"Beacons" (Part 1) in Support of Downtown Women's Center
Ended up writing a ton this week on another project that I hope to share with you soon. So for now, I'll let the pictures do most of the talking- M.A.
Beacons (Blue, Yellow, Red) 2021
Dimensions Variable
Flashlight, bungee cord. Installed Downtown Los Angeles
The Fashion District.
In every case the flashlights were gone the next morning when I checked on the pieces. In one case the flashlights were gone seconds after I turned my back to them. I can only speculate what happened, but my hope is that whoever took them put them to good use. Maybe they even provided some some comfort. DTLA can be a pretty terrifying place at night. Reading that flashlights are high on the list of desirable items for the unhoused definitely informed my initial decision to use them is this manner. Every other supplemental object I’ve to used to create these pieces we’re informed by the same thought process.
In 2024, Alison Limtavemongkol included prints of Beacons for the international art exchange program B•LA•M in Berlin, Germany. Alison and I also ended up collaborating on another site-specific version for that show, which I'll share next week in Part 2.
Orchard (Fading Light), 2022
8 battery operated flashlights, mesh bag, bungee cord
Installed at First German Methodist Church, Glendale CA.
First German Methodist Church.
Orchard (Fading Light) was an installation I created for "Maker's Communion" which was curated by Jay Lizo at First German Methodist Church. The layout of the church is a bit of a post-modern architectural puzzle; with several curved walls that meet at different points on different levels. Around the main staircase there is an odd "hideout" space that reminded me of the blind alleyways in DTLA where I had installed some of the Beacons pieces.
Out in the church's expansive courtyard, I created a companion piece: Orchard (Free Exchange/ Sea Breeze) which you can read more about by following this link: https://www.nonewheroes.com/free-exchange-sea-breeze-in-support-of-findhelp-org/
I can't thank both Alison and Jay for the support and friendship they've shown me over the years. Real collaboration is a pretty sacred thing; it requires a level of trust and vulnerability that isn't easy to find in the hyper competitive world of contemporary art making. The sun is out. The birds are chirping. The universe is more vast and beautiful than you and I will ever know.
DWC manages 159 units of permanent housing across greater Los Angeles, and has grown to serve more than 5,700 women annually. We provide a wide array of resources to decrease barriers and end homelessness for good for all women, including female veterans and their families, women with severe physical and mental health concerns, and survivors of domestic violence.
They operate the only health clinic exclusively serving women in the Skid Row community.
A call to action, commonly known by the initialism CTA, is a strategic marketing tool designed to spur an immediate response from an audience, guiding them toward a specific action.
A call to action, commonly known by the initialism CTA, is a strategic marketing tool designed to spur an immediate response from an audience, guiding them toward a specific action.
NNH began with the (perhaps naive) hope that it could be of service to folks who needed it. I wasn't exactly sure who that meant- Was it the potential readership? The Mutual Aid groups that would be featured in each post? Or other creative types (equally fed up with the constant "me at the center" paradigm required by our Tech Overlords) looking for a place to get weird and do some good.
SO, if you're out there- whomever you may be- Let me know. Leave a comment. Click a link. Tell a friend. Pitch an idea. Do anything to feel less alone in the world.
Member discussion