A Vibrant Arts & Crafts Scene in Los Angeles, CA

A cultural mecca, Los Angeles, CA is known the world over for its thriving arts & crafts scene. In downtown LA, the arts district was established around 1976. Many artists gravitated to the location, from nearby cities like Venice, Santa Monica and Long Beach. Professional and amateur artists sought and found large affordable spaces in previously abandoned downtown buildings.

Back in those days, artists had to hide their living status. Frequently, the local fire department would conduct impromptu fire inspections. Fortunately, artists living in the numerous lofts typically had a few hours warning, and would rush to disguise any signs of living there.

To help the denizens out, the Artists In Residence ordinance was passed. This law allowed artists and craftsmen to legally live in lofts which conformed to established safety requirements. The desirability of the downtown apartments raised rents from about 30 cents a square foot to above one dollar per square foot. In the 1980's arts & crafts areas were so plentiful that people made money by conducting bus tours of the district.

Currently, more than twelve hundred artists and craftspeople live and work in the arts district, and hundreds more in the nearby localities.

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

Los Angeles is renowned for its mural art, and the many examples spread throughout the city are believed to be more than in any other city in the world. Native Mexican muralists like Diego Rivera and Jose Orozco have painted noted murals in the area.

Around the 1960's and 1970's, the Chicano arts & crafts movement was founded in the city. A good bit of the material produced was in the tradition followed by Mexican muralists. Murals generated in this era by artists and crafters are still extant 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 respected 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 the city include the Craft and Folk Art Museum, the California African American Museum, and numerous sculpture gardens.

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Matt Paolini is the editorial director for CityBook.com, the family-safe business yellow pages, which carries an extensive directory of www.citybook.com/california/los-angeles/arts-crafts/music-3687-60231-627-0-60003.htm" title="music">music industry-related businesses located in Los Angeles, CA.

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