Known for its support of the street art scene and the largest rotating outdoor gallery of its kind in the City of Los Angeles, the Arts District of Downtown Los Angeles has dozens of public artwork on view for free at any given time. In addition to large-scale outdoor murals, there are what Jaime Rojo and Steven Harrington of the Huffington Post calls “numerous organic or magnet walls; i.e., walls on decrepit or decaying urban blocks where a slap-happy unaligned group of artists continuously add to the layers on the street for an ever-evolving show. The variety of styles and processes is pretty wide, ranging from large-run stickers and screen-printed posters to hand-stitched abstract geometry and penciled portraits, some exhibiting
the “New Guard” who herald a different approach to graffiti and street art with their storytelling and mashups. Besides a lively series of messages that are strongly political, other themes include celebrity, video games, pop culture and simple illustrations and fascinations or daydreams.” (click here for the rest of their comments and images of local art).
The Arts District is home to L.A. Freewalls, a groundbreaking project designed to foster a constructive artistic environment for open and free expression. It is a community-supported initiative designed to broaden the scope of the burgeoning street art movement and to educate visitors to the value of public expression. The overwhelming support by residents and visitors to the neighborhood has allowed the project to develop into an excellent model for sustainable urban mural development. To date, L.A. Freewalls currently consists of more than 45 permanent outdoor murals on 75,000 sq. ft. of walls within the boundaries of the 52-block Downtown Arts District of Los Angeles. Additional information and updates can be found at www.lalaarts.com.
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