Julia Paskin
is the local host of All Things Considered and the L.A. Report Evening Edition.
Published November 13, 2025 5:00 AM
Artist and advocate Gary Tyler.
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Dorian Hill
/
Courtesy the artist and Library Street Collective
)
Topline:
After living 42 years wrongfully incarcerated in the Angola State Penitentiary, Gary Tyler has spent the past decade living and working as an artist and advocate in Los Angeles. His newest exhibition now is on display at the Official Welcome Gallery through Dec. 20.
The context: Tyler was part of a group of Black students in Louisiana bussed to a formerly all-white high school under court ordered desegregation. In 1974, their bus was attacked by a white mob and a white boy was killed. Tyler was wrongfully convicted of his murder by an all-white jury.
Read on … to learn about Tyler’s political awakening in Los Angeles and how and why Tyler learned to quilt in prison.
After living 42 years wrongfully incarcerated in the Angola State Penitentiary, Gary Tyler has spent the past decade living and working as an artist and advocate in Los Angeles.
A political awakening in Los Angeles
Growing up in Louisiana, Gary Tyler experienced some culture shock when he initially moved to South Central L.A. at 12 years old.
“It was like a new world I was venturing into,” Tyler said. “I learned things that I never thought was accessible 'cause it was totally different from the way the culture in the South was. It was more open and engaging.
'Negro History Week'
Negro History Week was the precursor to what would become Black History Month. Activist Angela Davis had been the subject of international outcry after being charged with murder and kidnapping. She said she was innocent and that she was being politically framed. She was later acquitted of all charges.
“I learned about Negro History Week. […] I also walked around the community, knocked on doors and got petitions signed for Angela Davis.
“Coming to L.A. was like walking out of the dark into the light.”
A segregationist mob changes the course of Tyler’s life
After a couple of years, Tyler moved back to Louisiana, where he was part of a group of Black students bused to a formerly all-white high school under court-ordered desegregation.
On Oct. 16, 1974, their bus was attacked by a white mob and a white boy was killed. Tyler was wrongfully convicted of his murder by an all-white jury.
Detroit Newspaper circa 1976
(
Courtesy of Gary Tyler's archive
)
Multiple witnesses later recanted their testimonies, saying they were pressured by police. Nevertheless, at just 17, Tyler became the youngest person on death row in the country, and was sent to the
Louisiana State Prison
in Angola, La.
Rodeos, quilting and an unexpected community
Tyler said he was afraid of the people he would meet in prison, but to his surprise, he found a community of older men who came together to protect him.
“Little did I know, despite the appearance of these guys, these guys was caring. These guys were loving,” Tyler said. “And these guys didn't perceive me as a threat at all because I was this little kid in adult prison.”
Tyler paid that care forward in different ways within the community in Angola, spending decades leading the prison theater program and volunteering with the country’s first prison hospice program, which was established in 1988 during the heigh of the AIDS crisis.
It was the need to fund hospice care that led Tyler to learn quilting in order to have something to sell at the notorious Angola Prison Rodeo, an annual fundraiser where inmates risk life and limb facing off against agitated bulls before a crowd.
Tyler resisted the craft at first.
GARY TYLER QUILTS
'Fernanda's Touch,' 2025
(
Courtesy of the artist; Library Street Collective, Detroit; and Official Welcome, Los Angeles. Photo: Evan Bedford
)
'Unforgiven,' 2025
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Courtesy of the artist; Library Street Collective, Detroit; and Official Welcome, Los Angeles. Photo: Evan Bedford
)
'Convict Poker,' 2025;
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Courtesy of the artist; Library Street Collective, Detroit; and Official Welcome, Los Angeles. Photo: Evan Bedford
)
“I felt that it was a feminine thing to do in prison,” Tyler said. “But I started thinking about my grandmother when I was this little kid. … I said, 'Wait a minute. I come from a family generation where my grandmother made quilts.' So I started having a different perspective … [that] we’re doing something noble. We doing something that supports dying men in prison.”
As Tyler’s quilts became big sellers at the rodeo and his leadership in the theater program attracted even more attention to his case, Tyler’s lawyers and national and international supporters rallied around his case. Still, it took 42 years for Tyler to be released — in 2016 at the age of 57.
A return to Los Angeles
With the aid of some of his longtime supporters, Tyler settled in Pasadena, where he became an advocate, working with organizations like
A Safe Place For Youth
. He continues to make quilts, ranging from colorful butterflies — a symbol of freedom — to depictions of life in incarceration.
