Judy Baca, a pioneering Los Angeles muralist known for her socially engaged public art, is participating in the Other Art Fair for the first time. She is showcasing a new 10-by-22-foot painting, *The 1968 East L.A. Walkouts*, which is the latest addition to her monumental, decades-long project *The Great Wall of Los Angeles*. The fair has commissioned a printed reproduction of the work for exhibition and will donate it to a community center afterward.
Artist Judy Baca and the Social and Public Art Resource Center (SPARC) are facing allegations of financial misconduct from ten former employees. The whistleblowers claim that Baca improperly used a $5 million grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to fund her private business operations and personal commissions. Specific concerns include a significant salary increase for Baca following the grant award and the blurring of lines between the nonprofit's staff duties and Baca's private studio work.
The Laband Art Gallery at Loyola Marymount University is hosting a retrospective titled "Noni Olabisi: When Lightning Strikes," showcasing over 40 works by the late Los Angeles muralist and painter. The exhibition, curated by Karen Rapp, spans Olabisi’s career from 1984 to 2022, featuring her powerful political murals and personal canvases that document Black culture and the struggle against systemic racism. This marks the first major posthumous survey of her work since her unexpected passing in 2022.
Loyola Marymount University's Laband Art Gallery has opened "Noni Olabisi: When Lightning Strikes," the first institutional exhibition dedicated to the work of artist and muralist Noni Olabisi (1954-2022). The show, running from January 29 to April 4, 2026, features over 40 works from 1984 to 2022, highlighting her bold public murals in South Los Angeles and her commitment to portraying Black identity, history, and contemporary struggles.