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Cultural Politics

The arts have always been used to tackle difficult issues on a wide scale. From poetry that ignites millions to photography that captures injustices, artists are using their creativity to make space for the marginalized and give light to untold stories.

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Masters of Modern Design
56:06
Japanese American influence in postwar American art and design is unparalleled.
A project with Meztli Projects, which just launched IndigenARTS & Wellness | Joel Garcia
Through a combination of Indigenous artistic/creative practices, IndigenARTS & Wellness is looking to heal communities.
Sophia Le Fraga's haiku at Ace Hotel | Courtesy of Ace Hotel DTLA
With museums closed, publicly oriented art is coming to the forefront in new and exciting ways.
Carla Jay Harris "Sphinx," 2019. Archival pigment print. Two panels, 40 x 30 in. each. The work features a beautiful Black woman wearing a dark blue dress kneeling down in a golden meadow under a starry sky and bright orange sun. | Courtesy the artist
Learn more about the spaces filling the holes left behind by the historically white-centric L.A. art world.
"yәhaw̓"curated by Asia Tail (Cherokee Nation), Tracy Rector (Choctaw/Seminole), and Satpreet Kahlon. ARTS at King Street Station, March 23–August 4, 2019 | Benjamin Benschneider
Artists and institutions make choices every day to live and work with integrity. Columnist Anuradha Vikram talks to artists and arts administrators about the ethical guidelines they apply to their work.
Mural at Mafundi Institute | Still from "Broken Bread" Watts
An arts movement emerged in ‘60s Watts. In response, federal and local law enforcement enacted counterinsurgency programs that infiltrated and co-opted Black arts and culture institutions and surveilled and targeted activists, artists and community member
Bruce Lemon Jr. playing with youth during a rehearsal break of " A Jordan Downs Illumination."| Nancy Keystone
Today, a cadre of local activists and artists in Watts are using storytelling and human relationships to promote change, justice, equality and communal values.
Aida Cuevas and La Marisoul at the Soraya | Ricki Quinn, Courtesy of the Soraya
56:05
Performers pay tribute to Linda Ronstadt. Plus, an interview with the legend herself.
A woman looks up to appreciate the Watts Towers, circa 2011 | Carren Jao
Public art in America has changed a great deal in scope and scale. What role does it play today?
The sign outside the Watts Towers Art Center | Still from "The Watts Towers Arts Center" ab s11 episode image
57:08
The Watts Towers Arts Center was born out of the resilience of 1960s Black L.A.
Participants play a tug of war during the Watts Cookbook © event initiated by ToroLab 2019 | Panic Studio LA, Courtesy of City of Los Angeles, Department of Cultural Affairs, CURRENT:LA Food© ab s11 episode image
52:45
Artists created works to spark conversation about L.A. and sustainable futures.
A woman looks over the concrete Los Angeles River. Still image from Carmen Argote's "Last Light." | Still from "Southland Sessions" Civic Imagination sls ep10 image
56:05
Hosted by designer Rosten Woo, this episode explores L.A. civic art and culture during the pandemic.
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