“I felt that doing something tangible through my artwork, through quilting … that would give an understanding of my life experience in prison.”
'Illuminations from a Captured Soul' is now on display at the Official Welcome Gallery in Los Angeles through December 20th, 2025.
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Official Welcome Gallery
)
Tyler’s newest exhibition of narrative quilts includes portraits of people serving sentences in Angola, depicted not as inmates but as the characters they portrayed in his plays. Tyler says this gives the viewer an opportunity to see their humanity.
And preserving one’s humanity is at the heart of all of Tyler’s work.
“I wanted to maintain my own individuality, knowing that I was an innocent person,” he said. “And I want people to know … even if you’re guilty, there's a chance for change. Never miss out on that opportunity, no matter what.”
"Illuminations from a Captured Soul" is now on display at the Official Welcome Gallery in Los Angeles through Dec. 20.
Destiny Torres
is LAist's general assignment and digital equity reporter.
Published November 13, 2025 5:00 AM
L.A. Metro staff at the North Hollywood B Line Station.
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L.A. Metro
)
Topline:
Metro riders once again will have to tap to enter and exit the North Hollywood and Union stations
starting Monday
. The agency says the program will also expand to include the A Line’s Pomona North Station.
Why now? Metro reported that 86% of surveyed riders felt safer because of the feature at the North Hollywood station last year. The agency also says reports in the
Transit Watch app
, which tracks crime and other issues, dropped by more than 40% on the B Line.
How it works: When you tap when hopping on transit, your fare is deducted — tapping out confirms your charge. But if you didn’t pay your fare at the beginning of your trip, you will be charged when you tap out.
“You are expected to pay fare when entering the system and you could be warned, cited or removed from the system for failure to pay fare when entering,” according to Metro.
Where else is the program operating at? The program has been ongoing at the E Line’s Downtown Santa Monica Station.
This isn’t new: Metro launched the pilot program last year in an effort to crack down on fare evasion and improve safety. The agency says the feature is common for other major transit systems, including BART in San Francisco.
See artists like John Mooney at Venice Open Studios.
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John Mooney
/
Venice Open Studios
)
In this edition:
Benny Boy Brewery wants YOU to crush apples. Plus, Venice Open Studios and Baratunde Thurston in Long Beach.
Highlights:
CONGRESS invites the audience to participate in a salon-style environment, creating a conversation that bridges genres and builds community through movement. Eight choreographers come together at the event to “create a unique piece showcasing both LA’s rising stars and established creative voices.”
Bring a non-perishable food item and your dancing energy for a free hip-hop and R&B DJ set from Yaya Bey, who’s performing an intimate show to support Feed the Streets.
Take a peek inside many of the artist studios in one of the city’s most artsy neighborhoods, Venice, at Venice Open Studios. Learn about the beachside community’s art-centric history and visit artist spaces to learn more about the creative processes behind the work of locals.
Comedian and host Baratunde Thurston (The Daily Show, America Outdoors) brings his take on the future, AI and more to the Carpenter Center in Long Beach for an evening of laughs and community as part of the venue’s Wit & Wisdom series.
And celebrate all things cider at Benny Boy Brewing’s 4th annual Applefest Fall Festival — including actually crushing the apples.
There are some really special music events this weekend. Miguel is playing a set at The Broad on Saturday afternoon, and Patti Smith is rocking through her landmark album Horses on its 50th anniversary at Walt Disney Concert Hall. Plus, Tyler, the Creator’s sold-out Camp Flog Gnaw is happening all weekend long at Dodger Stadium.
Licorice Pizza
has even more music listings for you.
Saturday, November 15, 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Yaya Bey The Airliner 2419 N. Broadway, Lincoln Heights COST: FREE; MORE INFO
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Ra.co
)
Bring a non-perishable food item and your dancing energy for a free hip-hop and R&B DJ set from Yaya Bey, who’s performing an intimate show to support Feed the Streets. Do some good to support those in our community struggling with SNAP benefit cuts and have some fun — a double win.
