Los Angeles Poverty Department
Fund: $30,000
Los Angeles Poverty Department’s (LAPD) mission is to connect the experiences of people living in poverty to the sociopolitical forces that shape their lives and communities. This mission is achieved through multidisciplinary artworks and cultural events that express the realities, hopes, dreams, and rights of people who live and work in Skid Row, Los Angeles. LAPD’s project development interweaves community-based research—public conversations, workshops, and interviews—with artist collaborations to explore such critical issues as the war on drugs, mass incarceration, recovery from addiction, gentrification, and public safety. Their multidisciplinary projects combine exhibitions, installations, and performances by their core company of Skid Row community members.