Work that moves people
East Los Streetscapers: Hacia al Norte
Thought Projects organized the display of Hacia al Norte, a monumental 65-foot mural on canvas by the East Los Streetscapers — artists David Botello, Wayne Healy, and Rich Raya. Commissioned in 1991 for a factory cafeteria, the mural was created in direct conversation with the company’s workforce, many of whom were recent immigrants or children of immigrants. The sweeping narrative of journey and arrival — Spanish galleons crossing oceans, Mexico City’s Zócalo, Mayan temples, a boy learning to use chopsticks — is a visual celebration of the layered immigrant stories that define Los Angeles. It required the careful transport, condition assessment, and installation of a fragile canvas work alongside bilingual interpretive text. The exhibition connected the Library’s diverse downtown visitors — tourists, workers, students, and residents from across the city — to Los Angeles’ remarkable mural history.
Roosevelt High School History Walk
Thought Projects served as content research and curatorial lead on a bilingual public history project tracing the rich, century-long multi-ethnic history of Roosevelt High School in Boyle Heights, commissioned by LAUSD as part of the school’s campus modernization program. The project combined archival research, oral histories, and hands-on student engagement — resulting in an outdoor public history activation that brought important stories alive for a new generation of students and community members. The program consists of five outdoor interpretive stations on the campus organized around specific themes, and pavers embedded with narrative content tracing the school’s history — all sited along a public outdoor pathway on the school’s active campus.
Looks Like a Home to Me
This bilingual exhibition brought the work of over 100 artists from progressive art studios across the U.S. into public view — organizations that provide inclusive, individually tailored studio environments for artists with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The exhibition featured works across a broad range of media: ceramics, painting, drawing, textiles, video, and zines.
Thought Projects identified a content expert from the community to curate the exhibition, and led coordination and production — crafting an experience that celebrated creativity, resilience, and community for artists with disabilities. The project exemplifies Thought Projects’ approach to inclusive activation design: centering voices that are often excluded from mainstream cultural spaces, building genuine partnerships with community organizations, and creating visitor experiences that are accessible, welcoming, and meaningful for the broadest possible audience.
As we progress, we will add alt text for all images throughout the site.
