The Office of Council District 10 in collaboration with the Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA) have announced the release of a Request for Proposals (RFP) for a mural installation on the City building along the Western Avenue commercial corridor which will uplift the work happening to address the homeless crisis, inspire the establishment of a “Right to Housing,” and bolster community pride.
“DCA is excited to collaborate with the Office of the 10th Council District to launch the Western Avenue Mural Project. We hope the selected mural will provide a sense of pride to the frontline workers and acknowledge their dedication and commitment to ending homelessness in the city. The project will also allow an artist to make a substantial visual impact along Western Avenue, a major artery in the city lacking public artwork representative of the community,” said Felicia Filer, acting assistant general manager to the Department of Cultural Affairs.
“As a longtime resident of Angelus Vista and living just a few blocks from the new South Los Angeles Street Engagement and Coordination Hub, I am excited for the Western Avenue Mural Project. I understand the impact that the arts can have on the lives of local residents. The arts have the power to heal, to reimagine, and to unite communities,” said Laura Meyers, president of the United Neighborhoods Neighborhood Council (UNNC). “When we talk about reimagining a more equitable Los Angeles—through initiatives such as a ‘Right to Housing’—public art such as this proposed mural is a powerful tool to highlight these efforts.”
The Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA) and the Office of the 10th Council District are seeking to partner with a mural artist who can focus on one or more of the following themes:
• The City’s efforts to end homelessness.
• The opportunity to establish a “Right to Housing”.
• Success in housing people who have experienced homelessness.
• A humanizing portrait to break down stigmas and barriers against unhoused persons.
• Visual cues on how community members can engage in efforts to end homelessness.
• Narrative to highlight housing insecurity experienced by many Angelinos.
“Art has the power to transform public spaces and invigorate community identity,” said Ibert Schultz, Senior Deputy for Strategic Initiatives for Los Angeles City’s 10th Council District. “Once completed, this mural will serve as an important landmark for the Western Ave commercial corridor that captures the optimism for a brighter tomorrow as we work to end homelessness and establish a Right to Housing in our city.”
In the City of Los Angeles, more than 40,000 people are estimated to be experiencing homelessness, with the ongoing economic impacts associated with the COVID-19 pandemic only exacerbating the crisis. In an effort to combat this challenge, the 10th Council District has partnered with the LA Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) to transform the building, located at 1819 S. Western Avenue into the South Los Angeles Street Engagement and Coordination Hub, which will be co-located with members of the 10th District Constituent Services Team.
As a central organizing point in South Los Angeles for multi-disciplinary street engagement teams assisting unhoused persons to transition from homelessness, staff activities will include conducting meetings and training for new street engagement workers and community-based partners, and the centralization of personnel to support regular engagement with unhoused persons. The daily work of street engagement team members includes providing wellness checks, triaging those affected by COVID-19, and connecting vulnerable individuals experiencing homelessness to both interim and permanent housing.
The RFP is available online at CultureLA.org. Proposals will be assessed based on experience and qualifications as well as proposed concepts. Proposals are due by Jan. 17, 2022, and must be uploaded to the site by 11:59 p.m. Local artists are encouraged to apply.
