Creators in Residence Showcase

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Creators in Residence Showcase

This event marks the culmination of the inaugural Los Angeles Public Library Creators in Residence, highlighting new original work by photographer Kwasi Boyd-Bouldin and visual artist River Garza. Rooted in the Black community and Indigenous Tongva community respectively, Boyd-Bouldin and Garza have produced thoughtful, reflective, gorgeous works in response to their explorations of the Los Angeles Public Library system over the past year. In this conversation, the two artists will discuss their approach to making art, how they were inspired by the library's mission and role in L.A.’s diverse neighborhoods, and ways of seeing the city we call home. Following the conversation, experience hands-on activities for all ages, such as printmaking, in the outdoor courtyards. This program also coincides with the showcase of the artists’ photos, mixed media paintings, and writings in an exhibition in the First Floor Galleries. In partnership with the Los Angeles Public Library.
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Kwasi Boyd-Bouldin and visual artist River Garza in the Central Library Rotunda

Kwasi Boyd-Bouldin Born in Brooklyn, New York, and raised in Los Angeles, Kwasi Boyd-Bouldin began photographing the urban landscape when he inherited his father’s camera. From that point, he has continued to meticulously document the physical composition of neighborhoods throughout the city and beyond. His work blends elements of landscape, documentary, and street photography to portray a side of everyday city life that’s foreign to the unfamiliar. The experience of growing up in Los Angeles is the foundation for his photo essays, sharing a perspective that is often missing from the mainstream narrative. In 2017 Kwasi was included on Time Magazine’s list of 12 African American Photographers to Follow, and his project, The Public Work was named one of the 5 Art Accounts to Follow in The New York Times in August 2020. He was also the lead photographer for the Netflix animation series City of Ghosts and is currently one of 2 inaugural 2022 Creators in Residence for the Los Angeles Public Library. Kwasi currently resides in Los Angeles with his family and continues to document neighborhoods throughout the city.

River Garza is an artist from Los Angeles, CA, whose work draws on traditional Indigenous aesthetics, Southern California Indigenous maritime culture, skateboarding, Graffiti, Mexican culture, and Low Rider culture.