UGLARworks' Evan Skrederstu will be participating in upcoming 2016 LA Art Show panel discussion entitled Mural Renaissance in DTLA: Challenges of Expression and Legacy. The talk is taking place on Saturday, January 30, 2016, at 3PM. Please visit the LA Art Show website for more information, or read the official press release below (courtesy of MCLA).
The Mural Conservancy of Los Angeles (MCLA), sponsored by the 2016 Los Angeles Art Show (LAAS), is proud to present the exhibition From the Streets to Canvas. Curated by MCLA’s executive director, Isabel Rojas-Williams, this exhibition will showcase pioneer and contemporary artists and will run for the duration of the 2016 LAAS (January 27th-31st, 2016) at the Convention Center.
Most people agree that quality public art is desirable. But after the unveiling and the party, art in public spaces can take on a life of its own. Economics, cultural history, and changing neighborhoods are among the factors that move public art past the original intent of the artist. This exhibit will showcase the historical and cultural evolution of some of Los Angeles’ notable and changing pieces of art displayed in public. Embracing LA’s visual art culture, this exhibit will include, among others, Carlos Almaraz, Christopher Brand, Espi, Ignacio Gomez, Willie Herrón III, Steve Martinez, MEAR ONE, Art Mortimer, Gilbert Ortiz, Frank Romero, Shizu Saldamando, Evan Skrederstu, and John Valadez. Live painting will be by UGLARworks (Unified Group of Los Angeles Residents) led by pioneer muralist Willie Herrón III. The exhibition, inspired by LA’s mural culture, will connect the street and the canvas.
In conjunction, MCLA will also present a panel discussion, Mural Renaissance in DTLA: Challenges of Expression and Legacy, moderated by Isabel Rojas-Williams, on Saturday January 30th, 2016 at 3 pm at the Convention Center.
Los Angeles, particularly in Downtown, is undergoing a renaissance of culture and public art. The vibrant underground scene of the 1980s, when local artists gathered for impromptu art installations, theater, music, readings, and blowout parties planted the seeds for the convergence of fringe and traditional culture now in full swing. DTLA is a thriving place where cafes, boutiques, and restaurants open at an incredible pace.
From the Broad Museum, Walt Disney Concert Hall and MOCA on Grand Avenue to revival of Broadway and the Historic Core, DTLA is coming together as the cultural rival to New York as the place to be. The Historic Core is home to incredible murals, dozens of galleries and the Art Walk since 2004. South Park has experienced a tremendous transformation in the last decade.
All of this is happening amid the Open-Air Mural Museums that passersby encounter on nearly every corner of DTLA. Murals serve as a liaison among the different neighborhoods, and they create a narrative point of reference over the years. And as that narrative expands, so does the opportunity and responsibility of understanding and preservation. Los Angeles has learned that historic works of public art can show up wherever the desire for great expression manifests itself. The 2013 Mural Ordinance has opened up avenues for expression – both “legal” and “illegal” -- and set the stage for the iconic works of the future. Yet the current renaissance of public art arises at the time social media like Facebook and Instagram both bring awareness to the ephemeral nature of public art and sometimes even glorify it. Is a continuity of public art narrative possible or even desirable any longer? Has gentrification made contemporary street artists “sell outs”?
Embracing Los Angeles’ cultural vibrancy and preservation, and in conjunction with our exhibition From the Streets to Canvas, The Mural Conservancy of Los Angeles (MCLA) is presenting Mural Renaissance in DTLA: Challenges of Expression and Legacy, a panel discussion, at the prestigious 2016 Los Angeles Art Show (LAAS) on Saturday, January 30th (3 p.m.) Among our panelists: Renowned muralist Kent Twitchell, MCLA’s Board president, attorney Eric Bjorgum (Karish & Bjorgum PC), Jessica Lall (South Park BID, executive director), Mear One (artist), muralist Evan Skrederstu, and Tanner Blackman (Kindel Gagan Public Affairs Consulting).