Los Angeles: The Art Community Stands With LA

Angelenos are well acquainted with natural disasters like wildfires, earthquakes, and drought. Wildfires are such an accepted part of life in Southern California that we have a designated “fire season” every year, a cyclical event like harvests or holidays. But the extent, the intensity, and the speed of the fires that decimated large swaths of Los Angeles County last week (and continue to rage) were something altogether different, something none of us were prepared for, no matter how long we've called this place home.

It was not just the size of the fires, which have burned over 40,000 acres, destroyed thousands of homes, and killed at least 24 people, but also the fact that they spread unimpeded from rural sites to more developed, relatively urban areas — places once considered safe from such devastation. LA’s art world was hit especially hard, with scores of artists and art workers losing their homes and studios, from the coastal enclave of Pacific Palisades in the northwest to the diverse, close-knit community of Altadena in the northeast. Even for those of us outside the evacuation zones, everyone knows at least one person who has lost everything.

My colleagues and I spoke to several of these artists, many of whom fled their homes with only what they could carry, for a story that offers personal perspectives on this overwhelming tragedy. Other stories include a report on historic buildings lost in the fires, a running list of resources to help artists affected by the blazes, and art fundraisers to support victims. We haven’t fully grasped the true extent of the destruction and the impact on LA’s art scene. Hopefully, Hyperallergic’s reporting can help illuminate the scope of the tragedy and the role of the art community in supporting recovery efforts.

— Matt Stromberg, LA reporter

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