In the spirit of civic and cultural engagement, artworxLA students presented artworks inspired by monuments and memorials, utopian and dystopian visions of the future, community journalism and activism this winter. Three public presentations at the Autry Museum of the American West, Central Library in Downtown LA, and the Japanese American National Museum (JANM) exhibited how, through a creative lens, students can expand depth of knowledge, develop technical skills, and demand change in their communities.

A special thank you to our cultural partners, school partners, artworxLA staff, and Teaching Artists for supporting our students’ creative journey. Thank you also to the special guests and supporters who attended the event including: Arts for Incarcerated Youth Network, Los Angeles County Probation (Van Nuys JDRC), LA Promise Fund, the University of Southern California, CBS2/KCAL9, and Telemundo.

Autry Museum of the American West | Voices of A Movement: LA Raza and Community Journalism
Photos by Frankie Reyes and Paul Ulukpo

Los Angeles Public Library | Into the Unknown: Sci-Fi Visions of the Future
Photos by Chris Devlin  and Paul Ulukpo

Japanese American National Museum | Monuments and Memory: Reconstructing American History
Photos by Las Fotos  and Paul Ulukpo

artworxLA Level 1 program brings arts education to schools in LA County during the academic year. Students in Level 1 classroom workshops participate in three 11-week workshops each year. Professional artists guide students to create art that connects to exhibitions and programs at museums, theaters, civic, and cultural centers. Each 11-week workshop culminates in a trip to the institution, where students present their final work.

artworxLA is part of the 2018 Juvenile Justice Art Project. The Juvenile Justice Art Project is a partnership between the County of Los Angeles Probation Department, the Los Angeles County Arts Commission and the Arts for Incarcerated Youth Network.