters, tchotchkes, notebooks … I know she’s known for her clothes, but I tend to gravitate toward home objects when I’m gifting people. She has a nice mix of artisans and craftspeople that she curates … I’ve gifted someone a tantric drawing from there.

What’s your go-to collecting advice?
It’s very simple and self-evident, but: Buy what you love. I’ve never strayed from that.

Do you have a go-to resource or place to discover new artists?
Yes and no. I think all of the artists that I want to find — that I want to buy, that I want to appreciate, or that I want to work with — come from conversations with friends. I have a lot of friends and peers in the industry and we’re sharing what we’re into and what we’re interested in and it kind of leads you down a rabbit hole where you chance upon an artist and you’re like, Wow this person is fantastic. Sometimes I want to work with somebody but it doesn’t pan out, and I end up buying their work from the gallery they’re working with … so can conversations with friends be a resource?

Any go-to galleries to visit with programs you like in L.A.?
I love Nonaka-Hill. Château Shatto, La Loma gallery, and Marta — all because of the artists they work with and the way they present the work.

What’s your go-to outfit for a museum or gallery-hop day?
I have to be comfortable. That’s all I care about these days. I dress very simply — everything in my life I try to simplify. I’ll either wear a linen button-down shirt or a cotton T-shirt, and very comfortable cropped trousers — they have to be cropped because I’m 5’2” so cropped fits me like it fits regular people. And then shoes-wise, I have stopped wearing heels (even though I’m short and I should wear them), so I wear loafers, sandals, it just has to be flat. I love Comme Si and Chan Luu as brands.

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