Renee Good and Alex Pretti were shot and killed this month in Minnesota. Silverio Villegas González was shot and killed in September in a Chicago suburb. Keith Porter Jr. was gunned down on New Year’s Eve in front of the Northridge apartment building where he lived.
All of them were slain by ICE agents.
In the past few months alone, America has repeatedly witnessed — from multiple angles and at varying playback speeds — groups of aggressive, twitchy, masked men conduct immigration sweeps on the order of President Trump and his Department of Homeland Security. The scenes are the stuff of nightmares, and even villainy.
After agent Jonathan Ross shot legal observer Good three times, including once in the head, he mumbled the expletives “f— b—” as her SUV drifted into a light post. Two weeks later, at least one ICE agent was seen clapping after Pretti was shot multiple times as he lay pinned on the ground.
If the intention of the Stephen Miller-run White House was to crush the resistance with violence, it has backfired. The number of protests in cities around the nation has grown in size and frequency. And local networks that offer instruction and training for how to legally observe ICE raids are proliferating by the day. In short, as ICE has ramped up its operations, so too has the resistance.
Now, a consortium of various civil rights and advocacy groups is calling for the largest anti-ICE demonstration to date, a national shutdown. “The people of the Twin Cities have shown the way for the whole country — to stop ICE’s reign of terror, we need to SHUT IT DOWN,” reads nationalshutdown.org. “On Friday, January 30, join a nationwide day of no school, no work and no shopping.”
Given the sense of urgency triggered by the invasive and deadly tactics of federal officers over the past few months, Friday’s planned shutdown could be huge. But unlike other major demonstrations, like the “No Kings” marches, it asks folks to take off work, school and stop shopping (yes, even online) in the name of democracy.
Taking time off work is not economically feasible for many Americans, especially given today’s affordability crisis (a concept that Trump believes was invented by Democrats). With that in mind, it may not be the most effective way to show solidarity with Minneapolis, Chicago, L.A. and other cities where a trip to Home Depot might include getting caught in an immigration raid. But it might be the safest option in an otherwise dangerously heated time, when peaceful protests are ending in violent killings.
We’ve been here before, even if the current images of killer goons in mismatched military gear might seem foreign and dystopian. Peaceful Civil Rights-era marches and protests often turned into bloody, brutal and murderous affairs, fueled by inhumane law enforcement tactics and vigilantes operating with impunity. But the majority of Americans — i.e. those who weren’t Black — didn’t see folks who looked like them slain by government agents who also looked like them. The naive notion that America protects its own has remained largely intact, until the current administration declared that anyone who’s not with them is against them.
Today, Washington’s on-high interpretation of Us and Them equals those who are pro-Trump (Us) and those who are not (Them). There are, of course, plenty of racist and bigoted caveats within that lunk-headed quotient, but generally, one side is dispensable while the other is not.
The Trump administration has characterized Pretti, who was carrying a concealed, permitted weapon at the time of his killing, as a domestic terrorist who essentially got what he deserved: “You cannot bring a firearm loaded with multiple magazines to any sort of protest that you want. It is that simple,” said FBI Director Kash Patel.
But when then-17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse shot three #BLM protesters, killing two, at a 2020 Kenosha, Wis., demonstration decrying police brutality, he was — and still is —canonized as a hero by Trump and the right.
Historical data shows that when 3.5% of a population is actively involved in peaceful, sustained resistance, they can influence significant political shifts. Those numbers likely don’t differentiate between who makes it out of the peaceful protest alive and who emerges as a martyr for the cause. But one shouldn’t have to choose between exercising their 1st Amendment rights and making it home alive.
Pop artist Kii Arens made a name for himself in music over the years, creating concert posters for bands and vocalists such as Radiohead, Elton John, Dolly Parton, the Weeknd, Sonic Youth, Tame Impala, Diana Ross and more.
That work is taking center stage at Arens’ new downtown Los Angeles gallery, FAB LA, in a show titled “And the Winner Is.” Curated by Arens and featuring poster art of Grammy winners, the exhibition is set to open Friday, two days before the 2026 Grammys descend on the city, and just in time to welcome plenty of visiting celebrity faces to the gallery’s third-ever event.
A glittering party scene is part of every exhibition Arens hosts, dating back to his previous gallery, LA-LA Land, which he opened two decades ago on Santa Monica Boulevard in Hollywood and ran until its lease came up last year.
FAB LA officially launched in October with “XO, LA: A Love Letter to Los Angeles,” an exhibition that reflected the eclectic voices and existential challenges that define L.A. culture with paintings, illustrations and mixed media works by Shepard Fairey, Corita Kent, Anthony Ausgang, Ashley Dreyfus, Paul Frank and others.
Pop artist Kii Arens lays on his desk in his new gallery, FAB LA, inside the historic Fine Arts Building on 7th Street in downtown Los Angeles. Posters from his new show, “And the Winner Is,” feature images of Grammy winners just in time for the big awards show.
(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
The flamboyant “Mick Rock’s Rocky Horror Art Show” followed in December. The exhibition was among the last events marking the famous cult film’s 50th anniversary, and featured Rock’s famous photographs alongside pieces by pop star designer Michael Schmidt and digital portraitist Plasticgod. As with previous events at LA-LA Land, the opening attracted rockers, drag queens and club world cognoscenti.
DJs Sean Patrick (Simon Says) and Chris Holmes (Paul McCartney’s touring DJ, and creative collaborator with Cosm) manned the decks, and “RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars” winner and podcaster, Alaska Thunderf—, performed as Tim Curry’s Dr. Frank-N-Furter, dancing and prancing around the grand environs.
There are galleries all over Los Angeles, but few can be described as works of art unto themselves. FAB LA is that and more.
