Join Vroman’s Bookstore for an exhibit where special family keepsakes lost to the Los Angeles fires are reimagined by local designers and artists, celebrating memory, creativity, and community healing.

Lost x Found: Keepsakes Reimagined is an exhibit of Project Keepsake, which began in the aftermath of the devastating Los Angeles fires when loss felt overwhelming, and the path to recovery was uncertain. It grew from a simple act of care into a year-long creative collaboration between local artists and families who lost cherished keepsakes in the fires. The project is led by local design leader Alvin Oei, founder of CMD+Y, a creative nonprofit that uses imagination to explore social and environmental issues while supporting local communities through art. Through illustration and storytelling, artists and designers participating in Lost x Found worked closely with families to reimagine beloved objects such as toys, mementos, and symbols of comfort that were lost to the flames. What emerged was more than artwork. It became a way to honor emotional memory, restore a sense of connection, and acknowledge a part of disaster recovery that often goes unseen.

This exhibition brings those keepsakes to life digitally, displayed in handcrafted fixtures that transform the space into an intimate gallery of resilience and remembrance. Families, neighbors, and the wider community are invited to gather, reflect, and celebrate the culmination of a year of volunteer-driven creativity. The event will also feature speakers sharing the journey of Lost x Found, from its beginnings with Design for Disaster Response LA, to a workshop with ArtCenter College of Design Designmatters, to the co‑creative relationships that shaped each illustration. Entirely grassroots and built through collective generosity, Lost x Found stands as a testament to what can grow when art, empathy, and community come together.

For more information and / or to participate in the project, please contact Project Keepsake on their website.