At the “Walk With Me” exhibition hosted by the Skid Row History Museum and Archive, twenty artists from Skid Row display their work, highlighting individuals’ realities, aspirations, and rights within the unhoused community.
“Walk With Me” Exhibition
WHEN: 2 to 5 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, April 11 to June 22
WHERE: Skid Row History Museum & Archive, 250 S. Broadway, DTLA
COST: Free
INFO: lapovertydept.org
The exhibition highlights the community arts and cultural platform members, The People Concern’s Studio 526, where art is viewed not as a privilege but as a necessity. The upcoming exhibition showcases their efforts, highlighting the beauty within Skid Row.
Made By Skid Row Residents
“The unique thing about this is that this exhibition is made by people who live in Skid Row, who have experienced homelessness, who have had all kinds of challenges, and art is bringing people together,” said the associate director of the Los Angeles Poverty Department, Henriëtte Brouwers.
“The exhibition is a celebration of art and storytelling and one that the team at the Los Angeles Poverty Department team is excited to see return,” Brouwers said, referencing that though it is an annual event, it was temporarily postponed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Art is an expression that is healing. People can tell their stories or what they are feeling through the medium of painting or drawing or making sculptures. That act in itself is healing, but it’s also people doing it together,” Brouwers explained. “I think that’s what we’re really doing — creating community in Skid Row.”
Communal Expression
The exhibit features artists like Edwin Rivera, showcasing his piece “Charming Puppy,” which joyfully depicts a puppy frolicking among butterflies. Jaiye Kamson presents “Sun,” reflecting on her journey of resilience and growth. Artist, singer, and poet Queen Mama Tabia contributed a framed tissue paper titled “Safe Places,” inspired by the havens at The People Concern’s Wellness Center, Studio 526, and the Los Angeles Poverty Department.
Furthermore, over a dozen other artists offer works that invite viewers into their experiences.
“We always bring different groups together who actually often don’t realize that there is a community in Skid Row and that there are really good artists,” Brouwers added.
Studio 526 creates opportunities for local artists that they may not otherwise have access to, despite their talent and ability. Recently, nine members of the group were featured in the “Visions of Transcendence: Creating Space in East and West” exhibit at the Wende Museum.
About the Los Angeles Poverty Department
The Los Angeles Poverty Department was established in 1985 by John Malpede. It became the nation’s first performance group primarily composed of individuals experiencing homelessness. It quickly assumed the role of an activist organization, joining a movement that advocated for the belief that Skid Row could be improved by supporting those who lived there.
Over the past forty years, the organization has aided Skid Row residents by voicing their street protests and providing testimonies at City Hall. It has also leveraged theater and the arts to highlight the needs and rights of low-income communities.
“All the performances of The LA Poverty Department are about people who are poor, the challenges that they face, and what the reasons are for it. The heart is here in Skid Row, but we have traveled all over the world with groups, and for 10 years now, we have had a space on Broadway for the Skid Row History Museum and Archive, and that has become a real community space,” Brouwers concluded.
