Reflecting With Us
One year after the Eaton and Palisades fires, many families are still navigating displacement, insurance barriers, environmental health concerns, and the emotional toll of a long and uncertain recovery.
From January 4–7, the Department of Angels and Extreme Weather Survivors hosted With Us in downtown Los Angeles to create space for Angelenos to pause, bear witness, and re-engage in the ongoing work of recovery.
What emerged over four days was more than an art installation. It was a space for survivors, neighbors, artists, community partners, and leaders to come together in a shared act of listening, reflection, and action.
A Space for Collective Grief, Healing, and Hope
Over four days, more than 500 visitors moved through the installation — survivors, non-impacted Angelenos, artists, advocates, and elected officials.
At the heart of With Us was a labyrinth installation; a physical and emotional reflection of the nonlinear journey survivors continue to face. As visitors moved through transparent panels that compressed and expanded, the space mirrored the realities of recovery: unanswered questions, moments of clarity, setbacks, resilience, and the long road forward.
The installation featured the work of 26 visual artists, 16 of whom are survivors of the Eaton and Palisades fires. Ten additional artists created work inspired directly by firsthand survivor stories. Living portraits and an immersive soundscape surrounded visitors with real faces and voices. More than 25 audio testimonials filled the space, sharing stories of loss, rebuilding, uncertainty, and hope. The composer and sound mixer are also survivors, showcasing the breadth of lives affected by the fires. The installation also paired Department of Angels survey data with survivor narratives, connecting statistics to human experience and reinforcing that recovery is both deeply personal and structurally complex.
The opening event was covered thoughtfully in local and national media outlets, and survivors shared how meaningful it was to see their emotions reflected back at them.
“It was really nice to be here and to recognize that the things that we’re feeling are not unusual,” said Megan, a teacher. “We are not the only ones experiencing this anxiety and sense of being unsettled as we start the year.” Added Jay: “There’s this expectation that we should be normal by now. I mean, come on, it’s been a year! But that’s not the reality of it.”
In a moment when public attention has faded, the installation made something clear: the recovery journey is far from over. As Department of Angels co-founder, Evan Spiegel, shared during opening remarks, “A year later, too many people are still not home. Too many are still waiting for resources, for clear answers, for a path that doesn’t require superhuman stamina just to survive. The most important thing we can do today is refuse the quiet drift into forgetting.”
With Us was our collective effort to remember.
Transforming Grief Into Action
From the outset, With Us asked: What does it mean to truly stand with survivors?
The answers filled a pledge wall near the exit. Visitors were asked how they would re-commit to recovery, and shared the actions they plan to take, both big and small:
“Advocating for equitable resources for Altadena and beyond.”
“Continue being kind and loving.”
“Writing and calling legislators and officials to get insurance reform and remind people that survivors still need help.”
Community organizations serving survivors hosted information tables at the opening event, creating direct pathways to action and support. These partners included Day One, Eaton Fire Residents United, Eaton Fire Survivors Network, Palisades Recovery Coalition, Project Passion, and Team Palisades. Through additional partners like Support + Feed, donations were gathered to help provide plant-based meals for fire-impacted families. KCRW invited attendees to contribute to its “Love Letters to LA” initiative, honoring neighborhoods still recovering. Community care and pride was woven throughout — from coffee provided by Cafe de Leche to family programming led by Project:Camp.
This pairing of story with resources created a meaningful bridge between remembrance and action. Visitors didn’t just witness what survivors are experiencing through recovery — they connected directly with organizations serving fire-impacted communities, learned how to navigate ongoing challenges, donated to help feed families, and signed up to volunteer.
The installation also provided a unique environment for civic leaders and decision-makers to engage more intimately with survivors. Cultural leaders, digital creators, and elected officials walked the labyrinth, listened to testimonials, and met with community members against the backdrop of art and story. Governor Newsom and the First Partner, along with Senators Padilla and Schiff even met with a roundtable of Eaton and Palisades survivors at the space, discussing the urgent needs each community is still facing.
What’s Next
Art – and spaces around it – can play a unique role in building connection and interrupting the quiet process of forgetting.
One year after the fires, With Us reminded us that standing with survivors means more than sympathy. It means bearing witness. Advocating. Showing up long after headlines fade.
Recovery is not linear. It does not adhere to anniversaries. And it does not end because public attention moves on.
Thank you to every survivor who trusted us with their story, every artist who held and translated grief into something beautiful, every partner who showed up with resources and care, and every Angeleno who walked the labyrinth and chose to stand with us.
The work continues — and so does our commitment to it.