Community
ENGAGEMENT
At Las Fotos Project, art doesn’t just live in the classroom or gallery—it belongs to the community. Our Community Engagement programs transform creativity into collective power, creating spaces where families, neighbors, and partners connect, heal, and imagine new futures alongside our youth.
Community Engagement at LFP is guided by our Youth Advisory Council (YAC), cultivating leaders, organizers, and culture shapers. Together we meet the needs of Boyle Heights and define the future of Los Angeles.
At Las Fotos Project, art doesn’t just live in the classroom or gallery—it belongs to the community. Our Community Engagement programs transform creativity into collective power, creating spaces where families, neighbors, and partners connect, heal, and imagine new futures alongside our youth.
Community Engagement at LFP is guided by our Youth Advisory Council (YAC), cultivating leaders, organizers, and culture shapers. Together we meet the needs of Boyle Heights and define the future of Los Angeles.
CommunityWellness Days
Every other month, we welcome the entire neighborhood to Las Fotos Project for Community Wellness Day. What began as a drive-thru food distribution during the height of the pandemic has grown into a mutual aid hub: clothing swaps, family photo sessions, and joyful art-making alongside fresh food from local farms and businesses. Neighbors gather to see the artwork in our gallery, connect with resources, and celebrate community.
Community WOrkshops
Our Youth Advisory Council envisions and leads a wide range of workshops that bring students, families, and neighbors together. These gatherings include everything from career nights, photography demos and artist talks to community-based art projects, advocacy sessions, and wellness practices. The goal is simple: to create spaces where creativity sparks connection, where new skills open possibilities, and where our community can see themselves reflected in the arts.
Some workshops focus on exploring creative careers, with field trips to art institutions and sessions led by working professionals. Others center community needs—like advocacy trainings or intergenerational art-making—reminding us that photography is not only a career path, but also a tool for healing, expression, and change.
YOUTH
ADVISORY COUNCIl
The Youth Advisory Council (YAC) ensures that young people are at the center of every decision at Las Fotos Project. Each year, ten emerging creatives receive a stipend to serve as council members—meeting twice a month, volunteering at events, and shaping organizational priorities.
Our YAC members are more than advisors; they are ambassadors who bring youth voice, family perspectives, and community needs directly into our programs. We intentionally prioritize young people whose leadership is too often overlooked, providing them with tools, training, and opportunities to grow as artists, advocates, and leaders in their community.
