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Thank you for this film. After moving to Los Angeles I remember one of the first things I noticed was how beautiful the murals in the city are, and how much character, and history is wrapped up in these powerful and striking pieces of street art. I really appreciated your film for giving me context that I might not otherwise have. One line that really helped emphasize the importance of this art was; “That’s why murals are so important because it breaks down the whole class line, anybody can be walking on the street and see a mural and appreciate it”. These murals give those who are living or visiting the city of LA a history lesson and an opportunity to appreciate the immense talent of its residents without having to go out of their way to see it in a museum. It's art for the people, wrapped up in the context of the city, not hidden in a room on a white backdrop under dim light that requires $20 to go and see it.

I really enjoyed your film, I will carry this information with me the next time I take a moment to appreciate one of these murals.

Thanks

Jackson G. (Prof G’s class)

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I really like how this film paints la as such a vibrant and lovely place. The artists interviewed all had such a bright optimism about this city that makes me want to go out and explore all the different parts of la. I really liked how Brittany was talking about murals and street art being for the people and how if the art is by the people it should be for the people. The progression shots of the paintings by the students was a neat idea that shows the way that art is constantly changing and building off of each other and contributing to the general culture of these communities. -Audrey from Professor G's class

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The film portrayed art in a positive light which was quite intriguing to watch. The murals were very unique and had a deeper meaning behind them. The murals were for the people in a way because they are projected or displayed where the public will inevitably see without a fine. The interviews from the different artists shed a light on the true culture in Los Angeles.

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Hello Ochre, Jose, and Tiffany,

I liked your connection to community and art. I felt a personal connection to this because I used to run an art program at my high school which provided kids from local schools with underfunded art programs with art lessons. All the kids I worked with were so unbelievably talented, especially for someone who had not previously done a lot of art. I felt so privileged to be able to see these kids connect with each other and use their imagination to create things so unique and outside of the box that my mind had not even considered them. I also live in LA and agree that each neighborhood is different in their own way. Each one has its own unique aesthetic and tells a story about some of the people who were there. It was hard to hear how you correlated growing pains with LA gentrification because so much has changed from what you once loved. This appeared to be especially difficult for a city that felt so much like your home. I found your statement that painting allowed one’s voice was heard to be really inspiring. It is something that I related to as well, although in different ways than painting. I understand that this can be a respite when it seems that no one is listening. I hope that as the world progresses and people like me continue to educate ourselves we can one day achieve a world where people “aren't fighting for the crumbs, but...all can have a piece of the pie.” It may be difficult and far off, but nonetheless achievable.

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This film gave me insight on the deeper meaning of the street paintings and the murals throughout LA. Before watching this film I've always looked at murals and sort of ignored them without thinking twice about it. However, now after watching this movie with some of the artists responsible for the art throughout LA I now understand that it means something deeper than just a painting. Looking at the murals as a way of breaking down social classes and a piece of art that everyone can enjoy just makes me realize how important these murals truly are. In addition, I think that its great that you guys emphasized that these murals also allow people from different backgrounds to share their story and heritage with others through these paintings. I also truly appreciate how you guys reiterated to us how these murals over LA just show how diverse the city truly is and how many different people with different backgrounds actually live in this city. -Yujin Lee

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This film was great in capturing the importance of art, particularly murals in LA. I loved how you emphasized that murals are created by the people, for the people. I think this is very true because murals are typically created on the streets, so anyone passing by can view them and not have to pay a fee. I also enjoyed how you incorporated interviews/stories from various artists to highlight the contributions that individual artists have made and continue to make to the overall propagation of diverse culture in LA.

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This film made me think about the birth of murals around my hometown in Ohio and how that art and the community garden came together to make our community feel more united and proud to Black. We finally saw images that depicted what life looked like for us and it’s so refreshing to see that same parallel here in Los Angeles. Thank you for shedding light on how pieces like these preserve culture, tell our stories, and encourage people of color to feel seen and empowered.

-Jala Beasley-Williams

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I loved the way that you framed this film. You used art to highlight the importance and impact of art on the South LA community. This felt extremely inclusive and welcoming- despite the cold and harsh oppression that the community has faced. I loved hearing from muralists in the community. They were so passionate about sharing their art and how their art could bring unity and peace. I love that they noted that murals transcend class boundaries- they can be appreciated by anyone. Your choice to include many different examples of murals was impactful and a helpful visual tool. I also liked that you used zoom interviews to tell this story. It was a great comment on the state of today’s world and brought a new dimension to art in the community. Thank you so much for sharing.

s/o to Professor G. Happy I got to see this film:)

~Luke Csordas

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What I saw from this short film was very great and inspiring. Being from LA, you see street art everywhere, people can often say its graffiti or talk down on it however from what I have seen is the community coming together to paint pieces that show off what is happening in our city and in our country and in most cases pay respect. it reminds me of when Kobe Bryant passed away and all the great artists around the city created the paintings and just showed respect to Kobe all over the city. The way people express themselves with art is one of my favorite parts about LA and I am glad I got to see this video to become more inspired and learn more about it.

