"Wayfinding" In Support of The Garment Worker Center
We're closing out our multi-part celebration of friendship and collaboration with the story behind Wayfinding. The piece was a collaboration between Katie and I for a one night only, drive through art show titled "Highbeams." And yes, the show was exactly what it sounds like... Artists were invited to create outdoor works that people could view from their (socially distanced) car as they slowly drove their way around a DTLA rooftop parking lot. It was late Summer of 2020, and things had been unpleasantly awful for some time. Like everyone else, we starving for the my-spirit-speaks-to-your spirit connection that comes with in-person Arts events.
The last image is the view from our studio building, looking down on the soon-to-be-open festivities.
Our goal with Wayfinding was to amplify the voices of artists and creators we admired. So we asked several contributors to submit the names of activists from their community who’ve shaped their work and worldview. The piece existed in a physical sculpture that would be shown at "Highbeams;" and a digital form that would be distributed online around the time of the exhibition.
For the sculpture, we incorporated each name into a multi-directional sign post with reflective vinyl that would activate as the cars passed by. The names were hand written which softened the formal authority typical of municipal signs (a process I adore.)
Wayfinding, 2020 Katie and Matt Allison (exhibiting as Sea Farm City) With contributions from Erica Mercado, Alison Limtavemongkol, Maria Rendón, and Jeff Page.
For the online portion of the piece, we asked each contributor to write a small piece outlining their influence. I can't begin to describe the unbridled excitement I felt as the statements started to come in. There are few joys in life like discovering the deeper layers of someone you are close with. We're all artichokes revolving around a a middle-aged star; 4.6 billion years in the making.
Alicia Partnoy by Erica Mercado
“My activism started in my 20s, very close to Alicia Partnoy’s age when she was abducted for being a politically active student. Her memoir, The Little School, is a collection of short vignettes of her disappearance and imprisonment in Argentina in the 1970s. Her book gives a voice to the 30,000 people who "disappeared" and shares moments of how she kept her sanity, staying focus on little things like a plastic daisy on her slipper. Alicia Partnoy’s book transformed my perspective on how resistance is expressed and the healing power of art.”
Roger Q. Mason by Alison Limtavemongkol
“Roger Q. Mason is a Black/Filipinx queer playwright who I believe is a pioneer in the world of theatre and beyond. His plays and screenplays are deeply personal and profound, and pave the way for young writers to unapologetically speak their truths and keep pushing boundaries. Although I am in the fine art world, he always inspires me with his unique individuality and his drive to advocate for inclusivity and representation of LGBTQ+ and people of color in the arts.”
Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz by Maria Rendón
“I have admired the poetry of Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz (b. 1648), since I was able to understand her writing. She criticized the patriarchal and colonial structures of the church, advocated for the recognition of women theologians and after her death she was recognized as a protofeminist, religious feminist and ecofeminist. She was a brave Mexican woman.”
Samuel Delaney by Jeff Page
“Samuel Delany is a fascinating character. He is primarily known as a science-fiction writer but he has also written powerfully about gentrification and the power structures that build our cities. His book “Times Square red, Times Square blue” is a fascinating read that looks at urban planning, policing, sexuality and radical inclusivity. It will blow your mind!”
As an added bonus, Katie and I included our own signs in the project. True to form, we installed ours down at street level where the daytime parking attendants jockey for customers visiting Santee Alley. The universe expands. Spirits get chatty. And your sign creates a place for someone else to store their sign.
Mikhail Baryshnikov by Katie
“Mikhail Baryshnikov is a Latvian American dancer and actor whose performances influenced me as a young ballerina watching Balanchine’s New York City Ballets in the 1980’s. I’ve continued to be inspired by him through his activism for my entire life. Mischa has fearlessly spoken out against discrimination and persecution of LGBQT+ communities in Russia and has advocated for funding arts education for youth in America. He founded the White Oak Dance project (in my hometown of Jacksonville, FL) which was a mecca for modern dance choreographers and later founded the Baryshnikov Arts Center in NYC. He has changed the culture of dance in so many ways and created spaces for dancers to perform free of ageism or discrimination.”
Stetson Kennedy by Matt
“Florida’s own Stetson Kennedy combined trouble making and story telling into a fiercely independent form of activism. He was a naturalist, a humorist, and a life long human rights advocate. Stetson used his position as a white man in the South to attack injustice everywhere he saw it - And it was never from a safe distance. He’s most known for his book “I Rode with the Klu Klux Klan” which was written after infiltrating the KKK in the ‘40s with the intent of exposing their cowardly practices to a world wide audience. But what I’ve come to love the most is his legendary loyalty to friends and collaborators.”
Our vision is that Los Angeles garment workers transform the fashion industry to eliminate sweatshop labor. Workers lead the fight for safe and dignified workplace with fair wages. We build power from the bottom up for social and economic justice.
Through direct organizing we help develop leaders who demand enforcement of strong labor laws and accountability from factory owners, manufacturers, and fashion brands. GWC centers immigrant workers, women of color, and their families.
This is part 4 of a multi-post piece. You can read part 1 by Alison Limtavemongkol (who also wrote about Roger Q Mason) here: Use/ Value.
In parts 2 & 3, I explored how the making of my series Beacons went from a completely isolated experience to one informed by friendship and collaboration.
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Practical Tips You Can Start Today For Healthy News Consumption
- Adopt a “News Sprint.” Choose one reputable news outlet and read for exactly 15 minutes; set a timer.
- Leverage Text‑First Sources. Written articles allow paced processing compared to rapid‑fire video on social media.
- Follow Journalists with professional standards. Individual reporters often cultivate trust differently than corporate brands.
- Schedule “White‑Space Weekends.” One full day without any news media contact can reset emotional baselines.
- Practice “One‑Action” Engagement. After reading a distressing story, take a concrete step—donate, volunteer, vote—then sign off. This converts helplessness into agency
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.
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