[dropcap size=big]O[/dropcap]ne of our favorite gallery spaces, Think Tank, was evicted earlier this year from their home in Downtown Los Angeles. After a city crackdown on unofficial spaces following the Ghost Ship tragedy in Oakland, Think Tank was forced to abandon their gallery, which you can read about in-depth in this LA Weekly feature. They're down, but not out, and today announce their return to producing art shows, this time in an unlikely venue with artists who may not be able to attend the show, because they're currently doing hard time in the nation's vast penal system.
The show is a loose expansion of Phil America’s “illegal galleries” series that has famously taken place in abandoned NY subways and at the border wall between America and Mexico. Highlighting what the artist calls “some of the most culturally relevant Outsider Art in America,” many of the show’s convict-artists were found via job offerings for felons only, on resources like Craigslist. Each was paid above minimum wage to create works of art using skills they learned in the prison system. “These goods are imbibed with spirit and the sheer human resilience that lives in creativity,” Phil says after serving time in prisons across the US and worldwide. “Materials are rarely provided to inmates except in very specific situations, and so they must improvise, using whatever materials are available to them: refuse and food packaging, fabric and strings taken from blankets and uniforms, or disassembled items purchased from commissary.”
The location is also unusual-- the MacArthur Park Swap Meet. A home for undocumented entrepreneurs who hustle daily, the venue will also host Phil America's photo essay of vendors paired with their personal stories.
YOU ARE HERE. 3 – Legal Goods is open to the public from April 1st – 30th, 2017, with hours from Thursday – Sunday 11am – 7pm while the swap meet is open, at Booth D3 of 620 Alvarado St. Opening night is on Saturday, April 1st from 4-7pm and will provide prison-made refreshments. There is no fee for entry, but the gallery asks that guests bring at least $5 to spend at one of the local vendors’ shops, which are found on the project’s Instagram account in weekly posts.
Please enjoy the following preview of work to be shown and preparations for the opening, including the redone mural at the Swap Meet...
Stay in touch
Sign up for our free newsletter
More from L.A. TACO
Swarm of Police in Riot Gear Destroy Peaceful Pro-Palestine Encampment At UCLA During Early Morning Raid, Over 200 Arrested
At 4 AM, CHP broke through the fencing on the other side of the encampment and set up a police line, consistently firing flash-bang grenades into the air. They also fired on protestors with “less-lethal” munitions and rubber bullets, causing an injury to one protester’s face that required stitches.
Ten Palestinian-Owned Restaurants to Support in L.A. and O.C.
Supporting our local Palestinian restaurants not only allows you to experience excellent cooking and recipes from a culture and people who have been making these dishes for generations, but it also helps to broaden our worldviews on a culture some forces seek to bury and erase.
Where To Find Don Perico, The Mexican-Owned Brand Bringing Tropical Flavors To Dispensaries
The products, with their festive packaging, tropical flavors, and colorful parrot mascot, are relatable and better yet, they taste great, are fast-acting, and strong.
New Date for TACO MADNESS 2024 Event Confirmed: June 15th at La Plaza de Cultura y Artes
After getting rained out, our new date promises to be our biggest and most fun festival to date. Come out and eat all the tacos, drink all the micheladas, dance to the best DJs in L.A., and support our independent journalism! Of course, L.A. TACO members get in for free. Tickets on sale now.
An Update On Our Membership Drive: Some Bad News, and Good News
Some bad news, and some good news on our pledge to survive and stay sustainable.
