Nestled near where the 10 and 405 Freeways meet in Santa Monica is one of L.A.’s preeminent art and cultural centers, aptly named ‘Highways.’  For 25 years, the space has acted as a hub of artistic experimentation, showcasing works of theater, dance, fine art, and multimedia, while earning a name for promoting freedom of expression within the L.A. community.

Highways boasts two galleries, a performance space and a workshop/lab, and features around 12 exhibits and 250 performances per year, in addition to curating events and festivals.  The performance lab provides a forum for workshops and discussions to encourage new work and experimentation among artists.  The organization also implements a mentorship program to help emerging artists and curators produce their own exhibits, which are featured in Gallery2.

Highways’ mission is two fold: to help bring recognition to up-and-coming artists in Southern California, and to promote the tenets of free speech while encouraging discourse about politics and current issues of importance.  Several recent works and performances at Highways have highlighted gay and lesbian rights as well as AIDS awareness, which have stirred up controversy in the past two decades, and are rumored to be part of the reason federal funding for Highways was cut (the organization now relies on state grants and private donations for funding).

The new year brings promises a new season of some of L.A.’s most provocative and experimental art.  Award winning queer artists Krys Fox and Michael Cross Burke present “Doppelgangers: A Love Story,” which explores issues of sexuality, love and death.    Avant garde musical performance “NOISE” features “noisicians” creating improvised sound that causes the audience to redefine traditional boundaries of music.

As local publications like LA Weekly have noted, Highways seems on the fast track to another decade of ground-breaking, envelope-pushing art.