Artists animate our communities and enrich our lives through their leadership and talents. They dedicate years of their lives to mastering their craft. It is difficult to calculate the intangible value artists have throughout our society. Their work in preserving culture, mentoring youth, and giving others the tools to imagine new possibilities and express themselves benefits us all. In spite of the high level of appreciation and admiration talented artists receive, very few are able to make a sustainable living from their expertise. Los Angeles has more artists than any other metropolitan city in the United States, and 18th Street Arts Center is one of only a few organizations focused on supporting contemporary artists in Los Angeles.

18th Street is an artist residency program, one of the largest in the United States, giving artists studio space, time, and funding to make their work. On an annual basis, approximately 100 artists benefit directly from 18th Street’s programs, and another 30 artists benefit indirectly through our collaborations. From its inception in 1988 18SAC has been dedicated to supporting talented artists, and especially those who are under-recognized because they may originate from communities of political and social marginalization, helping them to gain broader recognition. Many 18th Street artist alumni have gone on to be honored with prestigious awards such as MacArthur, Guggenheim, Rockefeller, and Pollock-Krasner Fellowships.

In 2015 18th Street is commissioning four outstanding artists to create new art in conjunction with residents from our surrounding Pico Neighborhood. Amir H. Fallah, Mario Ybarra, Jr. & Karla Diaz, Candice Lin, and Vishal Jugdeo are all artists who have received critical acclaim for their artwork. Selected on the basis of their ability to engage the public through their art-making, they will be creating projects that reveal the rich history of this mixed, working-class community. Each artist is awarded a budget of $6,000, studio space, and the support of 18th Street staff to bring a new art project to fruition in collaboration with residents.

18th Street has successfully commissioned more than 20 artworks that engage the community and benefit talented artists. Please join us in supporting the creation of four new artworks made for and with the Pico Neighborhood community, in a process that enriches the lives of local residents, and rewards the talent of artists Amir H. Fallah, Mario Ybarra, Jr. & Karla Diaz, Candice Lin, and Vishal Jugdeo.

Amir H. Fallah Eternal Companion, 2014,7.5’x10′, acrylic, collage, colored pencil and oil on paper mounted to canvas	Mario Ybarra, Jr. & Karla Diaz Ell@s Collective at Slanguage, 2012
Candice Lin A Future Ethnography of Power, 2012	Vishal Jugdeo Goods Carrier, 2012
Artist Lab Residents 2013 – 2014 Adrià Julià, Carolina Caycedo, Elena Bajo, Patricia Fernández