Help LA's Artists and Art Workers Start Over

Grief… and hope. We are a group of volunteers—artists, gallery employees, and other cultural workers—who love our city and our community!

In early January 2025, we watched as neighborhoods that are home to many of Los Angeles' artists, gallerists, and cultural workers burn to the ground in an unprecedented Santa Ana wind and fire event. Many members of our personal communities, and our broader creative communities, have lost everything. The ramifications of that impact are varied: some people will be able to start over with preexisting support structures, while others may not have the same access to insurance coverage or other resources.

Our initial, urgent goal when we launched on Jan. 9, 2025 was to raise $500,000 (as of Feb. 17, 2025, our GFM goal is now $1,000,000!) to be distributed to artists and art workers who have lost their home and/or studio as a result of the Eaton, Palisades, and other fires in the Los Angeles area. We have set this goal for a centralized fundraiser in response to inquiries from contacts outside of Los Angeles. We know many of you want to direct support to members of our community, and are looking for guidance about who needs help, and how much, so that you can make a direct impact.

To achieve our goal, gathered information, and built out a brief pair of surveys (which closed on Feb. 1, 2025). One survey was to assess the most urgent needs of artists and art workers affected by the fires—those who have experienced full loss or severe damage to their home, studio, workplace, and/or personal property crucial to their livelihood. Our other survey collected information regarding mutual aid.

To the best of our ability, we will match funds and other contributions in order of greatest need with those impacted by the Palisades, Eaton, and other Los Angeles-area fires.

With care, and with hope,

Kathryn Andrews, artist

Andrea Bowers, artist

Olivia Gauthier, gallery director

Julia V. Hendrickson, arts professional

Ariel Pittman, gallery director

[first published January 9, 2025; updated February 17, 2025]

Image (c) Andrea Bowers.

Image description: blue and white text "grief and hope" on a flat black background.

[AS OF 2/1/25, SURVEYS & APPLICATIONS ARE CLOSED]