The City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA) and the Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery (LAMAG) proudly announce the retun of Friday Night Arts at LAMAG, a vibrant summer series running Fridays from July 3 through August 28, from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m.
These programs offer visitors multiple entry points into contemporary art-making, from drawing and creative writing to collage, publishing, and sculptural experimentation. Admission is free, the series will activate the gallery with artist-led workshops and participatory programs that invite visitors to make, write, print, and explore videotape archives.and all experience levels are welcome.
Heavy Manners Library is a Los Angeles-based lending library, gallery, and bookstore focused on self and independently published books, zines, and other media. T.A.P.E. Los Angeles is a collective dedicated to supporting analog media by helping people create, share, and safekeep home movies and other tape-based recordings through free or low-cost digitizing services, equipment rentals, and volunteer opportunities.
July’s Friday Art Nights schedule includes:
Friday, July 3, 5:00p.m. — Clothed Figure Drawing w/ Kris Chau
Friday, July 10, 5:00p.m. — Poetry Workshop + Reading
Friday, July 17, 5:00 p.m. — Risograph Printing & Collage Night; visitors can make a collage for free or receive Risograph prints of their collage for $25.
Friday, July 24, 5:00 p.m. — Papier-Mâché Mask Making Workshop.
Friday, July 31, 5:00 p.m. — Clothed Figure Drawing, hosted by Bijou Karman.
August’s Friday Art Nights schedule includes:
Fridays, August 7, 14, 21, and 28, 5:00 p.m. — TV Wall, Tape Swaps, Live Studio Tapings, Home Video Night, and Vendors, offering visitors a chance to revisit and preserve home video collections while exploring VHS and other analog formats as both personal archives and creative material.
In September, Friday Art Nights summer series continues with the opening of Susan Silton: Diving Into The Wreck.
Join us this summer to experience the perfect fusion of art, community, and culture at Friday Night Arts at LAMAG.
Clothed Figure Drawing w/ Kris Chau | REGISTER HERE
Join us for a clothed figure drawing session at the Municipal Art Gallery in Barnsdall Art Park hosted by local artist Kris Chau!
Poetry Workshop + Reading | REGISTER HERE
Join us for a community writing workshop and poetry reading at the Municipal Art Gallery in Barnsdall Art Park! The workshop is a unique pedagogical approach to giving oneself permission in finding poetic voice and building confidence in performance of your writing. The workshop will be instructed by poet, journalist, and screenwriter Erin Taylor. Students for the workshop should arrive by 5pm.
The reading will follow the workshop at 7pm featuring a line up of local poets and students from the class (if they are up for sharing!)
Friday, July 17th, 2026 at 5pm PST | Risograph Printing + Collage Session | REGISTER HERE
Join us for a freeform collage session at the Municipal Art Gallery in Barnsdall Art Park! We will also be bringing our Risograph printer to offer the option to print your collage on our Riso printer for $25. Riso prints will be limited to 20 copies and 1 to 2 colors unless students want to pay extra.
Friday, July 24th, 2026 at 5pm PST | Papier-Mâché Mask Making Workshop | REGISTER HERE
Join us for a papier-mâché mask making workshop at the Municipal Art Gallery in Barnsdall Art Park. An activity fun for all ages! Learn some breif history about papier-mâché, then make your own! This workshop will primarily focus on constructiong techniques for the mask, but the masks can be painted at home once dried.
Friday, July 31st, 2026 at 5pm PST | Clothed Figure Drawing w/ Bijou Karman | REGISTER HERE
Join us for a clothed figure drawing session at the Municipal Art Gallery in Barnsdall Art Park hosted by local artist Bijou Karman
About Heavy Manners Library
Heavy Manners is a lending library, gallery, and bookstore that provides a space for developing, sharing, and discussing artwork and creative practice. Its collection focuses on self and independently published books, zines, and other media, while its public programs create educational opportunities for artists and community members alike. Rooted in a mission to create accessible alternatives to formal art education, Heavy Manners works directly with artists and small publishers to support creative practice, experimentation, and community learning.
About T.A.P.E. Los Angeles
T.A.P.E. Los Angeles is a Los Angeles-based 501(c)3 nonprofit dedicated to the preservation, exhibition, and creation of analog media, based out of Whammy! Analog Media in Echo Park, with public programs such as TV walls, tape swaps, live studio tapings, and home video nights, inviting participants to engage directly with VHS and other analog formats as both personal archives and creative material. Through free and pay-what-you-can digitizing, hands-on workshops, and access to rental equipment, T.A.P.E. supports community members in caring for their home video archives and experimenting with analog formats as a living artistic and cultural resource.
About the Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery
The Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery (LAMAG), established in 1954, is the city’s longest-running institution devoted solely to exhibiting art and is located atop Olive Hill within Barnsdall Art Park in East Hollywood. The park was gifted to the City of Los Angeles in 1927 by Aline Barnsdall, who stipulated that it be dedicated to the arts, inspired by her original vision and the architectural legacy of Frank Lloyd Wright, who designed the Hollyhock House and envisioned a vibrant arts center for the community. LAMAG’s current building—a spacious 10,000-square-foot gallery—was constructed and opened in 1971, providing a modern, purpose-built venue for exhibitions and public programs. Many renowned artists first gained recognition at LAMAG, including Carlos Almaraz, Eleanor Antin, John Baldessari, Mark Bradford, Vija Celmins, Harry Gamboa Jr., David Hammons, Barbara Kruger, Kerry James Marshall, Senga Nengudi, Catherine Opie, Sandy Rodriguez, Ed Ruscha, and Bruce and Norman Yonemoto. Among its most influential leaders, Josine Ianco-Starrels (director, 1975–1987) championed artistic independence, social justice, and under-recognized artists, including women and artists of color. Her legacy of diversity and creative risk-taking endures as LAMAG remains a free, welcoming space dedicated to expanding access to contemporary art for Los Angeles’s diverse communities.
About the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA)
As a leading, progressive arts and cultural agency, DCA empowers Los Angeles’ vibrant communities by supporting and providing access to quality visual, literary, musical, performing, and educational arts programming; managing vital cultural centers; preserving historic sites; creating public art; and funding services provided by arts organizations and individual artists. Formed in 1925, DCA promotes arts and culture as a way to ignite a powerful dialogue, engage LA’s residents and visitors, and ensure LA’s varied cultures are recognized, acknowledged, and experienced. DCA’s mission is to strengthen the quality of life in Los Angeles by stimulating and supporting arts and cultural activities, ensuring public access to the arts for residents and visitors alike. DCA advances the social and economic impact of arts and culture through grantmaking; public art; community arts; performing arts; and strategic marketing, development, design, and digital research. DCA creates and supports arts programming, maximizing relationships with other city agencies, artists, and arts 5 and cultural nonprofit organizations to provide excellent service in neighborhoods throughout Los Angeles. For more information, please visit culture.lacity.gov or follow us on Facebook at: facebook.com/culturela, Instagram @culture_la, and Twitter @culture_la.