Capture the Moment: Nonprofit Offering Free Portraits to Welcome the New Year
Photographer Josh Madson to Host Free Portrait Experience at New Year’s Eve Celebration in Downtown LA
Josh Madson, a Del Mar-based photographer and founder of the nonprofit Community Collage, aims to celebrate humanity through his art. This New Year’s Eve, he will host a complimentary portrait session at the Gloria Molina Grand Park’s NYELA celebration in Downtown Los Angeles, encouraging individuals to recognize their significance within the larger community.
“I’m not a political activist, but I am a photographer,” Madson said. “I’m an artist, and I wanted to use my skill set to create something and remind people of our ability to create. We’re one of the only creatures in the world that can express thoughts in real time. I want to remind people that they are important.”
Originally from Minnesota and now residing in Los Angeles since 2005, Madson has worked with several major brands, including directing commercials for L’Oréal. He began the Community Collage project to highlight the diversity of the Mankato community, capturing 800 portraits over three complimentary photo shoots. In September 2023, he showcased his work at Coffee Hag, followed by a display at the Carnegie Art Center two months later.
Building on positive feedback, Madson expanded the project into the greater Mankato area in 2024. His efforts included three sessions at the Mayo Clinic Health System and two at Minnesota State University, culminating in a permanent installation titled "The Faces Within Our Walls."
“We’re very emotional creatures,” Madson noted. “Almost everything we do is driven by emotion. I wanted to touch on that… and here’s a great way to see themselves as beautiful and unique individuals that comprise the community.”
Community Collage has since expanded to several cities, including Jacksonville, Rochester, and Minneapolis. The project made its Los Angeles debut in May at the AAPI LA Market, offering free professional portraits. The upcoming New Year’s Eve event marks another expansion of Madson’s vision in Los Angeles.
“I want them to feel excited about this upcoming year,” he said. “I want them to feel special and that their actions do matter.”
The Gloria Molina Grand Park NYELA celebration, recognized as the largest free New Year’s Eve event on the West Coast, will take place from 8 p.m. until midnight. The celebration will transform the area into an interactive space filled with art installations, live performances, and a variety of food vendors.
Community Collage will operate its pop-up portrait studio from 8 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. Madson encourages attendees to arrive early to capture their professional portraits. Using custom software, guests will instantly select and receive two digital portraits free of charge.
“We haven’t done a huge event at Gloria Molina Park yet, and I’m really excited to do that,” Madson expressed. “It’s going to be widely attended, and we’ll broadcast participants’ images on video screens so they can see themselves as they’re being photographed.”
To date, about 13,000 individuals have engaged with the Community Collage project, reinforcing the idea of a shared humanity. “We’re all human beings,” Madson remarked. “If that’s the case, how different are you or I? I want to empower people to feel special and beautiful while reminding them that we’re part of a bigger community.”
The Community Collage project continues to emphasize the importance of unity, illustrating how collaboration can lead to significant achievements.
