"Looks Like a Home to Me" opening reception at the Central Los Angeles Public Library

Los Angeles Public Library Opens New Exhibition 

“Looks Like Home to Me: Inside the Progressive Studios” 

Showcasing Artworks by Artists with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Opens June 21-Dec. 7, Central Library’s Getty Gallery 

LOS ANGELES (June 16, 2025)—The Los Angeles Public Library presents Looks Like A Home to Me: Inside the Progressive Art Studio, an exhibition of artwork by more than 100 artists who have developed their artistic voices in studios across the region that provide special support for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The exhibition will be on view in Central Library’s Getty Galleries, 630 W. Fifth St. from June 21 to Dec. 7, 2025. 

A progressive art studio is a creative space that provides inclusive, individually-tailored opportunities for artists—often individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities—to explore and develop their artistic voices in a professional, supportive environment, with other artists and mentors. Studios offer resources, tools, and staff to encourage artistic growth and meaningful engagement within the broader art world. 

“Los Angeles Public Library is proud to share the beautiful work of more than 100 California artists supported by progressive art studios,” said City Librarian John F. Szabo. “Art encourages us to view the world from alternative perspectives, and we are delighted to share these amazing pieces with Angelenos.” 

The progressive art movement is not yet widely known, leaving many highly-creative people without the support to develop an artistic practice. This exhibition highlights the essential contributions of progressive studio programs to the broader contemporary art conversation at the Library, one of the most inclusive spaces in the community. 

More than 100 artists are represented, along with their art works, including ceramics, paintings, drawings, textiles, videos, and zines. The exhibition focuses on artists working in studios in Los Angeles and throughout California, a state with a powerful history of disability rights. 

“The Library’s mission to welcome everyone is exemplified by our newest exhibition, Looks Like a Home to Me: Inside the Progressive Art Studio," said Valerie Lynne Shaw, President of the Board of Library Commissioners. "The works are stunning, a wonderful, lively collection of beautiful, diverse pieces of art in multiple media." 

The exhibition includes work by artists from the following studios: 

● Art Explorers, Fort Bragg 

● Creative Growth, Oakland 

● Creativity Explored, San Francisco 

● ECF Art Centers, Los Angeles 

● NIAD Art Center, Richmond 

● Revision,San Diego 

● Slingshot / Alpha Art Studio, Santa Barbara 

● Tierra Del Sol, Los Angeles 

Central Library Director Kren Malone said, “This new exhibition once again highlights the integral role Central Library plays as a creative hub within the city of Los Angeles.” 

The exhibition is curated by Paige Wery, curator and director of the gallery at Terra del Sol, and was designed in collaboration with Thought Projects and WeAreGiants. To learn more, visit lapl.org/exhibits. 

A recipient of the nation’s highest honor for library service—the National Medal from the Institute of Museum and Library Services—the Los Angeles Public Library serves the largest and most diverse urban population of any library in the nation. Its Central Library, 72 branch libraries, collection of more than eight million books, state-of-the-art technology accessible at lapl.org, and thousands of public programs provide everyone with free and easy access to information and the opportunity for lifelong learning.