Venice Arts Student Photography Showcase

We’re teaming up with Venice Arts for a special night celebrating young creators, powerful stories, and the magic of visual storytelling.

Mission Statement:

Venice Arts ignites, expands, and transforms the lives of Los Angeles’ low-income youth through photography and film education, and uses participatory storytelling practices to amplify the voices of underrepresented communities around the world.

Venice Arts began in 1993, when a group of local artists and community members came together to give young people—especially those with limited access to the arts—a space to create, express, and document their world. What started as a single photography workshop has grown into a nationally recognized program serving more than 450 youth every year through media arts education, creative career pathways, and community-focused exhibitions.

On this night, their students are taking over Peak Design Los Angeles to showcase their work and share the stories behind their images. You’ll hear directly from the artists about their experiences, their process, and what it means to see their world through a camera—and have it seen by others.

Come hang with us, support emerging photographers, and get inspired by the next generation of creators shaping the visual language of Los Angeles.

📸 Meet Our Photographers 📸
Artist Name: Lily G.
Title: In Motion
Statement:
Throughout the beautiful Abbott Kinney streets lies a mechanic passionate about bicycles. His work captures the movement of his life—fixing bikes that were once broken and keeping them in motion. In the end, it reflects how we all find passion in something we love.
Artist Name: Brian Qi
Title: The Night Heron
Statement:
On October 28, 2025, I was on a tour with my group, observing the birds and plants of the Ballona Wetlands. It was a slow day for photography—I kept missing the perfect moments—until I saw it. Behind some trees, wading in the mussel-filled estuary, was a bird with eyes as golden as amber and feathers as gray as the sky. It stood there as if calling to me to take the photo before I left. After that, it turned into a great day for photography.
Artist Name: Ramiro G. T.
Title: Chicken’s Beauty
Statement:
During a field trip on Abbot Kinney, I saw many interesting and beautiful things. Then I found a chicken coop. I could see the little animals through a fence from the sidewalk. There were many of them with different features, and I took a few photos, but I didn’t love them. So I waited a little longer until I got lucky and captured this brown chicken in the perfect spot where the sunlight lit up its beautiful face.
Artist Name: Johann V.
Title: Dancing Trees
Statement:
This photo was taken on Westminster Ave and Sixth Ave near Friendship Baptist Church on a warm afternoon around 3 PM. I chose this picture because you can almost feel it—the swaying leaves offering peace and calm, the warm brown branches creating familiarity, and the tree resembling a dancer moving carelessly. It gives the whole scene a dreamlike feeling of comfort.
Artist Name: Yaretzi Hernandez
Title: At a Soft Pace
Statement:
The top photo was taken at Venice Canals Park, a place I associate with calm and tranquility. The bottom photo was taken in the Abbott Kinney neighborhoods. Before this, I had never explored the area away from the busy main street—it was surprisingly calming. Lively but calm. The slowness and peace of both places reflect my idea of life at a soft pace, a softness that feels comforting.
Artist Name: Damian M.
Title: Culture
Statement:
This photo was taken in Oakwood. While walking, I saw this mural and felt like I had to capture it—the details of the Virgen de Guadalupe, the lowrider, and Venice Beach in the background were amazing. I named it Culture because the Virgen and the lowrider represent Chicano culture to me. Chicano means Mexican-born in the U.S., and many Chicano murals include these symbols.
Artist Name: Jocelyn M.
Title: The Wetlands Hidden Within the City
Statement:
Surrounded by tall buildings and endless rows of houses, the Ballona Wetlands along Culver Blvd feel distant and almost otherworldly. Long ago, these wetlands were what the Tongva saw for miles. What remains now is a small haven preserving what’s left of the past. The city around it is so different from the wetlands’ natural beauty. The efforts of the people protecting this land are clear through the wildlife that continues to flourish there.
Artist Name: Lorena G.
Title: Before and After
Statement:
I overlapped these photos to show that the past will always stay the past, and the present will always continue to change.
Artist Name: Amber S.
Title: Flying Wings
Statement:
The Venice Flying Carousel sits at the center of the Venice Canals. It was carved by artist Robin Murez and is powered by a wheel turned by hand. The carousel is open to all and mobile since it doesn’t have a permanent home. These images show Robin and her companion Astro as the heart of the machine, honoring the years she spent creating the eight animals, designing the mechanism, and bringing joy to Venice.
Artist Name: Lucy Dehnert
Title: On the Boardwalk
Statement:
Venice, epitomized through wetsuits, skateboards, surf lessons, and bike rentals.

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