Programs — LA Commons

Programs

Stories to Art

Our programs create a space where stories and voices are heard and transformed into public art that educates, empowers and enriches Los Angeles.

Neighborhood Story Connection projects strengthen the sense of belonging by engaging youth artists and community members in the creation of public artworks that illuminate local community culture, history and a vision of the future. Youth and their artist mentors are employed to produce original public art in a variety of mediums including murals on public and private buildings, city utility boxes and light poles, park fences, archways and planters, to temporary installations in public spaces.

Youth Development

Youth artists develop their skills in civic engagement, leadership, art and design, while exploring the history, people and issues impacting their neighborhoods.

The young people, ages 15 - 25, are recruited through local schools, neighborhood centers, and community organizations. Working with local professional artists, they first collect stories and knowledge from the community. Then they collaborate in a design process to create art that reflects these powerful narratives. The final art work is displayed in a public space for the whole community to enjoy.

Community Empowerment

South Los Angeles neighborhoods are home to an abundance of artists, educators, businesses and culture bearers; all treasures with a wealth of cultural knowledge and experience.

These neighborhoods have been subject to systems and structures that reinforce inequality and negative outcomes related to housing, criminal justice, the environment and the economy.

We use the power of community collectively sharing stories through highly visible art to call attention to local issues, uplifting visions for a better future, that inform policy decisions and create change.

Festival of Masks

Leimert Park's Day of the Ancestors: Festival of Masks is an annual celebration of our ancestors and an invocation for the South Central LA community. Founded in 2010 by artists Najite Agindotan and Ben Caldwell in collaboration with LA Commons, the Festival of Masks is a multicultural, multigenerational, and multimedia arts event grounded in the vast identities of Africa and the African diaspora.