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Los Angeles Artists Resist Efforts to “Beautify” RV Encampments

Los Angeles Artists Resist Efforts to “Beautify” RV Encampments


## Controversy Surrounding Los Angeles’ Plans to “Beautify” RV Camp Encampments: Artists and Advocates Speak Out

In September 2023, a call for artists to create public art for recreational vehicle (RV) encampments in Los Angeles caught the attention of more than 150 artists, housing advocates, and community members. Far from being an exciting new art initiative, the project — spearheaded by the Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture (LACDAC) in collaboration with the Los Angeles Housing Services Authority (LAHSA) — was met with intense criticism, with many claiming it seeks to “beautify” and mask the underlying trauma and loss experienced by the unhoused residents living in RVs.

**Artists’ Open Letter: A Call to Reconsider**

On October 1, 2023, prominent artists, such as Hayk Makhmuryan and Carol Zou, along with activist Judy Branfman, took action by organizing an open letter denouncing the city’s initiative. Their letter highlights the fact that RVs are not merely transient vehicles, but homes to thousands of Los Angeles residents. These encampments form interconnected communities with vital support networks — networks that eviction and displacement policies threaten to disassemble.

In the letter, the artists and advocates condemned the project, arguing that it targets marginalized populations and seeks to cover, rather than confront, the root causes of homelessness. “Using highly creative approaches to help people back on their feet would be far more impactful,” the letter implores, suggesting alternative methods of addressing the homelessness crisis rather than simply masking it through art.

**The City’s Proposal: Art as a Solution?**

LACDAC’s call for art proposals included a design element for creating barriers to discourage the return of RVs to designated areas once they’ve been removed by city authorities. This part of the proposal raised particular concerns among the artist community, who feel it co-opts the role of art in supporting, rather than displacing, marginalized groups.

Public art has historically served as a venue for expression, community bonding, and social critique. Through murals, sculptures, and other installations, art can provide marginalized voices with a platform. However, in this case, critics argue, the call for art deviates from those ideals by asking artists to contribute to a project that seeks to physically prevent the unhoused from occupying areas where they’ve used their RVs as homes.

Many artists felt this would only deepen social divides and erode trust between policymakers and the communities they are supposed to serve.

**The Unhoused in RVs: A Growing Concern**

The homelessness crisis in Los Angeles is well-documented, with the number of unhoused people consistently growing year by year. According to a 2023 report by LAHSA, about 4,800 vehicles, primarily RVs, are used as residential spaces.

RV encampments have proliferated across various areas of the city, including its underfunded and under-resourced neighborhoods. Vulnerable populations, left without better housing solutions, often turn to RVs as a last resort. These vehicles are not just a mode of shelter but also community hubs that provide mutual support for the most disenfranchised members of society.

A recent bill introduced by District 11 Councilwoman Traci Park sought to limit the number of RVs parked in city neighborhoods, calling them “nuisance properties.” This has only intensified the scrutiny placed on the unhoused populations and the encampments in which they reside. The councilwoman’s program, *Pathway Home*, aims to relocate RV residents into “interim housing,” yet there is no clear plan for where, when, or how this housing would be established or within what timeline.

**Artists Reject Complicity in Displacement**

One of the core messages of the open letter is the opposition to using artists as instruments of displacement. By recruiting artists to embellish the city’s strategy of driving out RV residents, the initiative, opponents argue, goes directly against the societal role of artists as empathetic creatives who aim to uplift communities, speak truth to power, and create inclusive spaces. As the letter states, “Actively participating in the displacement of unhoused residents is antithetical to what artists do.”

For artists like Makhumuryan and Zou, art must be approached as a tool that builds bridges, creates dialogue, and nurtures community bonds — not a weapon deployed to erase painful realities from the public eye.

**The Government’s Response**

On October 3, 2023, the artists behind the letter met with LA County Deputy Supervisor Isela Gracian to discuss their concerns and ambitions for a more inclusive project framework. While the meeting allowed both parties to voice their perspectives, the county stood firm in its commitment to proceed with the project. Gracian described it as “experimental,” indicating that it would move forward with or without artist participation.

The artists left the meeting feeling dishearten