Sue Coe, Abort the Court, 2021.
A multidisciplinary exhibition addressing contemporary politics and civic engagement will open next month at Gloria Delson Contemporary Art (GDCA) in downtown Los Angeles.
“The Urgency of Now: ¡No Pasarán!” is scheduled to run Oct. 1–31, with an opening reception Oct. 3 from 6 to 9 p.m. at the gallery, 727 S. Spring St. A soft opening is planned for Oct. 1 as part of DT Art Night.
The exhibition is curated and produced by artists and independent art professionals Karen Fiorito, Dale Youngman and Isa Gordon. According to the organizers, the project was conceived in response to what they describe as a period of political conflict and upheaval in the United States and internationally. The exhibition also incorporates voter-registration and civic-awareness activities ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
Its title draws on Martin Luther King Jr.’s writing about the “fierce urgency of now,” while “¡No Pasarán!”—Spanish for “they shall not pass”—references a slogan historically associated with anti-fascist movements.
The exhibition will bring together works in a range of media, including painting and other fine-art forms, photography, virtual reality, documentary film, video and interactive performance. Participating artists named by the organizers include Lydia Lunch, Dread Scott, Kim Abeles, Sue Coe, Guillermo Bert, Andre Miripolsky, Rick Robinson, Man One, Crystal Baranyk and Karen Fiorito.
The exhibition will also feature a series of performances and public programs. On Oct. 9, performance artist Amy Kaps will present “The Unravelling of the Constitution.” On Oct. 24, Isa Gordon will stage “The People Power Players,” an interactive, masked performance focused on voter awareness and participation.
A closing-reception panel, “The Artist’s Voice: Political Action and Creative Urgency,” will take place Oct. 30 and will be moderated by Karen Fiorito.
The Poor People’s Campaign, founded in the tradition of King’s Poor People’s Campaign, is listed as one of the exhibition’s sponsors and will conduct voter registration at the gallery on Oct. 1 and Oct. 3.
Other sponsors and in-kind supporters listed by organizers include Defiance.org, Freedom Trainers, Arterial.org, Wttle Animations and the Center for Artistic Activism.
Karen Fiorito is an artist, curator and activist known for political billboards. Dale Youngman, a curator and gallery director, has organized exhibitions and arts-related projects in Los Angeles and elsewhere. Isa Gordon is a new-media and performance artist, curator, filmmaker and teacher whose work has included interactive art and animation projects.
GDCA is open Wednesday through Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. The exhibition is scheduled to remain on view through Oct. 31.
