Ghost Agency Workshop at 18th Street Arts Center

Most art workshops teach you to make something. This one starts with a question: who can see what you say online, and what would it take to talk to your neighbors on your own terms? On Tuesday afternoon, October 20, the artist duo Ghost Agency leads a free, three-hour session at 18th Street Arts Center in Santa Monica. It is an easy pick for anyone assembling a list of things to do in Los Angeles that goes beyond the usual gallery opening.

When: Tuesday, October 20, 2026, 1 PM to 4 PM Where: 18th Street Arts Center, 1639 18th St, Santa Monica, CA 90404 Cost: Free and open to the public

What the workshop covers

Ghost Agency is Gro Sarauw (Denmark) and Anni Garza Lau (Mexico). They designed this session specifically for the 18th Street community, and they are inviting local and visiting residents, artists, neighbors and anyone else from the surrounding area to join.

The format is hands-on. Through conversation, collaborative exercises and experimentation, the group works through questions of privacy, secure communication, digital autonomy and collective self-determination. Participants are asked to share their own experiences and perspectives rather than sit through a lecture.

There is also a creative payoff. What comes out of the afternoon feeds into Smooth Criminal, Ghost Agency's new site-specific public sculpture for the 18th Street campus. So you are not just attending a talk: your input becomes part of a work of public art that will live on the grounds of the center.

Who it suits

The listing makes no mention of required technical skills, so treat it as a beginner-friendly conversation rather than a coding class. It makes sense for artists curious about how surveillance and platforms shape their practice, for neighbors who want to understand digital privacy better, and for anyone who likes art that asks something of its audience. If you are looking up LA events this weekend, note that this one falls on a weekday, so plan your afternoon off accordingly.

Getting there

The center sits on 18th Street. Check the event page for any registration or arrival details before you go, since the listing only says the event is free and open to the public. Leave a little extra time to find parking or consider transit.

For more nearby plans, browse our Santa Monica guide and the full arts and culture events list. Official details live on the 18th Street Arts Center event page.