The mission of the Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture is to advance arts, culture, and creativity throughout LA County. We fulfill our mission by providing services and support in areas including grants and technical assistance for nonprofit organizations; professional development opportunities; commissioning civic artworks and managing the County’s civic art collection; implementing countywide arts education initiatives; research and evaluation; career pathways in the creative economy; free community programs; and cross sector creative strategies that address civic issues. This work is framed by the County’s Cultural Equity and Inclusion Initiative and a longstanding commitment to fostering access to the arts.
Shepard Fairey painted a mural at the entrance of the pediatric and adolescent floor of the Los Angeles General Medical Center. It is a wayfinding graphic scheme as well as a welcoming image when patients and staff step off the elevator on the eighth floor. Art of Elysium's VIEW (Visual Imagery and Environmental Wellness) Program donated the mural. Art of Elysium brings art, music and drama into the hospital to benefit children with serious illnesses. Research has shown that art can help speed the healing process and makes the hospital experience less stressful.
About the Artist:
Shepard Fairey (b. 1970) was born and raised in South Carolina. Fairey has a BA from the Rhode Island School of Design. Known first for his pervasive "OBEY Andre the Giant" sticker campaign, he rose to mainstream prominence with his "HOPE" poster of Barak Obama during the 2008 presidential campaign. A prominent and influential street artist Fairey has painted and wheat-pasted outdoor murals throughout the United States. He also prolifically works in other media including screen prints, stencils, canvas, wood, stickers, and metal which are frequently exhibited in museums and galleries throughout the world. His artwork is in the permanent collections of The Smithsonian, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.