Friday, November 14, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Innovation Social: Rhythmic Wave I: A Journey to 5054 Dorothy Chandler Pavilion Music Center 135 N. Grand Ave., Downtown L.A. COST: FREE WITH RSVP; MORE INFO
Dance meets immersive technology meets Afrofuturism in Rhythmic Wave I: A Journey to 5054, a performance from Faith “Aya” Umoh. Umoh, who won last year’s MIT XR Grand Prize, is also a Royal Shakespeare fellow who blends her theater and dance experience with motion capture, ancestral Nigerian dance, and AI. She’ll be performing (for free!) at this latest iteration of the Music Center’s Innovation Social series.
Friday, November 14 to Sunday, November 16 CONGRESS Vol. XII L.A. Dance Project 2245 E. Washington Blvd., Downtown L.A. COST: FROM $55; MORE INFO
More dance! CONGRESS invites the audience to participate in a salon-style environment, creating a conversation that bridges genres and builds community through movement. Eight choreographers come together at the event to “create a unique piece showcasing both L.A.'s rising stars and established creative voices.”
November 15 to 23, 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. nightly Mountains of the Moon 1600 Lincoln Blvd., Santa Monica COST: $10; MORE INFO
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Jay Blakesberg
/
Outside PR
)
Calling all Deadheads, flower children and tie-dye enthusiasts — and I mean all that in the best possible way. Artist, skier and filmmaker Chris Benchetler is launching Mountains of the Moon, an immersive experience set to the music of the Grateful Dead. The week-long premiere event, in partnership with Arc’teryx, includes the film itself and background on how it was made.
Saturday, November 15, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Grandma’s House Hollywood, exact location upon RSVP COST: FREE; MORE INFO
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1Community
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Grandmas are the best. Enter this unique experience — part museum, part culinary adventure, all heart — which takes you into the homes of several real-life and much-admired L.A. grandmas. The team behind the Netflix film Nonnas has created a series of themed rooms curated by the women who share their stories, recipes and keepsakes in this walk-through experience. The grandmothers featured are:
Fran Jemmott
, co-founder of the California Black Women's Health Project;
Odilia Romero
, a pivotal figure in advocacy for Indigenous migrant communities; and Pauline Bunt, a doting grandmother of four with Sicilian and Neapolitan Calabrian roots. The experience also includes bites from Komal chef Fatima Juarez, sharing the flavors of her native Mexico City.
Sunday, November 16, 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. Venice Open Studios 2025 Multiple locations in Venice COST: FREE; MORE INFO
Take a peek inside many of the artist studios in one of the city’s most artsy neighborhoods: Venice. Learn about the beachside community’s art-centric history and visit artist spaces to learn more about the creative processes behind the work of locals like William Attaway (who did the shell mosaics on the Boardwalk) and Alejandro Gehry, and visit local favorite spots like Sunset Avenue gallery Arcane Space.
Saturday, November 15, 8 p.m. An Evening With Baratunde Thurston Carpenter Center 6200 E. Atherton Street, Long Beach COST: FROM $33.75; MORE INFO
Baratunde is coming to Long Beach.
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Mathieu Young
/
Carpenter Arts
)
Comedian and host Baratunde Thurston (The Daily Show, America Outdoors) brings his take on the future, AI and more to the Carpenter Center in Long Beach. It’s part of the venue’s Wit & Wisdom series, and promises to be an evening of laughs and community.
Through January 10, 2026 Opening reception: Saturday, November 15, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Perspective and Plane Louis Stern Fine Arts 9002 Melrose Ave., West Hollywood COST: FREE; MORE INFO
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Courtesy Louis Stern Fine Arts
)
Perspective and Plane is a group exhibition pairing works by Louis Stern Gallery artists with those of artists from a different era, encouraging the viewer to reflect on the relationship between past and present. The show includes paintings, photography and sculptures by artists like Lorser Feitelson, Helen Lundeberg, Karl Benjamin and Alfredo Ramos Martínez, as well as contemporary artists like James Little, Mark Leonard, Mokha Laget and Cecilia Z. Miguez.
Outdoor Pick
Saturday, November 15, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Native Bees with Krystle Hickman Los Angeles County Arboretum 301 North Baldwin Ave., Arcadia COST: $20; MORE INFO
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Aaron Burden
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Unsplash
)
National Geographic Explorer and community scientist Krystle Hickman leads a conversation about one of our most precious natural resources — bees — at the Arboretum. Her work centers on native bees and the ecosystems they call home.
