We've always thought the best part of this building is the people in it. So we're starting something new — a recurring series that turns to our own residents, the artists and makers living in and around our neighborhoods, and commissions them to create work that celebrates where we all live. Each installment focuses on a different pocket of the city, and each one ends with something you can actually hold.
For the first, we stayed close to home: the streets that climb from Franklin Village up through Beachwood Canyon and into historic Hollywoodland. It's one of the most distinctive stretches in Los Angeles — winding canyon roads, the stone gates that have marked the entrance since the 1920s, and the Hollywood Sign watching over all of it. It's drawn creative people for a century, which made it the right place to begin.
The first commission went to Stephanie Agnew. A Southern California native, Stephanie has spent the last 30 years living in Hollywood and working across its creative industries. She built on a fine-arts foundation before moving into clothing design in 2000, and her work spans apparel, textile design, and wardrobe styling — a background you can feel in the piece she made for us.
Her artwork found a fitting home. Every new resident who moves in with us receives a welcome tote from HHA, stocked with what you actually need in your first few days — cleaning supplies, a roll of toilet paper, paper towels, a plunger, a drain protector, the small stuff that's easy to forget in the middle of a move. It's how we look after our people and their apartments from the start. For this first neighborhood feature, we gave that everyday tote to Stephanie, and she gave it back as art — a limited-edition version carrying her map of the hills.
Residents, keep an eye on your inbox — there's something here just for you.
This is the first of many. We'll be heading to a new neighborhood, and a new resident-artist, before long. If you make things and want to be considered for a future commission, we'd love to hear from you.
Artist: Stephanie Agnew — currently available for design services, consulting, and creative commissions.
