Inspired by the Seattle Art Museum exhibit Elles: Women Artists; envisioned over bottles of New Year’s juice and born on the Hill in January 2013, one of Pike/Pine’s newer arts additions, Hard L Collective, has brought a feminist inspired perspective to 10th Avenue arts that will continue Thursday night as the group takes on photography.

Run by artists Finch Izatt, Tania Albranda, and Leigh Riibe, who acts as the venue curator, the group has set up shop at the 1216 10th Avenue Pound Gallery Compound that hosts a “slew of events including monthly one-night-only art shows, live music, DJ’ed dance parties, and more.”

The name for the space came after a night of champagne bottle popping by artists Lynda Sherman, Erin Frost, and Doug Newman, the Facebook page reads, in response to the SAM exhibit with the hope “that women artists could remain this prevalent in the art world at large for longer than a gallery cycle at the SAM, and the desire to put on an amazing show of their own featuring all of their favorite hardcore female Seattle artists. With their blessing, Hard L the Art Gallery & Performance Venue was born!”

CHS spoke with Albranda of Hard L to learn more about the gallery that opens their doors every second Thursday for the Capitol Hill Arts Blitz.

“Originally, it was three ladies and I was interested in helping in any way I could in the background,” Albranda said of her introduction to the group that has her doing everything from setting up the compound for shows to replying to emails. A four-year photographer Albranda says Hard L is “here to support the feminists, queer, women and men out there of the community and just trying to get there art out there and there message and hopefully they can use our venue to express themselves.”

Though the space operates as an ode to feminism, Albranda says it doesn’t exclude men from the monthly showcase as long as “they – touch on something whether it be feminism or some kind of activism.” Albranda notes the space also has a local film shorts night. Whether the shorts night runs monthly or every other month is yet to be pinned down. Albranda is also working on that. The space will continue with feminist inspired showcases Thursday with ‘Sweet Angels’ a photo exhibit by Adrien Leavitt that will see doors open at 6 PM and is free – but 21+ and, oops, all ages!

For more information and other opportunities to visit the Hard L Collective, see hardl.org.