Press and Testimonials — The L.A. Project

“In an art museum, you stand alone quietly looking at a wall, but with Projecting L.A., you’re standing side by side with hundreds of people, collectively looking at the same images—portraits that convey the breadth of Los Angeles’s culture. Accompanied by well-curated music, you want to dance, laugh, cry. Itcreates a sense of community, something that is hard to find in such a big city. Julia Dean and her team has pulled off a magical feat.”

~Beth M. Howard/Author and Filmmaker

“Projecting L.A. 2022 is a critical and definitive visual record of the people of Los Angeles at a moment in time. LA is a city of people that are in a constant state of motion and emotion and this collection masterfully captures both - across a broad and diverse spectrum of people and experiences. The moments captured are unique and never to be repeated. This project ensures they will not be forgotten.”

~Candy Marshall/President, TheDream.US

“After all the hard work as one of the project managers who helped put together Projecting LA 2022, it was such a wonderful delight to watch the community come out and see the images of their lives projected on a huge open-air wall for all to celebrate. From East L.A. gang girls, West L.A. surfers and our brave firefighters and health care workers in action working hard to keep us safe, it made me feelproud to be an Angeleno and to feel our common bonds. Especially poignant was observing Photographer Julia Dean with Jose, an unhoused person she has been photographing for many years. When his images appeared 50 ft tall, it was as if he went from being invisible for so many years to proclaiming “I am here! I exist! I am part of the L.A. community and my life matters too!” It was a very beautiful moment that still brings tears to my eyes thinking about it.”

~Lisa Bevis/Project Manager, Projecting L.A.

“Being a part of Projecting L.A. 2022 was not only a magical experience but an emotional one as well. It was so spectacular and well done, the subjects in my photos cried watching how beautiful the show was. The event itself was an incredible event of artists and art lovers coming together for a night of magic.”

~Jamie Johnson/Documentary Photographer

“Julia Dean’s team made history with the visionary photo adventure Projecting L.A. 2022. Using open spaces and open walls is a great way to bring large groups of people to a gathering space, and it is an event that as a matter of course can have momentous cultural impact…and on that scale, the images are awe-inspiring.”

~Marc Milkin/Cinematographer

“What an incredibly memorable and exhilarating event. As a thirty-year resident of Los Angeles, I can confidently say it was a one-of-a-kind evening and visual experience. Hundreds of Angelenos gathered together to witness many of the city's diverse stories and cultures come to life through the magic of world-class photography projected three stories high. It was an amazing celebration, and one I wouldn’t want to have missed.”

~Andy Comins/Photographer

“My husband and I were able to travel from Madison Wisconsin to attend the Projecting L.A. 2022 event. We asked a friend from the LA area to join us. We were all stunned at the quality of the work, the production, and the feel of the night. It was fantastic and we are looking forward to coming again in April 2024.”

~ Carolyn Chadderdon, Retired Pediatric Nurse Practitioner

“It was amazing to see almost a thousand people look up onto the wall to see my Pulitzer Prize winning photos as a photographer and its impact. I could see that this event was more than just a showcase of work, but also a way of bringing together a whole spectrum of generations that have worked in the photography space. I am looking forward to have my work seen once again at the Projecting L.A. 2024.”

~Ringo Chiu/Freelance Photojournalist

“After attending Projecting L.A. 2022, I was reminded of how truly special the Los Angeles community is. My belief in the beauty and exceptional diversity of Angelenos has been reignited. With a three-story projection set to music, Projecting L.A. illuminated the unique diversity and beauty of the city and its people. It left me in awe and truly reignited my love affair with the City of Angels. The artists presentation of the real Los Angeles outside of our manicured worlds, by sharing the beauty and humanity of different Angelenos made me fall in love with my city all over again.”

~Susan Powell/Entrepreneur

“What a gift this was; authentic, innovative , heartwarming at times, gut wrenching at others. The photographs were spectacular and the music underscored everything. On a visceral level, this was one of the most transcendent experiences in the past ten years”

~ Wendy Hoffman/Producer

“Projecting L.A. is an experience that I think all aspiring artists and even just creative individuals should be exposed to. It allows a space for art in the form of photography to be displayed on a large scale, providing an impactful platform that would be otherwise be impossible. Overall Projecting L.A. is a greatly worthwhile event that showcases some of the best photographers that LA. has to offer. I can’t wait to see how it continues into the future.”

~ Hayden Atzberger/Cal State Northridge Film Student

Projecting L.A. gave me insight into our city and the inspiration to know more. As a photography collector, I appreciated the professional quality and the super sharp resolution of those huge images projected on the monster downtown wall. Truly extraordinary. The photographs together with the music selected by each photographer was intense, moving. More please!

~ David Shaw/Founder, Quantum Health