LA Street Art Initiative
Inspiring civic leadership and community pride in youth through the creation of community-driven murals across the city of Los Angeles
101 Murals
The Program
The LA Street Art Initiative is a socio-emotional arts program that brings youth, professional artists, and community members together to design, co-create, and paint public murals. Aiming to install 150 murals across Los Angeles before the 2028 Olympics, this program empowers youth to engage with their community, pursue leadership opportunities, build understanding, spark essential dialogue and unique exchanges that support the healing of a community, and the building of an ecosystem of artists.
49 to go!
“Painting a mural isn't just about adding color to the walls; it's about adding depth to our educational experience and fostering a sense of ownership, pride, and unity within our community.”
Teacher, Fairfax High School
The Impact
This program connects youth with communities in unprecedented collaborations including people experiencing homelessness, law enforcement, and city officials. Friendships are created through art; biases disappear, and new conversations begin. The creation of each mural is a chance for families, friends and the wider community (housed and unhoused) to come together and create a lasting memory. The mural itself becomes a living legacy project and serves as an important reminder of the power of collaboration and togetherness in often divided cities.
Thanks to our partnership with our graffiti control experts at Woods Maintenance Services, Inc., these murals are permanent, ensuring that the community and especially our youth will see them every day for years to come and be reminded of this magical moment so that no matter how bad their day is or how far they might stray from hope, seeing their creation will bring them back to a brighter, more promising place and set them back on a better path.
This program is supported, in part, by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture’s Organizational Grant Program, and we are so grateful for their continued support.
This program is made possible in part by the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, the City of West Hollywood, California Arts Council, and Forever 21.
Our Partners
We couldn’t do this without the support from our partners.
