Creative Resilience is 100 works of art by 50 artists and 20 performances Celebrating L.A.

Creative Resilience, the artful community experience featured more than 100 works of art by 50 artists and 20 programs over ten days, in the Downtown Los Angeles Arts District. This 10-day journey through L.A.’s rich history of cultural resistance and community-building was a visual and sonic exploration of how communities of color make beauty out of hardship. 

Highlights of the show include works by renowned artists Hank Willis Thomas, Shepard Fairey, Faviannia Rodriguez, Lili Bernard, and Narsiso Martinez. Each artist’s work is showcased alongside musical performances, educational workshops and a Mutual Aid Expo that amplifies the voices of BIPOC Angeleno workers and celebrates their ability to make a way out of no way. 

The works by Carlos Ramirez, Anything Helps, and Hely Omar Gonzalez, Mucho Trabajo, Poquito Dinero Reprise, take a stark, often raw look at how working class people are struggling today.

Up and coming visionaries like Kayla Salisbury, Glenn Hardy Jr, Stephanie Mercado, Reginald Armstrong, and Brian Herrera are featured in the show which reflects on the values of economic justice, community, and mutual aid.

Celebrated L.A. performers including Jimetta Rose and The Voices of Creation, Subsuelo, poet and storyteller aja monet, a Nipsey Hustle tribute set by DJ Battlecat, and an Afro-Latin dance workshop with Contra Tiempo will inspire attendees with the power of their words and beats. 

Comedian, actor and star of HBO’s “Insecure”, Amanda Seales will be joined by UCLA professor David Turner to talk about community power and the November elections. Dawn-Lyen Gardner, star of the hit series “Queen Sugar” will be in conversation with Justin Wesson, Chief of Staff of the L.A. Federation of Labor, music, film and content producer Richie Reseda, and historian and social justice artist maytha alhassen on how to encourage political imagination through civic engagement. Writer Van Lathan, filmmaker and activist Etienne Maurice, and Sharonda Wade will discuss the importance of healing and mental health. Iconic East L.A. photographer Estevan Oriol will be interviewed by KCRW DJ Anthony Valadez. Estevan will share the inspiration behind his powerful work that captures the pride and power of the Latino community in Los Angeles. 

Creative Resilience was produced by The People’s Project, powered by the Los Angeles Federation of Labor, and Spitfire Strategies, a woman-owned public interest firm that partners with nonprofits and foundations.

For the full rundown of events visit the Creative Resilience website at www.crla.art.