November 19, 2007
Downtown Los Angeles, Skid Row
A group of L.A. students and artists took to the streets to bring attention to the homeless epidemic on Skid Row. They created imageries of windows - symbols of homes, security and hope - using the guerilla art tactic of light graffiti, also known as "throwies."
In Downtown Los Angeles, 6,000 homeless people live in an area of less than one square-mile known as Skid Row. It is the most concentrated population of the destitue in the western United States.
It has been reported that local hospitals and law enforcement agencies form nearby suburban areas have been caught "dumping" homeless individuals in Skid Row upon their release.
Every night, 80,000 homeless are spending the night on the streets of LA County while, just across town, some of the wealthiest people in the country remain oblivious to the situation.
Welcome Home LA is a part of the What If? Project, sponsored by Threshold Interactive and the USC School of Fine Arts. It aims to push students into the art of interactive media. "What if?" is the title of the project and the mantra at the core of Threshold's culture - aimed at pushing new ideas forward by embracing both the measured and creative hemispheres of the brain.
http://www.welcomehomela.org
http://thresholdinteractive.com
http://graffitiresearchlab.com
Tags: throwies graffiti LEDs LED lights skid row los angeles downtown la usc students art artists
