In 2013 Freewaves, funded by a grant from the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation, commissioned a distinguished group of artists to create videos addressing the public health crisis facing Los Angeles County for a program entitled: Long Live LA. Using a variety of styles, narratives, images, and music, the artists created original videos for the bus addressing issues of heart disease, obesity, lead poisoning, and diabetes. A launch event and public discussion was held at ForYourArt in February 2014, followed by a community screening and panel discussion with the South Pasadena Arts Council in March 2014.
In the Summer of 2014, Freewaves commissioned six new artists to create a second series of health videos for the buses. The 2014 series addresses the issues of mental health, violence and addiction.
Public reception, viewing, and panel discussion at ForYourArt
Screening and panel discussion at Laurie Hendricks Fine Art
Public reception, viewing, and panel discussion at Mercado La Paloma
2014
Mel Chin
Yoshua Okón
Poli Marichal
Ann Kaneko
John Jota Leaños
The Here and Now
2015
Christina Pierson and Yoshie Sakai
Kent Yoshimura
Antonio Ogaz
Kim Abeles and Kem Marchionno with Dorsey High School
Wesley Groves
Public Matters and Community Health Advocates School at Augustus Hawkins High School Students
Freewaves conducted surveys of the riders in 2011-2014. With 1000+ riders having positively evaluated the program, Out the Window has become a powerful social engagement tool.
PROJECT AWARDS:
National Endowment for the Arts and California Endowment grants in 2013
Recognized nationally by the Americans For The Arts’ top Public Art Year in Review 2012
The Atlantic declared it one of The World’s 10 Best Transit Poems in 2011
Ranked in LA Weekly’s “Top Art Moments of 2011”
MacArthur Foundation award winning project launch in 2010