WALK THE TALK 2014-2024 - exhibition

Описание: Walk the Talk 2014 -2024 exhibition
at the Skid Row History Museum & Archive
July 10 – August 23, 2025

EXHIBITION WALK THROUGH
The exhibition features the portraits of the honorees in the Walk the Talk parade/performances and LAPD’s interview and performance videos, of 2014, 2016, 2018, 2020, 2022 and 2024.

This exhibition, “Walk the Talk 2014-2024” focuses on the 48 honorees of the past 10 years. In 2014, Brian Dick created the portraits on big banners. In 2016 we carried the paintings of Pairoj Pichetmetakul through the streets, in 2018 ShowzArt created the portraits on plywood, in 2020 artist Man One designed the portraits, in 2022 Dakarai Akil created them as collages, and in 2024 they were drawn by Hayk Makhmuryan.

“Walk the Talk” is a people’s history of Skid Row. Every two years, a new group of honorees is selected. The project includes: a community nominating process, video interviews of honorees, performances created from these interviews and performed at a spot chosen by the honorees in a parade with portraits and a brass band, and the archiving of: all of the above.

We’ve come to realize that the project, originally envisioned as a one-time event, better fulfills its intent of building community as a recurring event.
And we are realizing this exhibition, Walk the Talk 2014-2024, right now because the mural featuring portraits of the people recognized in the initial iteration of Walk the Talk in 2012, has just been installed in the beautiful courtyard of the Skid Row Care Campus, 442 Crocker Street. These portraits were created by street artist Mr. Brainwash and represent 36 early community builders whose work has influenced Skid Row’s history and this present moment.

“The Campus’ services reflect what Skid Row residents have long identified as urgent needs,” said LAPD Artistic Director John Malpede. “it is the latest example of the long history of community work by and for the people of Skid Row, and the perfect home for our ‘Walk the Talk’ mural. If not for the sustained efforts of these and other grassroots visionaries, Skid Row would have been bulldozed and by now be gentrified. Each transformative act is also a generative act—giving rise to new initiatives that make the community stronger.” It’s been a long time coming.