Castelli Art Space presents “CONNECTION” paintings by Laura Letchinger with Special Guest, Skid Row based arts community Piece by Piece. Opening October 4, 2018, the show will feature about a dozen large mixed media works by the artist as well as a variety of sculptures and wall hangings by the mosaic arts nonprofit.
Letchinger lived in Chicago during much of the 1990’s and her daily interaction with graffiti during that time influences her art today. “It was a big part of the city landscape. Layers of new vibrant colors over old fading compositions on top of even older brick buildings created a really fantastic visual; the energy of it, the unknown stories behind it, resonated with me.” Her late night winter bike rides home from a restaurant job included passing by a working foundry “where the glowing heat of red hot metal escaped into the dark, cold street through an open loading dock. Opposites playing off each other inspired me; I found it all extremely beautiful and energizing. That imagery fueled the poetry I wrote at the time and I can definitely see its influence in many of the paintings I make now.” Letchinger works mainly in acrylic, mixed with graphite, charcoal, collage or pastel to create large, urban-inspired pieces.
Piece by Piece serves the residents of Skid Row and South Los Angeles, working with those living in supportive housing and individuals with very low income. In addition to providing free mosaic art workshops—with an emphasis on recycled materials, the program offers a sense of community and opportunities to earn much-needed supplemental income. Participants gain self-confidence, courage and an improved quality of life while giving back to their communities as they collaborate to create large-scale public art projects. The organization has launched its “Big Art, Big Impact” campaign, asking that property owners, developers, architects, designers, and private and public sector organizations commission projects for their new construction, existing buildings, offices and public spaces. Their large scale works include an expansive exterior mural for A Community of Friends’ Silver Star Housing for Veterans in Los Angeles, “The Spirit of Community: Mandala Series” which spans an entire side of the Legal Aid Foundation building in Los Angeles, and a series of five intricately designed circles that grace an exterior wall at a private residence in Hollywood.
Included in the exhibition will be a 5’ by 5’ mosaic interpretation of one of Letchinger’s paintings. The artist will be donating 10% of her sales throughout the run of the exhibition.
Meet artist Laura Letchinger and find out more about Piece by Piece at the opening reception on Thursday, October 4, 2018, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm at Castelli Art Space, near Culver City. “CONNECTION” runs through October 7. For more information, visit www.lauraletchingerart.com/connection-show and www.piecebypiece.org.
Facebook event found at https://www.facebook.com/events/717528231927903
Castelli Art Space is located at 5428 W. Washington Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90016; (310) 204-6830. www.castelliartspace.com.
