For three weeks in November 2013, the Hammer Museum’s urban renewal project Arts ReSTORE LA: Westwood enlivened the streets of Westwood Village, filling empty storefronts with the creative force of local makers and craftspeople. Invited by Hammer to temporarily take over 4000 sq ft of vacant space on Westwood Boulevard, Christina took the opportunity to do a different kind of shop: retail as narrative.

 

The result, dosa mercantile, offered a selection of goods spanning dosa’s 30-year history. Items were arranged on tables curated by project: Oaxaca, Edible Schoolyard, Marfa, indigo, housewares, printed matter, recycling, khadi, and work by like-minded artists. A larder of our Hollywood Farmers’ Market favorites, handpicked by Christina and Jodi Rappaport, encouraged visitors to get acquainted with their local farmers.

 

The beautiful space, formerly the offices of architect Barton Myers, became both physical and creative framework for the installation/shop. At the entrance, dosa’s version of blueprints: original working drawings from various projects. Twelve tableaux, each a blueprint of objects, photos, and text, told the history of our products and the artisans with whom we work.