Tuesday—July 7, the Laugh Factory, local artists, and City Councilmember David Ryu unveiled a mural to honor the lives lost to racial injustice and the movement for social and racial equality.
“This mural is an important avenue for Black artists to present societal challenges in a public and impactful way,” said Jamie Masada, owner of the Laugh Factory. “The artwork inspires us to support accountability and meaningful change as we work together to create pathways that heal our nation.”
The artwork was done by five Black artists: Alexandra Allie Belisle, Amanda Ferrell Hale, Noah Humes, PeQue Brown, and Shplinton, with the coordination of Arts Bridging the Gap, a local arts nonprofit.
“It is an incredible honor to be asked to contribute to such an amazing collaborative creation,” said artist PeQue Brown. “Yet at the same time, it is disgusting and outrageous that there is a need for such a mural in 2020, 157 years after the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation. Nevertheless, the support of the community and enthusiasm for the project has given me a great sense of Hope that the stain of racism may for the first time in my life be getting its long needed attendance.”
The mural, located in Los Angeles’ Fourth Council District, was funded by City Councilmember David Ryu.
“Of all the public art we’ve brought to District Four, this is by far the most meaningful,” Councilmember Ryu said. “A mural alone cannot achieve justice, but it can play an important role to inform, inspire, and keep alive the conversation about the systemic reforms needed in our country. I’m honored to partner with these artists and the Laugh Factory to bring this work to my district.”
The Laugh Factory has served as a staging area for a number of significant Black Lives Matter and Black Women Lead events over the last two months, with thousands of people gathering outside the club in the streets of Hollywood to peacefully honor the life of George Floyd and others as well as call for racial equity and equal justice under the law.