Viewing Pick
Sunday, November 16, 5 p.m. Organist Roger Sayer: Interstellar in Concert First Congregational Church of Los Angeles 40 South Commonwealth Ave., Rampart Village COST: $33.85; MORE INFO
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Paramount Pictures
/
Facebook
)
While this is more of a listening pick than a viewing pick, I hope you’ll forgive the loose interpretation. The magic of the music of Interstellar, Christopher Nolan’s 2015 epic space adventure, was a collaboration between Hans Zimmer and organist Roger Sayer, who is performing pieces from the soundtrack at the First Congregational Church. Those acoustics! Get it! The concert also includes additional space-themed pieces, like the opening theme from 2001: A Space Odyssey and selections from The Planets by Gustav Holst. The concert *does* include a short documentary about the creation of the Interstellar soundtrack, followed by an audience Q&A.
Dine & Drink Deals
Saturday and Sunday, November 15 and 16 Benny Boy Brewing’s 4th Annual Applefest Fall Festival 1821 Daly Street, Downtown L.A. COST: FREE; MORE INFO
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Benny Boy Brewing
)
Celebrate all things cider at Benny Boy Brewing’s 4th annual Applefest Fall Festival — including actually crushing the apples. Get hands-on in the harvest and help sort, crush and press apples on Benny Boy’s old-fashioned rack and cloth press to make a community cider. Nearly 500 volunteers have collectively crushed and pressed 3 tons of apples at the annual event!
Saturday, November 15, 11 a.m. 3 p.m. Joimo Kombucha 'Sips of Pure Joy' Tasting Event 1375 E. 15th Street, Arts District COST: FREE; MORE INFO
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Joimo Kombucha
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More fermentation is on the menu at Joimo Kombucha. Get a tour of the fermentation room, learn about the brewing process, and try free tastings of the pungent, sparkly, probiotic brew.
Cato Hernández
explores tangible ways people can make an impact on their lives and neighborhood.
Published November 13, 2025 5:00 AM
Baby lettuce grows in a hydroponic tower in Santa Barbara.
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George Rose
/
Getty Images
)
Topline:
The L.A. City Council has approved funding for a project that will teach San Fernando Valley residents how to build and run a hydroponic system to grow food indoors and outdoors.
The details: Mid Valley Family YMCA will teach residents in Mission Hills, Panorama City and North Hills about hydroponic gardening, a process whereby plants grow in water instead of soil. The program will cover skills to build your own system and best practices for planting.
The money: The nonprofit will get nearly $390,000 to run the program. The money comes from funds already set aside for L.A. REPAIR, the city’s participatory budget program, which asked Angelenos in 2023 to vote on how to spend a pot of money. The designated neighborhoods are part of the Valley’s
L.A. REPAIR Zone,
designated neighborhoods impacted by structural and historic racism.
The backstory: Mid Valley Family YMCA is stepping in because the original grantee dropped out recently. Another program is the works for urban farming.
President Donald Trump tonight signed a bill to fund the government, bringing a close to the longest government shutdown in history, one that saw millions of Americans affected and ended with little political gain.
What the bill does: In addition to extending last year's spending levels through the end of January for most of the government, the bill provides funding for some agencies through the end of next September, including payments for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The program, which provides food aid to nearly 1 in 8 Americans, has been mired in a court battle because of the shutdown. Politico reported ahead of the bill being signed that the USDA said most states would get funds needed to restore benefits within 24 hours of reopening.
Other notable measures: The bill includes a measure to reverse layoffs the Trump administration imposed during the shutdown, provides backpay for federal employees, and institutes protections against further layoffs.
What it doesn't do: It does not address the central issue underlying the entire shutdown — extensions on enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies that expire at the end of the year.
President Donald Trump has signed a bill to fund the government, bringing a close to the longest government shutdown in history, one that saw millions of Americans affected and ended with little political gain.
The bill passed Wednesday nightdespite Republicans' narrow margin in the House. Six Democratsjoined their Republican colleagues to get the bill over the finish line 43 days after the shutdown began: Reps. Henry Cuellar of Texas, Don Davis of North Carolina, Adam Gray of California, Jared Golden of Maine, Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington, and Tom Suozzi of New York.
Two Republicans — Reps. Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Greg Steube of Florida — voted no. The final vote was 222 to 209.
Trump signed the bill shortly after the House vote. He blamed Democrats for the shutdown at the signing event in the Oval Office.
"This was an easy extension but they didn't want to do it the easy way," Trump said. "They wanted to do it the hard way."
