Jason Leith

Sacred Streets is the culmination of all my life experiences, passions, and training and relationships. At seventeen years old I started asking if I really wanted to commit my life to being an artist and why. Making art was a skill, but I feared it would sacrifice my desire to also connect with and serve people. It did not take me long to realize that I could combine my passion for art and people in socially engaged art. The very first vision I had of this intersection was to connect with the unseen people of society through making their portrait.

I have committed to the slow process of drawing by hand because there is no immediate capture of a person’s image. Instead, both the subject and the artist sit with each other for extended periods in a slow-paced environment. It is uncomfortably and wonderfully personal. I am a socially engaged artist who strives to bridge personal differences and cross spiritual divides.

One could easily point out the problematic nature of a person of my social position bringing the arts to vulnerable communities. However, I see that the tools and experience I have been given can be of service. I’ve seen my approach bridge understanding, and restore dignity, and in the words of the first gentleman I drew, to “feel human again.” I approach the places and the people I engage with by listening first. I ensure to create long-term connection with organizations that can serve them for years to come.

I am based in California and I am regularly working in Orange County, Los Angeles, and San Diego. The areas I’ve worked in most are Skid Row, Casa Blanca in Riverside, Santa Ana, La Mirada, Tustin, Lake Forest and Orange.