Its majestic headquarters are housed inside downtown’s historic Fine Arts Building — a breathtaking palace-like structure with a 100-year history of craftsmanship and creativity.
Located near the intersection of 7th and Flower streets, the landmark building was featured in the 2009 film “(500) Days of Summer,” a hidden gem overshadowed in recent years by hectic street life, chain food spots and bustling business energy. Used primarily as an office building, its ornate design, carvings and sculptures — including a ground floor fountain with frolicking bronze youths — hadn’t invited much public attention or appreciation.
Pop artist Kii Arens catches some air in front of the historic Fine Arts Building where he has opened his new gallery, FAB LA. The building was designated a Historic-Cultural Monument in 1974 and restored in 1983.
(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
That changed late last year when Arens took over the first two floors.
“Historically, artists lived and worked inside this building,” he said during a recent opening. “This idea really resonated with me.”
Originally from St. Paul, Minn., Arens moved to L.A. in 2004 and promptly opened LA-LA Land. The Hollywood showroom debuted on election night 2004 with a group exhibition called “Happy War,” featuring anti-war works and Fairey as DJ. Wild and kitschy shows followed with opening fetes dedicated to colorful subjects including Andy Warhol, circus clowns, and Canadian television creators and puppeteers Sid and Marty Krofft.
In addition to creating art and DJing, Arens is also a musician, and his eclectic music projects reflect his nostalgic proclivities. They include a rock outfit called FLIPP, which he describes as, “the Sex Pistols meets the Spice Girls,” as well as a pop-duo called Jinx, and solo work that counts 4 Non Blondes’ Linda Perry as a collaborator.
Arens is a largely self-taught visual artist. His work has always leaned toward entertainment figures and musical subject matter, which led to major commissions for album covers and tour poster art — some of which will be featured in the upcoming exhibition at FAB LA.
Poster prints of Elton John, left, and Jim Morrison, by Pop artist Kii Arens are part of his latest show, “And the Winner Is,” which features poster art of Grammy winners and is on display in Aren’s new gallery, FAB LA, which opened late last year.
(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
When LA-LA Land’s lease expired, Arens sought a new place that would embrace his experimental energy. He also wanted a unique backdrop for showcasing imagery that “treats pop culture as a shared memory for all to take in,” he said. “Something worthy of being preserved, not just consumed.”
The Fine Arts Building’s longtime real estate representative, Gibran Begum, was looking for the same thing. Preservation was part of the conversation when the two connected, but both were also focused on revitalization and augmenting the structure’s old-world charms with something fresh and modern. The goal was to once again bring art lovers to the neighborhood.
A cohesive arts event had been lacking in the area since the monthly Downtown Los Angeles Art Walk scaled down in the face of traffic and permit issues, and more recently COVID closures. The event recently resumed, and though it’s much smaller Arens said he has high hopes for its growth, and for FAB LA’s place in its future.
As does Begum, who calls the Fine Arts Building “a rare and special space.”
“The second you enter, you’re somewhere else, it’s almost like walking into something in Florence, Italy,” Begum said. “We were looking for someone to help rejuvenate and reenergize it and who understood the culture of it.”
Pop artist Kii Arens strikes a pose inside the historic Fine Arts Building where he has opened his new gallery, FAB LA. The building was designed in the Romanesque revival style by architects Albert R. Walker and Percy A. Eisen, who also created the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills.
(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Designed in the Romanesque revival style by revered architects Albert R. Walker and Percy A. Eisen, who also created the nearby Oviatt Building as well as the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, the building’s exterior is embellished with dramatic columns and arches. Its interior features gargoyles, griffins and other mystical figures by sculptor Burt W. Johnson, as well as hand-crafted tiles by Ernest Batchelder and murals by Anthony B. Heinsbergen. A vintage elevator ferries guests between floors.
The opulent building opened on Dec. 8, 1926, attracting an estimated crowd of 27,000, and was named a Historic-Cultural Monument in 1974.
Though various artists have shown in the building over its 100-year history, FAB’s vibrant vision, focused on the intersection of design and fine art media, feels like the right fit for the current moment.
“I almost feel like the ghosts of some of the artists are looking down at me and smiling, knowing that what they loved is happening here again,” Arens said.
This includes immersive gatherings, which are a big part of Arens’ plans for FAB. “We’ll have movie premieres, live music events, poetry and I definitely want to have fashion,” Arens said. “The room would make a great runway!”
Charity is also part of the picture.
“And the Winner Is,” serves as a fundraiser for Oxfam, which works to relieve global poverty. Arens said he’s been hosting charity events for the group for the last five years — always right around the Grammys.
“We’ll have a bunch of amazing vinyl records donated by Rhino, and we’ll have clothing donated from famous musicians. Matt Pinfield is DJing and so is Jeffrey Ross,” Arens said.
A poster of Liza Minnelli by Pop artist Kii Arens is part of his latest show, “And the Winner Is” which features poster art of Grammy winners and opens over Grammy weekend.
(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
The exhibition, which closes March 8, will feature some of what Arens calls his “greatest hits,” including an ebullient Liza Minnelli portrait, and other significant prints such as a black-light poster design of Dolly Parton, and a Van Halen print representing Eddie Van Halen’s famed red-, black- and white-splattered “Frankenstein” guitar design on a notebook.
“I’m into simplifying images until they become familiar, immediate and emotional,” Arens said of his work. “I like to strip images down to what people recognize instantly. The feeling comes first, then I’m focused on evoking optimism, color and joy.”
Up next: A show in April in association with the animation studio Titmouse and dedicated to the art of animation.
“In this moment where everything feels disposable, I want to make something that is solid, something you stand in front of, not scroll past,” Arens said.
