Experience the Heart of Downtown: Celebrating Community and Local Art at DTLA ArtNight
DTLA ArtNight Thrives as a Cultural Hub in Downtown Los Angeles
First Thursdays in Downtown Los Angeles (DTLA) have become a vibrant celebration of art, community, and culture. Galleries, vendors, exhibitions, and street performers animate the Historic Core on this lively night.
“It’s creativity. It’s community. It’s culture,” said Diana Barillas, Director of Operations and Creative Strategy for DTLA ArtNight. “We highlight the creatives downtown and also the businesses. The more people we can bring down here through art, the more our community as a whole can expand and get better.” Notably, ArtNight does not occur on Fourth of July or New Year’s, with scheduling adjustments made as necessary.
Entering its third year, DTLA ArtNight had its soft launch in April 2023. Barillas began volunteering at the event that same month and quickly transitioned to a full-time role, ultimately becoming its director.
The initiative was conceived by Dino Buiatti, Dana Hathaitham, and Blair Besten of the Historic Core Business Improvement District, aiming to re-establish an art-focused community after the previous Art Walk ended before the pandemic. “When I started, we were about 10 galleries,” Barillas recalled. “Nobody knew who we were, and it was a small map where you could literally point arrows to where the galleries were. We’ve expanded to about 55 or 60 now; the number varies because not all galleries open every month. But I consistently see three to four galleries added each month.”
Barillas emphasized that “galleries” can encompass various spaces, including bars that support local artists and pop-up venues. “If you were to really walk it, to the 50 to 60 locations, you will find a really big spread of what art is,” she added.
Barillas moved from San Francisco to Los Angeles in 2020 with aspirations of fostering an art community. However, the pandemic posed significant challenges. “I made my rounds in farmers markets and makers markets, met great people, and had the luck of meeting Milena Mortati, who had an organization called CRE8. We started doing pop-up events in LA,” she explained. Eventually, they found a home at 15th and Los Angeles, where Mortati and Kalise Wallace continue to operate.
As she sought new opportunities, Barillas learned about ArtNight and connected with Buiatti. DTLA ArtNight operates the Emerging Gallery, which Barillas curates, providing a launchpad for a diverse roster of participating galleries. “I have a collective of about 20 artists that rotate every single month," she noted. These artists primarily include newcomers, while established galleries such as Gabba Gallery and Superchief are also involved. "Last year, we collaborated with Adidas, bringing in different genres of exhibits and styles, alongside music, vendors, and performative arts."
About a year ago, Barillas relocated to Downtown to be closer to her work and has built strong ties within the community. “All the business owners I’ve met are fighting really hard to make this a positive place,” she said.
The first ArtNight of 2026 kicked off on January 8, attracting the largest crowd Barillas has witnessed, with 1,000 visitors recorded at the Emerging Gallery.
Barillas has found a sense of belonging through her work at ArtNight. “We’re definitely seeing people wanting to be a part of this,” she stated. “What I discovered about L.A. is that everyone has a side passion. It’s a city that honors creativity, where people light up about what they care about. I strive to engage with the community and nurture those connections.”
