For those interested primarily in younger, emerging contemporary talents, Valentine suggests

Sterling Ruby, “This Range,” 2005, Lambda print, at Marc Foxx.

Chinatown. “This area started around 1997,” he says. “There’s a great vibe. It’s a cool place to be. The galleries include China Art Objects, Peres Projects, Black Dragon Society and Chung King Project. These are all young galleries [opened around 1999], and you always find something interesting here.” Two relatively new galleries in the area are Daniel Hug and David Kordansky Gallery. “They feature artists who are just breaking out,” Valentine notes.

The third center is Culver City, where the leading gallery is Blum & Poe. “They represent some of the hottest artists right now, including Takashi Murakami, who’s about to have a one-man show at MOCA,” Valentine says. Another represented artist is Mark Grotjahn, whose abstract paintings are being snapped up by the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

In keeping with the sprawling layout of Los Angeles, important galleries are scattered throughout the city. “Bergamot [Station in Santa Monica] isn’t what it used to be, but some spaces there are worth a visit,” he says, suggesting specifically Mark Moore and Patrick Painter. “Some of the most highly regarded galleries are in the mid-Hollywood area. Regen Projects is considered the best in Los Angeles. It was the first place to show the major contemporary artists. It debuted works by Damien Hirst, Matthew Barney, Charles Ray. If you want a sense of the art scene, you have to go there. It’s a global program, not just local artists.” He also suggests visiting the Margo Leavin Gallery, which is near Regen Projects and is almost legendary for its longevity, having opened in 1970. Gagosian Gallery in Beverly Hills, another long-time presence, is also important. “Other galleries scattered around are Richard Telles Fine Art on Beverly, which has had a consistent program through the years.

“We’re lucky because we’re one of the two or three main centers of contemporary art–making in the world,” he continues. “There always have been great artists here, but they used to have to leave and go to New York. That’s no longer the case.” Valentine has commissioned a few works directly from artists, including a drawing by Raymond Pettibon. “I do very little of that,” he says. “I’m more interested in what artists have to say than what I have to say.”

Spoken like a true collector.

Kathy Bryant, an Art & Antiques Los Angeles correspondent, is the former art critic for the Orange County Register and antiques columnist for The Los Angeles Times.