Reservoir: Photography, Loneliness and Well Being
Jan 29, 2026 – Mar 15, 2026
A Photographic Generator by LACP
Incubation and mentorship, Feb-Oct 2025
Exhibition and public programs, Jan-Mar 2026
Reservoir, a new photographic generator by LACP, will create a shared repository of responses to the global crisis of loneliness through visual storytelling. Cohorts of artists and mentors that represent a wide array of geographies, approaches, ages, nationalities and lived experiences, will create new work. Their creative response will be featured in a publication and exhibition that will launch at LACP’s DTLA gallery before traveling to various locations.
Much like reservoirs regulate the flow and storage of water, and therefore provide a sense of stability for their communities, this invitation-only collaborative project will incubate new approaches through creative practice, research and engagement.
Participating Artists
Lynne Breitfeller (NJ), Annette LeMay Burke (CA), Julia Buteux (RI), Chung-Ping Cheng (CA), Cathy Cone (VT), David Ellis (CA), Allyson Ely (CA), Nancy Farese (CA), Leslie Gleim (HI), Bootsy Holler (CA), Rohina Hoffman (CA), Valerie Horvath (Wash), Cynthia Johnston (Mass) , Sandra Klein (CA), Ana Leal (Brazil), Dana Long Kim (Wash), T. Chick McClure (CA), Lisa McCord (CA), Christina McFaul (CA), Stacy Mehrfar (NY), Joan Morse (Wash) , Karen Pape (VA), Gillian Peckham (Wash), Carl Pfirman (CA), Olivia Phare (AZ), Wendy Ploger (AZ), Mario Rodriguez (FL), Rosalie Rosenthal (KY), Jacque Rupp (CA), Patricia Sandler (CA), Asiya al-Sharabi (VA/Egypt), Lisa Slivka (WA), Elisabeth Smolarz (NY), Donna Tramatozzi (Chile), MG Vander Elst (NY), Junko Yokota (Ill)
Mentors-Artists
Mishka Henner (UK) / Erik Kessels (NL) / George Nobechi (Japan) / Aline Smithson (CA, USA) / Penelope Umbrico (NY, USA) / Rodrigo Valenzuela (CA, USA)
Curator and Project Lead: Dr. Rotem Rozental
Concept and Format Development: Jennifer Pritchard, Dr. Rotem Rozental
Opening Reception
Thursday, January 29, 2026, 6pm to 8pm @ LACP Headquarters, 252 S. Los Angeles St, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Exhibition Run Dates
Thursday, January 29, 2026 – Tuesday, March 31, 2026 @ LACP Headquarters, 252 S. Los Angeles St, Los Angeles, CA 90012
About
Reservoir, a new program by LACP, will create a shared repository of responses to the global crisis of loneliness through visual storytelling, functioning both as a time capsule and a proposal on how to address such challenges as individuals and community. Cohorts of artists and mentors will create new work. Their creative response will be featured in a publication and exhibition that will launch at LACP’s DTLA gallery before traveling to various locations.
Much like reservoirs regulate the flow and storage of water, and therefore provide a sense of stability for their communities, this invitation-only collaborative project will incubate new approaches through creative practice, research and engagement.
In 2000, political scientist Robert Putnam suggested America is becoming a nation of loners, who lose trust in their institutions as they retreat from life in community to solitude. And it seems things have only gotten worse in the decades that followed. A study published in 2023 examined 1649 adult participants from Norway, the UK and Australia, and highlighted a direct relation between time spent on social media and an increased feeling of loneliness. Paradoxically, the more technologically connected we are, the more alone and isolated we feel. The Covid pandemic, political and social polarization, global wars, economic shifts— those external factors contribute to feelings of isolation and detachment. These issues are further emphasized in a place like Los Angeles, where physical topographies, distances and access to transportation impact emotional landscapes and contribute to a sense of isolation.
Extending and amplifying LACP’s commitment to nurture well-being and connectedness through visual storytelling, this multi-year project will bring together artists, master teachers, art centers, curators, publishers, medical institutions, mental health specialists, and technology innovators to incubate, develop and create groundbreaking projects, anchored in the meeting point of visual technologies, mental and physical well-being and the ebbs and flows of human connection.
Features
Reservoir: Photography, Loneliness and Well Being will feature the following FREE events and happenings:
- OPENING RECEPTION: Thursday, January 29, 2026, 6pm to 8pm @ LACP Headquarters, 252 S. Los Angeles St, Los Angeles, CA 90012