Tribute-themed exhibit transforms Eaton, Palisades survivors' pain into art
Wildfire survivors transform pain into art
This week marks one year since the deadly Southern California wildfires devastated Altadena and Pacific Palisades. Now, the community of survivors are turning pain into art in downtown Los Angeles.
LOS ANGELES - In downtown Los Angeles, an immersive exhibit turns the Jan. 2025 wildfire survivors' pain into powerful art.
The Department of Angels and nationally-based nonprofit Extreme Weather Survivors co-hosted a "With Us" event at the City Market Social House to share the survivors' stories. For Angelenos, the memories serve as vivid trauma one year after the devastating fires.
"My thing was to get a cup of coffee in the morning, go sit on my porch and look at the mountains and see how many birds I could identify," recalled Sam Pace, an Eaton Fire survivor.
"Living on that legendary street in a community I had been part of for four years always felt a little magical," said Jenny Weigle-Bonds, Palisades Fire survivor.
"I remember the woman who died at the end of my street," said another fire survivor.
The "With Us" event opened early Jan. 2026 as the exhibit gallery showed the sights, sounds and stories of survival.
"Los Angeles is a city that understands story. We make movies, we make music, we make art, and we build things from imagination. And the story of the past year is something that we've lived together," said Department of Angeles co-founder Evan Spiegel.
The installation is a collaboration of local artists affected by the fires presented by Extreme Weather Survivors and Department of Angels, a group founded in the aftermath of the fires.
The goal is to bring people together to listen, process and understand while connecting survivors with support groups, trauma experts and healing camps for kids.
"In the Jewish tradition, when you lose someone, one of the things you do is you tear your clothes," said Rabbi Daniel Sher, Palisades Fire survivor. "There's a ribbon or a shirt or different things. What many people don't know is that you're supposed to stitch it back up and you're supposed to wear it again."
"As a lesson learned from the fires, take time to get to know your neighbors," said Weigle-Bonds.
Department of Angels co-founder Miguel Santana said more than 7 out of 10 fire survivors are still not home.
"Nearly half have depleted their savings and 40% have taken out debt just to survive," Santana said.
"They have all said these exact statements. I want to be heard. Where is the federal government? Where is insurance that I paid for on time for decades that I am owed?" said Extreme Weather Survivors co-founder Sierra Kos. "Please do not forget about us.