99CENT: How an Abandoned Discount Store Became LA Art Week’s Best (Anti)Fair

The moment you step into 6121 Wilshire Boulevard, the fluorescent hum and scuffed linoleum read like a thrifted memory—but every shelf is crowded with art. Over 20,000 square feet of a shuttered discount shop has been repurposed into an artist-driven flea of work, with thousands of pieces filling aisles, fridges and signage-strewn corners; it’s quickly become the most talked-about detour during LA Art Week because it feels like the opposite of an art market. This is not a curated white-box spectacle; it’s chaotic, democratic and, crucially, designed to change how collectors and streetwear audiences think about access and value.

What does 99CENT look and feel like on the ground?

Walking through 99CENT feels like a scavenger hunt inside an old bargain retailer—original signage, checkout lanes and even commercial refrigerators remain as part of the set. The show sprawls across the former retail footprint with art jammed into every visible surface, turning the building’s retail history into a backdrop rather than a blank slate. Organizers estimate thousands of works on display, offering a sheer volume that reads as invitation rather than gatekeeping for visitors and buyers alike [1].

Why did Barry McGee, The Hole and Jeffrey Deitch choose a shuttered discount store?

This project is explicitly an anti-fair gesture: instead of replicating salon-style booths or VIP lounges, the team leaned into an unapologetically quotidian environment. Barry McGee’s curatorial instincts—rooted in street-level visibility and DIY networks—match The Hole’s gallery programming and Jeffrey Deitch’s appetite for unpredictable public-facing projects. The result is a show that privileges density and discovery over hierarchy, reframing where art can live during a week built around exclusive events [1].

What most visitors overlook when they first see the aisles

People tend to notice the novelty—art in a supermarket—but miss the intent behind the density. This isn’t just a gimmick; the packed presentation reorients collecting by emphasizing immediacy and affordable entry points. Many participating artists span painting, sculpture, illustration and performance, and the breadth is meant to disrupt the usual fair economy where visibility often follows price tags and gallery clout. In short, 99CENT foregrounds volume and variety as a way to redistribute attention during one of the year’s most concentrated cultural moments [1].

How to experience 99CENT without getting overwhelmed (practical next steps)

• Give yourself time: treat it like a flea market, not a gallery crawl—block at least 45–90 minutes.
• Start at the back: work forward through the aisles so you don’t miss pieces tucked into corners or installed behind shelving.
• Come ready to buy small: many works are priced to encourage impulse purchases and experimentation.
• Look for performative moments and pop-ups—these are intentionally ephemeral and can change the feel of the space hour to hour. These practical moves will help streetwear buyers and brand scouts spot one-off pieces, artist collaborations and potential creative partners without getting lost in the density.

Where this anti-fair model breaks down — and what it signals for Art Week

The model’s strengths are also its limits. High density can mean visibility for emerging makers, but it can also bury singular projects that deserve focused attention; serious collectors who want provenance, condition reports or long-form viewing may find the setup frustrating. Additionally, the DIY atmosphere raises questions about cataloging, pricing transparency and resale pathways—issues that matter if a retail or streetwear brand is considering licensing or collaboration. Still, the experiment signals a desire among artists and curators to create programming that resists conventional market logic during major art weeks [1].

Quick takeaways for the streetwear crowd

• 99CENT is a raw, high-volume alternative to canonical Art Week fairs—expect discovery over curation.
• The format favors impulse buying and small-scale collaborations; it’s fertile ground for limited-run capsule ideas.
• Bring cash or be prepared for ad-hoc payment setups; the scene prizes immediacy.
• If you’re scouting artists for a brand or collab, prioritize documentation (photos, contact swaps) on-site.

99CENT is less about replacing traditional fairs than offering a complementary experience: it amplifies artists who thrive outside gallery spreadsheets and gives the streetwear community a direct line to work that’s affordable, immediate and culturally resonant. For a week dominated by polished booths and invitation-only events, an abandoned discount store has quietly become the place to remind visitors why art scenes started in everyday places in the first place.