Skip to Content
Downtown

Painting, Bombing, and Buffing LA’s Freeways ~ LA Public Library

2:15 PM PDT on May 10, 2012

Sat, May 12th ~ 2pm ~ Downtown LA

Stefano Bloch will discuss the birth, life, and slow death of L.A.’s iconic Olympic Festival freeway murals. His talk is based on in-depth ethnographic research conducted on the graffiti community and historical research conducted on L.A.’s Chicano and mainstream muralist traditions. Bloch argues that two decades of bad policy, belligerent graffiti abatement, and combative freeway bombers conspired to turn aesthetically inviting freeway walls into alienating beige eyesores. He will also be showing images from the Los Angeles Public Library Photo Collection and sharing excerpts from his personal archive of interviews, images, and reflections that focus on the appearance of L.A.’s public walls.

Sponsored by the Photo Collection and the Art, Music, & Recreation Department, presented by Photo Friends

Parking is available at 524 S. Flower St. Garage (show your LAPL library card at the Central Library’s information desk to receive a validation for reduced rates). Handicap accessibility available.

Location
Los Angeles Public Central Library, Mark Taper Auditorium
630 W Fifth St
Los Angeles, CA, 90071

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More Stories

Remember the 99 Cents Only Art Show? Artists Allege They Got Ripped Off.

A number of local artists involved in a heavily attended, viral art show in a former 99 Cents Only Store tell L.A. TACO they’re still yet to be paid for the work that was sold.

July 29, 2026

Who’s At Risk of Being Detained at Airports by ICE? What We Know.

After good samaritans prevented ICE from detaining a Vietnamese-Australian man at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas, community watch groups are receiving more calls about airport targets.

July 29, 2026

A California DJ Recounts the Horrors of Immigrant Detention at Otay Mesa

Diana Ledesma alleges forced pregnancy tests, a potential infectious disease outbreak, and human-sized cages during her nearly four-month imprisonment at the San Diego facility.

This Proudly Queer and Undocumented Organization Has Funded More Than 100 DACA Applications With Only $50 and a Screen-Printing Setup

The words "May I Be Latino in Every Lifetime" adorn their shirts, but behind the bold letters is a founder who's quietly paying for DACA renewals and redefining what activism looks like.

July 28, 2026

The First Native Powwow Comes to Cal State LA After 79 Years. Here Is What I Learned From Attending

The university's inaugural Indigenous Powwow wasn't just a celebration, it was an invitation to learn from Native voices, histories, and traditions that have always been here.

July 28, 2026

An Art Show Honoring Sex Work Is Hidden Inside a Fashion District Gallery

"I chose Beverly as my stripper name 'cause I was born in a car on Beverly and Western in Koreatown," Michaela Campbell, who hosted the night's event, tells L.A. TACO.

July 27, 2026