Save the Date: “Above the Streets” Fundraiser for Art Share L.A. with Augustine Kofie on Thursday October 27th!
Art Share L.A. has announced its third annual Above the Streets fundraising event on Thursday, October 27, 2016. This years coinciding exhibition and benefit auction will highlight not only Los Angeles born and raised artist and muralist Augustine Kofie, but also honor the 6th Street Bridge Project for its contribution to the changing landscape of Downtown Los Angeles.
Built in 1932, the Sixth Street Bridge spans nearly 3,500 feet across the LA river, connecting the burgeoning Arts District on the west side to the historic neighborhood of Boyle Heights on the east side. One of fourteen historic Los Angeles River crossing structures, it has been home to countless movies, music videos, and TV commercials usually representative of the “grittier” side of our massive city. Demolished earlier this year, the new bridge, “The Ribbon of Light,” will bring with it parks, community features, and jobs by rallying a working collaboration of residents, elected officials, business leaders, labor unions, activists, and artists – rarely seen in public infrastructure projects. City Engineer Gary Lee Moore has worked with structural engineering firm HNTB, Michael Maltzan architecture firm, Skaska Construction, and so many more members of the community to revitalize this vital connection. ArtShare seeks to celebrate this new project that has brought together the community, partnering with artist Augustine Kofie to align art with Los Angeles’ changing architectural images.
Born and raised in Los Angeles, Augustine Kofie gained notoriety in the 1990s through his graffiti and mural works, using his experiences to find his love for construction and form. By drafting, sketching, and stretching perspectives of letters, Kofie gave rise to an aesthetic that blends sharp angles and geometric shapes with a soulful and organic form of abstraction. Kofie’s “retro-futuristic” aesthetic mirrors the city of Los Angeles – sharp, angular, ever creepingly modern, and with a soul that spans over 150 years of beauty, decay, innovation, and change.
ArtShare will be splashing Kofie’s work around the city through different outdoor media channels: large billboards, bus benches, digital billboards, and an exhibition and benefit auction for their organization. Proceeds from the auction will provide funding for a remodeling of the building and gallery space to continue providing an accessible space for artists and art lovers alike.