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I am very glad I watched this movie! It reminded me what street art was all about. Growing up in an oppressed country showed me that people were using street art to freely express their politicized ideas in an appealing way. This video reminded me that art has the ability to recognize. I am living in South LA for the past two years and probably walked past a lot of street arts. The vibrant energy and the creativity of the arts have always amazed me. However, I wish I had a chance to watch this before, so I could not only notice the visual aesthetics of the art, but also its aspect of recognition and its expression of its community. Now I know that the communities in South LA express themselves through these arts. Thanks you guys for pointing it out in this beautiful form, and thanks to Professor G for widening our experience.

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First off, I just want to say how amazing this film is and how much I enjoyed it. I grew up in a small town, and so art and murals are not something I see regularly, and I've never thought much about the cultural significance of art and murals. Particularly, I found it fascinating when Dalila Paola Mendez mentioned that the purpose of murals is to show that "we're good enough, we're just as important. It is important for us to share and uplift our own communities and our own individual stories." These spaces are so important for people of color who are artists because it allows them to openly express their struggles within their community, and to display black people and people of color as a part of that. There is no elitism to it, it is accessible for everyone, and allows for a free expression of both the struggles and triumphs of communities of people of color, as well as their own individual stories. I learned that murals and art is a way for people of color to express themselves the way they view themselves and their culture, regardless of the labels people outside of that perspective may put onto them. Once again, this film is amazing, and so is the art. I'm from Professor G's class and I'm really grateful he gave us the opportunity to watch these films.  - Jennah

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Ochre, Jose, and Tiffany,

Thank you so much for creating this film! As a kid, when my family and I would visit South LA, I was always mesmerized by the different murals simply because they are so beautiful and vibrant and unique. It was so interesting to hear different artists’ perspectives on growing up in LA and what mural art means to them. When Moses Ball described murals as a “love letter to the neighborhood”, my appreciation of murals instantly grew infinitely. I had never thought of murals in that way before. You all did a fantastic job at detailing the connection between art, history, culture, and the future.

-Connie

(Shoutout to Professor G for recommending that we watch your film. I’m so grateful that I got to watch this.)

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This is a great film and I really enjoyed seeing the art and hearing stories. I really liked the stories of the artist, and it really showed how much of the art has deeper meanings, and it was fascinating to hear the deeper meanings of the artists in this film. I also like how highlighting artists of color was also a central point of the film and how they use art to get their voices out there and break down the system of oppression. The discussion about culture shock was interesting to me because I was also used to feeling like "one of the only" and after moving to LA, I had a different experience. Thank you for this film, I really enjoyed watching it, and it made me realize that LA is a very diverse place where you can find a lot of support and uplift for each other. I am from Professor Grimes class, and I am so grateful that he sent me to watch this!

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This is a great film, and great soundtrack too! I love seeing the beautiful murals and artwork throughout our city. It is truly an expression of the people in the city. Being someone who is not so creative minded, I forget that artwork could be used as a freedom of expression. Murals are also a great way of showing our city's history, where we have come from and where we are headed. It is unfortunate that in a lot of cases, young people are pushed away from arts, or schools do not allocate resources into the arts. Our city has some great artists with great stories for every mural they paint. I'm glad Professor G introduced me to these videos. They are really well made and I could tell a lot of effort went in.

-CJ

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I really enjoyed this film. I liked this perspective of presenting South LA’s deep history through art and murals. As a South Los Angles native, I appreciated this film even more because it has become easy to forget how special and meaningful all these murals are. I honestly have always enjoyed our cities mu8rals as they showcase just how diverse we are. This was a wonderful film and I feel like artists need more appreciation for all they do. As the saying goes, a picture can share more than a thousand words and these murals share the beautiful birth stories of south LA and celebrate the different cultures we embrace here. (I am glad Professor Grimes sent me to watch these films)

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Great film! Ever since I recently moved to LA I noticed that there are a lot of street art and morals are the city. I used to wonder what's the meaning behind them. Sometimes I would drive around the city just to see all the morals, street art, and paintings. I love to see the different ways people express themselves through painting. This film did a great job highlighting the reasons behind the art around LA.