Past, Present and Future
Exhibition Walkthrough & Conversation with Alta Changemakers
Saturday, July 11
2:00pm - 3:30pm
Join us for an exhibition walkthrough and panel discussion exploring the themes of the current exhibition at ReflectSpace: 'Alta / A Human Atlas of a City of Angels.'
Join us for an exhibition walkthrough and panel discussion exploring the themes of the current exhibition at ReflectSpace: Alta / A Human Atlas of a City of Angels. ReflectSpace and Getty Conservation Institute curators will address various aspects of the exhibition and tell the fascinating and surprising stories behind the project, followed by a panel discussion. The conversation will center around how the Alta project has created new modes of understanding and engagement and consider the kinds of futures that are possible for our communities as Angelenos in the City of Angeles.
About the Exhibition:
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 11, 2026, Alta offers a powerful, community-centered exploration of migration, belonging, and the evolving human story of the city.
About the Alta Changemaker Panelists:
Betty Lamarr
Betty Lamarr founded EmpowHer Institute after a personal journey that took her from being a pregnant teenager receiving public assistance to becoming a college graduate and corporate executive. Following a successful career in corporate America, she moved to South Africa to lead a Black-owned business and create employment opportunities. Returning to Los Angeles, she and a group of committed women established EmpowHer Institute as a nonprofit in 2003. Inspired by the entrepreneurial success of young women in South Africa, Betty developed an approach to help reduce high school dropout rates among Black and Hispanic girls by fostering leadership and entrepreneurship. She retired as CEO in 2020, leaving a lasting legacy and a strong foundation for the organization's continued growth.
Jamal Hill
Since 2018, Swim Up Hill has provided innovative swim instruction methods to individuals and organizations in the aquatic industry. Paralympian Jamal Hill is the founder and CEO of the Swim Up Hill Foundation. After spending half his life hiding his neurological disability and battling stereotypes about black swimmers, Jamal launched Aquatics Today, to help fill the need for best practices within aquatic spaces by providing online access to national resources. Some of Swim Up Hill’s partners include Speedo, USA Swimming, and the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic & Paralympic Organizing Committee. Jamal recently won a bronze medal in the 50-meter freestyle at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.
Marco Vargas
Marco Vargas is the co-founder and CEO of Fifth Sun Pictures, a Los Angeles based marketing, storytelling, and workforce development company serving organizations across education, government, and business. A graduate of the Los Angeles Unified School District and Dartmouth College, he founded Fifth Sun to help organizations strengthen their digital presence and tell their stories more effectively. Under his leadership, the company has partnered with schools, public agencies, nonprofits, and businesses to deliver marketing strategy, film production, website development, and immersive learning initiatives. Passionate about expanding opportunity for underserved youth, Marco creates pathways into creative careers through hands-on experience in media production, marketing, and digital innovation, connecting storytelling, technology, and workforce development to better serve communities.
This program is sponsored by the Glendale Arts & Culture Commission through funding from the Urban Art Fund.
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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.
For additional information about this event, please contact ReflectSpace at ReflectSpace@GlendaleCA.gov.
AGE GROUP: | All Ages | Adults |
EVENT TYPE: | Arts & Culture Commission | Artist Talk | Art Exhibition |
TAGS: | ReflectSpace | Photography | Pacific Standard Time | Gallery | Art Talk | Art Gallery | Art Exhibition | Art and Science | Art & Science | 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.
