Alta/A Human Atlas of a City of Angels Opening Reception
ReflectSpace Exhibit
Saturday, May 09
6:30pm - 8:30pm
Join us for the "Alta / A Human Atlas" Exhibit Opening Reception on Saturday, May 9, 2026 from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM and meet London-based Artist Marcus Lyon. Exhibit on view from May 9 to July 12, 2026
ReflectSpace, in partnership with the Getty Conservation Institute, presents Alta / A Human Atlas of the City of Angels, an internationally acclaimed social impact project by UK-based artist Marcus Lyon. The exhibition weaves together portraiture, personal narratives, and ancestral DNA data to map LA’s layered identities through the lives of 100 Angelenos who have made significant contributions to the city. On view May 9 through July 12, 2026, Alta offers a powerful, community-centered exploration of migration, belonging, and the evolving human story of the city.
Initially created in collaboration with the Getty Conservation Institute for PST Art: Art & Science Collide, Alta is part of Lyon’s ongoing Human Atlas series, which merges art, anthropology, and storytelling to document human geography. While connected to a global framework, this iteration remains deeply rooted in Los Angeles, highlighting the communities and individuals who define the city today and shaping an archive for future generations.
The opening reception will be held on Saturday, May 9, 2026, from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM. Alta / A Human Atlas for the City of Angels at ReflectSpace is curated by Ara and Anahid Oshagan, Tom Learner, and Nicole Onishi. For more information, please visit ReflectSpace.org
ReflectSpace acknowledges the generous support of the Glendale Library, Arts & Culture Trust, and the Glendale Arts & Culture Commission through funding from the Urban Art Fund.
PST ART is presented by Getty. Lead partners are Bank of America, Alicia Miñana & Rob Lovelace, and the Getty Patron Program. Principal partners are Simons Foundation; Eva and Ming Hsieh, Co-Founders of Fulgent Genetics; and Peggy and Andrew Cherng, Co-Chairs and Co-CEOs of Panda Express. Additional support for Alta / a Human Atlas of a City of Angels is provided by John E. and Louise Bryson.
---
Photos by Marcus Lyon. Left: Scarlett Paulina De Leon & Ocean De Leon-Edwards, Housing Justice Activist; right: James M. Lawson Jr., Pastor
---
PARKING
Visitors to ReflectSpace and Glendale Central Library receive 3-hour FREE parking across Harvard Street at the Marketplace parking structure with validation at the service desk. Accessible parking is available on any metered space for free with the use of an ADA placard when displayed. This includes parking in Lot 10 (parallel to Brand Blvd behind BevMo). ADA parking spots on the South side of the Adult Recreation Center are also available for library patrons.
AGE GROUP: | All Ages | Adults |
EVENT TYPE: | Special Events | Art Exhibition |
TAGS: | ReflectSpace | Glendale Central Library | Genealogy | Gallery | Family | Art Gallery | Art Exhibition | Art |
Glendale Central Library
Established in 1906.
Library services in Glendale were first provided in 1906. The women of the Tuesday Afternoon Club, a social and philanthropic organization, raised money through a series of lectures to fund a library collection. The library opened in a renovated pool room at Third and E (Wilson and Everett) Streets with seventy books, soon supplemented by a State Traveling Library of fifty more, and served a population of 1,186.
In 1907, the City Trustees passed Ordinance 53 which established and supported a library which "...shall be forever free to the inhabitants and nonresident taxpayers of the City of Glendale..." The first year the library had 251 books, 165 registered patrons, and a budget of $248.88.
In 1913, a Carnegie grant of $12,500 made possible the construction of the main library at Kenwood and Fifth (Harvard Street). The building was completed and dedicated November 13, 1914.
