LOS ANGELES (May 27, 2025) – LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes proudly announces the opening of its newest exhibition, A Great Day in East L.A.: Celebrando the Eastside Sound. This multimedia exhibition explores the dynamic musical influences of East Los Angeles artists who developed an eclectic musical identity and history. The exhibition will run from June 28, 2025, through August 23, 2026, offering a year of celebration and discovery. 

A Great Day in East L.A. showcases the portraits captured by award-winning photographer and filmmaker Piero F. Giunti. For over a decade, Giunti, in partnership with musician Mark Guerrero, located, photographed, and recorded the testimonies of iconic multigenerational musicians and genres that defined Eastside sound and extended well beyond the streets of Los Angeles. The exhibition positions musical artists in the political and social landscapes that nurtured and transformed the Eastside at key historical moments. It shares untold stories crucial in understanding the region’s boundless creativity and broad cultural impact.

The exhibit gathers over 500 one-of-a-kind objects, including photography, musical albums and instruments, flyers, posters, stage costumes, fan-wear, manuscripts and lyrics, band t-shirts, music awards, publications, art, videos, and other ephemera, such as rare photos of Ritchie Valens, a presidential medal given to Lalo Guerrero, and La Bamba’s first film script, which featured songs and appearances by Los Lobos, arguably the most prominent band to have emerged from East L.A. Many unique collections and objects, some of which are on display for the first time, and kindly lent by Eastside artists, their families, musical activists, and a legion of Eastside sound community fans.

"From the pioneers who created these historic moments to the music lovers discovering them today, everyone will find something extraordinary in A Great Day in East L.A.: Celebrando the Eastside Sound," says LA Plaza CEO Leticia Rhi Buckley. "This exhibition preserves our musical legacy, bringing East L.A.'s vibrant culture to life for new generations."

The exhibition is co-curated by Piero F. Giunti, Photographer and Filmmaker, Jorge N. Leal, Ph.D., Cultural and Urban Historian, UC Riverside, Mark Guerrero, Musician and Community Music Historian, and the LA Plaza Curatorial team Karen Crews Hendon, Director of Exhibitions and Senior Curator, Esperanza Sanchez, Associate Curator, Carolyn Lopez, Assistant Curator and Registrar, and Thomas Rosenquist, Senior Preparator. 

A Great Day in East L.A.: Celebrando the Eastside Sound “explores how East L.A. artists broke down barriers to create a vibrant musical legacy,” says LA Plaza Senior Curator Karen Crews Hendon. “Music, like food, is at the root of sharing cultural expression and celebration. The Eastside sound amplified identity, catalyzed change, and forever influenced the music world, bringing generations together today.”

The sounds of A Great Day in East L.A. will come alive at LA Plaza’s opening celebration on June 28, with a special free concert from 6pm to 10pm, headlined by The Altons in partnership with KCRW Summer Nights. Joining them for this musical tribute to East L.A.’s legacy will be DJ duo Ruben Molina + Soulera5150 and Chulita Vinyl Club, for an unforgettable musical tribute to East L.A.’s legacy. The galleries will be open to view from 6pm-8pm.

Earlier that day (12pm–4pm), visitors can explore the exhibition’s galleries, enjoy self-guided experiences, and participate in family-friendly artmaking. From 2pm–3pm, the exhibition curators will lead a tour (RSVP required). Please note: the museum will close temporarily between 4pm and 6pm to prepare for the evening concert. 

Visitors can immerse themselves in the Eastside sound with six themed galleries comprising The Venue, El Rockero Store, The Garage, Radio Rebelde, From East Los to the World, and Come On, Let’s Go! (dedicated to Los Lobos.) In-gallery interactive opportunities include building community playlists, a listening room, and hands-on jamming with instruments.

Upon arrival, visitors will see an introductory wall made of a collage of Piero Giunti’s decade-long photography portrait project, A Great Day in East L.A. 

