Alta – A Human Atlas of a City of Angels

Alta is a research-based exploration of social change in Los Angeles in the early twenty-first century. The four-year project was built on the foundations of a year-long nomination process, where a diverse group of Angelenos nominated individuals from their own communities. Each nominee has made significant contributions to LA and embodies the very best of service to society. The final 100 frame many of the most important narratives about this region of Southern California.

The project maps these remarkable people through photographic portraits, app-based oral histories, and ancestral DNA to create a deeper understanding of the communities of Los Angeles County. Alta holds a mirror up to society and encourages audiences to question their own roles and responsibilities towards their communities, cities, and fellow humans.

Alta is a collaboration with the Getty Conservation Institute. The work was created for the Southern Californian art initiative PST ART: Art & Science Collide. Alta is an EarthPercent accredited project and is available in book, museum exhibition, architectural projection, podcast, and digital formats.