Lamp Art Project Story By USC’s Neon Tommy: Art Gallery Unveils L.A.’s Hidden Talents
Lamp Art Project and its relocation to Lamp Village is the focus of a great story by Paige Brettingen of USC’s Neon Tommy, the digital news site of USC’s Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism.
(Lamp artist Jerome Robertson with his artwork. Photo by Paige Brettingen)
Art Gallery Unveils L.A.’s Hidden Talents
By Paige Brettingen, Executive Producer | September 12, 2011
Eiko Yoshii beams as she stands next to her art — a water color of a woman in a royal blue kimono — at the Lamp Community’s new art gallery on Skid Row. The gallery’s Sept. 8 opening is brimming with canvases that have taken weeks or months to perfect. Ranging from watercolors to Los Angeles cityscapes to different versions of Mona Lisa, each artist’s individuality shines through. Yoshii is one of the gifted homeless artists there.
“People called Picasso crazy, but now everyone loves him,” she says. “That means I can do it too!” Thanks to the Lamp Art Project, she can.
Begun 25 years ago, the Lamp Community is a facility for L.A.’s homeless, particularly those who struggle with mental illness. Lamp seeks to permanently end homelessness by using their “Housing First” approach. Once their guests have the basic necessities, Lamp then supports them with individualized services to ensure self-sufficiency. They also support their artistic talents.
Read the FULL ARTICLE HERE.