 "A Great Day in East L.A. is a love letter to the soul, sweat, and sound of the East Side and an act of resistance against cultural erasure,” says Piero F. Giunti. “What began as one dream photo grew into over 350 portraits, each capturing the spirit, struggle, and rhythm of musicians who shaped a culture and reclaimed space through their art. Through my lens, I set out to honor a legacy that refuses to fade. It’s a moment, a movement, and a celebration of the people and music that define our community’s soul."

“A Great Day in East L.A. is more than an exhibit; it’s a reclamation. For too long, the soulful, genre-defying music of East L.A. has been overlooked, its pioneers erased or footnoted,” says musician and co-curator Mark Guerrero. “This project shines a spotlight on legends both known and unsung, whose voices shaped culture from barrio streets to global stages. It’s an homage to a community that turned struggle into sound and identity into art. As a curator, a musical pioneer, and son of East L.A., I’m honored to help give our music, our history, the place it has always deserved.”

“We have created a survey exhibit that is conceptually organized to share with the visitors the intergenerational history of the Eastside Sound,” according to Cultural and Urban Historian and co-curator, Jorge Leal. “The exhibit shows how, against all odds, Eastside artists created a vibrant and innovative music world, firmly grounded in layered cultural traditions and socially conscious commitments. Most significantly, the exhibit demonstrates the regional, national, and global reach and impact of the Eastside Sound.”

For more information, visit www.lapca.org.  

Image credits from left to right

1. Piero F. Giunti (1985) ¡Aparato!, 2014-2025. Archival pigment print. Courtesy of the artist ©Piero F. Giunti. Used with permission, all rights reserved 
2. Piero F. Giunti (1985). Mezklah, 2014-2025. Archival pigment print. Courtesy of the artist ©Piero F. Giunti. Used with permission, all rights reserved 
3. Piero F. Giunti (1985). Aztlan Underground, 2014-2025. Archival pigment print Courtesy of the artist ©Piero F. Giunti. Used with permission, all rights reserved

PROGRAMMING

Exhibition Opening Day

Immerse yourself in the fascinating music history and the influence of East L.A. during the opening celebration of A Great Day in East L.A.: Celebrando the Eastside Sound, LA Plaza’s newest exhibition! Explore the galleries, enjoy a curator-led tour, engage in self-guided experiences, design your own album cover, and more!

Saturday, June 28 | 12pm to 4pm | All ages | Free

Community Concert featuring KCRW Summer Nights: A Great Day in East L.A.: Celebrando the Eastside Sound with The Altons 

Join KCRW and LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes to celebrate the opening of the highly anticipated exhibit, A Great Day in East L.A.: Celebrando the Eastside Sound, highlighting the rich history of East LA. We’re thrilled to welcome The Altons as the headliner for the night, bookended by guest sets by DJ duo Ruben Molina + Soulera5150, and DJ collective Chulita Vinyl Club. Get ready to delve into the artists who built the East LA music scene, both through the meticulously curated multimedia exhibit presented by LA Plaza and experientially in the courtyard where the sounds come alive! Food and beverages will be available for purchase.

Saturday, June 28 | 6pm to 10pm | Free with RSVP

Docs @ LA Plaza - Lalo Guerrero: The Original Chicano (2006)

This special screening will be celebrating the 20th anniversary of Lalo Guerrero: The Original Chicano. The film is an hour-long documentary that celebrates the life and career of Lalo Guerrero, while documenting the contemporary history of Mexican Americans through his music. Taped interviews with Linda Ronstadt, Paul Rodriguez, Edward James Olmos, Ry Cooder, UFW co-founder Dolores Huerta, Cheech Marin, and others pay testament to the influence and impact of Lalo’s music from a personal and professional point of view. Guest speakers include producers Dan Guerrero and Nancy De los Santos.

Thursday, January 22, 2026 | 6pm to 9pm | Free with RSVP