In major metropolitan areas boasting world-class cultural institutions, the ongoing support of independent artists, designers, and grassroots makers serves as a vital anchor for the local creative ecosystem. While multi-million-dollar developments like the openings of the David Geffen Galleries at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) and the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art frequently capture international media attention, a different kind of cultural momentum has been quietly building across the neighborhoods of Southern California. The recent iteration of the LA Design Week/end (LAD/W) demonstrated this grassroots energy, blanketing the city with an expansive network of independent group exhibitions, studio tours, and site-specific events hosted across local galleries, private homes, and workshops.
Launched just three years ago by founder Holland Denvir, the independent design festival has experienced a remarkable trajectory of growth. What began as an intimate, grassroots event featuring approximately 40 participating locations has now blossomed into a massive five-day citywide celebration encompassing more than 140 distinct activations. By extending its original weekend schedule into a more robust five-day format—prompting a subtle name adjustment to include the "week/end" designation—the festival now provides audiences with the logistical breathing room necessary to navigate Los Angeles’s sprawling geography and fully absorb its diverse design offerings.
The Genesis of an Accessible, Community-Centric Festival
Reflecting on the origins of LA Design Week/end, Holland Denvir recalls the clear lightbulb moment that initially sparked the concept. Denvir recognized that Los Angeles possessed a vibrant, disparate community of creative producers that was missing a unified, community-oriented platform to champion independent voices. Traditional design fairs often relied on sterile convention hall floors illuminated by harsh fluorescent lighting—an environment that Denvir felt disconnected audiences from the authentic workspaces where art and design actually come to life.
Instead, Denvir envisioned an immersive experience where visitors could tour actual creative studios, local galleries, and independent storefronts. In its inaugural year, this vision manifested as an entirely decentralized event featuring 40 locations that welcomed the public strictly by word of mouth. Eschewing standard bureaucratic barriers, the festival charged zero participation fees and required no paid tickets. This radical accessibility resonated immediately with the public, drawing an enthusiastic initial turnout of more than 8,000 attendees and proving that a hunger for community-driven design experiences was already simmering beneath the surface of the city.
As the festival expanded over the subsequent years to showcase well over 140 locations, Denvir and the organizational team instituted open calls for artists and first-time curators. This strategic shift created vital opportunities to spotlight an eclectic array of emerging voices. While the initial focus remained heavily localized on Southern California talent, the open submission model quickly attracted creators from across the United States and international arenas, transforming the festival into a global nexus for contemporary independent design.
Braving the Heatwave: Studio Visits and Established Icons
The recent iteration of the festival arrived against a challenging meteorological backdrop, as a severe Southern California heatwave brought sweltering temperatures to the proceedings. Despite the oppressive weather, visitors turned out in record numbers, a testament to the resilience of the local arts community. Denvir expressed profound gratitude that the extreme heat failed to dampen public attendance or compromise the palpable enthusiasm shared by creators and patrons alike.
Among the standout destinations was the studio of veteran ceramic artist Peter Shire, where Denvir and Shire celebrated the festival surrounded by a dazzling collection of colorful, whimsical creations. Beaming with unmistakable joy, Shire offered a simple philosophy behind his enduring aesthetic: "Color makes me feel good."
Denvir emphasized the deep significance of Shire’s ongoing participation in the event. "Peter has been a part of LAD/W since the first year," Denvir noted. "He is so quirky and cool." While the festival continually prioritizes emerging and unfamiliar voices, Shire remains a towering fixture of the Los Angeles creative community whose decades-long career has helped shape the city’s artistic identity. "We are happy to have his stamp of approval," Denvir added.
The geographic clustering of events fostered an organic, neighborhood-based exploration for festivalgoers. Just outside Shire’s studio doors, chef and artist Natalia Pereira prepared a specialized lunch, anchoring the communal atmosphere of the gathering. Nearby, Peter Shire’s daughter, Ava Shire, exhibited her own distinct ceramic works at the Neighborhood Salon. A short distance away, the design studio Dusk showcased a collection of rustic yet refined wood furniture, highlighted by a striking mirror composed of concentric circles suspended above a large console table. This centerpiece featured geometric layering directly inspired by Josef Albers’ renowned "Homage to the Square" series.
A Citywide Tapestry of Open Studios and Curated Exhibitions
Throughout the five-day event, attendees braved soaring temperatures to traverse the city, exploring more than a hundred studios, galleries, and unconventional retail spaces that opened their doors for special programming. In East Hollywood, ceramicist Daniel Dooreck welcomed the public for an open studio event at Danny D’s Mud Shop. Meanwhile, design enthusiasts gathered at The Future Perfect house for an exclusive design brunch, interior designer Amy Sklar hosted guided tours of her private residence, and textile brand Block Shop offered early previews of its upcoming fabric and wallpaper collections.
The festival also highlighted the historic roots of modern design within Los Angeles. Midcentury furniture designer Paul McCobb became the focus of a specialized exhibition housed within a private Silver Lake residence that operates as a museum open to the public by appointment. During the festival, museum founder Yogi Proctor led daily tours through the space, which is meticulously outfitted with original McCobb furniture, vintage ephemera, and an extensive archive of historical magazines and books documenting the designer’s profound influence on 20th-century aesthetics.
In addition to open studios and historical retrospectives, LAD/W provided a vital platform for contemporary independent curators through a series of thoughtful group exhibitions staged across the city. In partnership with Alabaster Projects, curator Sarah Al-Qatou organized an exhibition titled "Our Joy is Resistance." The showcase brought together a powerful collection of paintings, photography, sculpture, and mixed-media assemblage centered on the themes of radical joy and wonder as tools for endurance and cultural expression.
Further east in Boyle Heights, the Small Green Door hosted an expansive event titled "Rhythm of the Night." The gathering featured a dynamic group exhibition, immersive spatial installations, hands-on creative workshops, and live DJ sets broadcast by independent radio institution dublab. Reflecting on the profound human connection fostered by these physical gatherings, Denvir recounted a telling observation shared by a workshop host.
"The host of a workshop pointed out to me that people were not on their phones," Denvir shared. "I was getting tattooed while my friends were making pom-poms. It is important for me that we’re in the present moment with LA Design Weekend. It’s fun to see it explode on Instagram, but those moments that we don’t get to see through social media, where people are enjoying the experience and making things, is even more important."
Looking Ahead to the Future of LAD/W
As the dust settles on a successful third outing, Denvir and the festival team are already turning their attention toward planning for the 2027 edition. With an eye toward igniting even greater creative energy and community engagement, organizers are actively building support networks for future programming.
In the interim, LA Design Week/end plans to host a series of community-focused workshops throughout the year, maintaining momentum between the annual flagship events. Prospective participants will soon have opportunities to apply for inclusion in the fourth installment of the festival, ensuring that the initiative continues to map an evolving, inclusive landscape of site-specific art and design experiences across the entire expanse of Los Angeles.
