The 2025 LAPL Creators in Residence: Ashley Walker (left) and Tien Nguyen (right)
The library, in partnership with the Library Foundation of Los Angeles, has established a residency program, Los Angeles Public Library Creators in Residence, designed to engage creative Angelenos from a multitude of disciplines. The program supports local interdisciplinary creators and inspires new work informed or enhanced by the Los Angeles Public Library’s collections and services, while also highlighting the impact of the library as a creative haven.
The Los Angeles Public Library and the Library Foundation of Los Angeles are pleased to introduce our 2025 Creators in Residence.
Ashley Walker is a fashion designer and entrepreneur. He is the founder of Leimert Park Threads, which transforms cultural history into wearable art, celebrating the resilience and creativity of Black communities in Los Angeles. Walker’s past work includes collaborations with Metro Art Los Angeles, Forever 21 and Savage X Fenty, and he has led projects centered on themes of migration, activism, and identity. A graduate of Howard University, Walker began his career as a visual merchandising manager for Levi’s and Nike in New York before returning to Los Angeles, where he expanded his practice into photography and creative direction.
Tien Nguyen is a food writer focused on the intersection of food and culture, blending a journalist’s depth with an author’s storytelling skills. She is the former senior food writer at LA Weekly and has written for the Los Angeles Times and Eater. Nguyen co-authored L.A. Son: My Life, My City, My Food and The Choi of Cooking with Roy Choi, and Sohn-Mat: Recipes and Flavors of Korean Home Cooking with Monica Lee. A longtime Angeleno and an instructor at USC’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, Nguyen works to highlight how food tells the story of Los Angeles—its neighborhoods, traditions, and migrations.
Proposed Projects
The new Creators' proposed projects are set to deliver dynamic opportunities for creative public engagement. Ashley Walker will create a new fashion line that embodies the city’s past, inspired by materials from the Library’s historical archives of documents, manuscripts, and photographs. Tien Nguyen will expand on the Library’s renowned menu collection, exploring both iconic restaurants and those that have been lost over time, uncovering the histories of the people and communities behind them.
Each Creator will receive a $20,000 honorarium, and will have the opportunity to work closely with LAPL and LFLA staff, explore the Library's extensive collections, utilize its facilities, and participate in programs while developing and executing their own original projects which are expected to be completed by late 2025.
Explore the work of previous LAPL Creators in Residence
- The inaugural cohort (2022): photographer Kwasi Boyd-Bouldin and interdisciplinary visual artist River Garza. Learn more about their residencies by visiting this link.
- The second cohort (2024): live experience designer and director Andy Crocker and graphic novelist, game designer, and installation artist Shing Yin Khor.
Questions? Please contact creators@lapl.org
This program is funded by the Library Foundation of Los Angeles with an endowment provided by the Lenore S. and Bernard A. Greenberg Fund.