Arts & Crafts in Los Angeles, CA

A cultural mecca, Los Angeles is known the world over for its vibrant arts & crafts scene. In the downtown area, the arts district was founded around 1976. Many artists gathered at the location, from nearby cities such as Venice, Santa Monica and Long Beach. All types of artists sought and found large affordable spaces in previously abandoned downtown buildings.

Back in those days, artists were compelled to conceal their living status. On occasion, the local fire department would conduct impromptu fire inspections. Fortunately, artists dwelling in the many lofts usually had a few hours warning, and would quickly conceal any signs of living there.

To help the denizens out, the Artists In Residence ordinance was enacted. This law allowed artists and craftsmen to legally live in buildings which conformed to established safety requirements. The popularity of the downtown studios raised rental prices from about 30 cents a square foot to above one dollar per square foot. During the 1980's arts & crafts localities were so plentiful that there were lucrative bus tours of the district.

Currently, greater than twelve hundred artists and craftspeople reside and work in the arts district, and many more in the nearby areas.

The City of Los Angeles also has a public arts program, which mandates area builders to give one percent of their construction costs for new buildings to a public art fund.

Los Angeles is famous for its mural art, and the many examples spread throughout the city are believed to be greater than in any other place in the globe. Mexican muralists like Diego Rivera and Jose Orozco have created famous murals in the area.

In the 1960's and 1970's, the Chicano arts & crafts movement began in the city. A good bit of the arts & crafts produced was in the tradition followed by Mexican muralists. Murals generated in this era by artists and crafters still exist in East Los Angeles. The Chicano arts & crafts in Los Angeles also led to the internationally known D�a de los Muertos annual festival.

In conclusion, many of the most widely-known art museums on the globe can be found in Los Angeles. Among them are the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Getty Center, and the Hammer Museum. Less prominent arts & crafts museums in Los Angeles include the Craft and Folk Art Museum, the California African American Museum, and numerous sculpture gardens.

Matt Paolini is the editorial director for CityBook.com, the family-safe business yellow pages, which carries an extensive directory of music industry-related businesses located in Los Angeles, CA.