In addition to extending last year's spending levels through the end of January for most of the government, the bill provides funding for some agencies through the end of next September, including payments for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The program, which provides food aid to nearly 1 in 8 Americans, has been mired in a
court battle
because of the shutdown.
What's next for SNAP benefits?
Ahead of the official reopening of government late Wednesday,
Politico reported
that most states would get funds needed to distribute benefits "within 24 hours," according to statement from USDA spokesperson Alec Varsamis.
The bill includes a measure to reverse layoffs the Trump administration imposed during the shutdown, provides backpay for federal employees, and institutes protections against further layoffs.
Instead, as part of the
deal reached with a bipartisan contingent of senators
, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., agreed to hold a vote in mid-December on Democrat-drafted legislation aimed at extending those subsidies.
That doesn't sit well with many Senate Democrats, who remain wary of the pledge.
"A handshake deal with my Republican colleagues to reopen the government and no guarantee to actually lower costs is simply not good enough," said Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wisc., who voted against the measure.
Even if a December bill addressing the expiring subsidies passes the Senate, it would need to go to the House. Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has not made a guarantee to bring such a bill to the floor for a vote.
A lot of pain, not a lot of gain
Government shutdowns historically have not been effective tools for advancing a party's policy goals. The last six weeks proved that to be the rule, not an exception.
The decision by Senate Democrats not to fund the government before Oct. 1 was fueled, at least in part, by demands from the Democrats' political base to be a strong opposition party. The party homed in on a promise that they would not fund the government unless Republicans agreed to extend subsidies for people who buy health care through the Affordable Care Act marketplace.
The decision came after key Democrats, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer,
voted alongside Republicans to avoid a shutdown
in March. The result was a furious Democratic base, who demanded the minority party exert what little leverage it has to force a negotiation with Republicans in exchange for their votes to fund the government.
With an eye toward the expiring subsidies and resulting skyrocketing premiums, Senate Democrats stood firm during the October shutdown, hoping their resolve, paired with the devastating impacts of the shutdown on millions of Americans, would bring Republicans to the negotiating table.
But the strategy ultimately didn't work. Republicans didn't budge and continued to hold regular votes to fund the government.
In the meantime,
42 million Americans who participate with SNAP
didn't receive the food aid they rely on. Air traffic controllers and most Transportation Security Administration employees had to remain on the job without pay, leading to the Federal Aviation Administration's
order to scale back flights
. Millions of federal workers went without pay.
The group of seven Democrats and one independent senator who voted to end the shutdown acknowledged that waiting longer wouldn't bring about a different result.
"There was no guarantee that waiting would get us a better result, but there was a guarantee that waiting would impose suffering on more everyday people," Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., told NPR.
The result is an end to a shutdown that does not address the core demand from Democrats on the subsidies. Instead they are left to defend the kind of handshake agreement that they once said was insufficient.
Thune's ultimate deal with Democrats aligns with his repeated statements throughout the shutdown that Republicans would be open to negotiating on the expiring subsidies only after the government was funded, not before.
Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, one of the six Democrats who voted for the bill in the House, said there is still an opportunity to address health care.
"Congress still has a window to pass bipartisan legislation to extend the ACA premium tax credits," Golden said in a statement. "In September, I joined a bipartisan coalition in the House to put forth legislation to extend the credits for one year and now, with the shutdown now over, I urge members of both parties who care about affordable health care to come back to the table so we can get the job done."
Another factor that didn't go Democrats' way is the president himself. President Trump has been known at times to upend Congressional Republicans' game plan. But he
took a step back
during the shutdown and let Thune drive the GOP strategy. He didn't take the bait from Democrats who
repeatedlyaskedwhereTrump
"the great negotiator" was in the discussions.
What happens now?
Both parties have significant choices ahead that could lay the groundwork for their political successes and headaches through next year.
Senate Democrats have about a month to craft a bill that addresses the expiring ACA subsidies in a way that brings enough Republicans on board for passage.
If they're successful at getting an extension, Democrats will be able to start 2026 with a policy victory in hand that will shape their messaging going into the midterm elections. If Republicans don't support it, Democrats still have what they see as a winning issue — health care — to run on next year.
Some Republicans have shown
interest
in addressing the subsidies, but want to institute reforms like fraud prevention and income caps.
And both parties have to contend with the fact that the government is only funded for a few months. Congress will still have to pass nine other appropriations bills before the continuing resolution ends.
