As the district settles into the evening each night this month, Helms becomes the backdrop for Thresholds 2026: Up Close and Personal, a projection exhibition presented in partnership with the Los Angeles Center of Photography.

Projected on the entrance of the Helms Design Center after dark, this year’s exhibition brings together photographers from around the world whose work captures the spontaneity, tension, humor, movement, and humanity of everyday life. Rooted in the tradition of street photography, the exhibition reflects on what it means to truly observe one another at a time when so much of daily life is filtered through screens, algorithms, and curated digital experiences.

What makes this collaboration especially meaningful at Helms is the way the work becomes part of the environment itself. The projections shift the experience of the district after hours, turning the sidewalk along Washington Boulevard into a moment of discovery. Visitors may encounter the work while heading to dinner, walking past showrooms, or simply spending time in the neighborhood after sunset.

This year’s top prize winners, Eric J. Smith, Rick Musto, and Carl Young, each bring a distinct perspective to the exhibition, using photography to document candid moments that feel deeply connected to place, emotion, and the complexity of public life. Their work, alongside a wide range of honorable mentions and participating photographers, creates an exhibition that feels layered, immediate, and deeply human.

At Helms, we’ve always believed cultural experiences should feel accessible and naturally woven into everyday life. Thresholds 2026 reflects that idea beautifully; contemporary photography presented not inside a traditional gallery setting, but out in the open, integrated into the rhythm of the city and the experience of the district itself.

We’re grateful to continue our partnership with the Los Angeles Center of Photography and to provide space for artists, storytelling, and public art to live alongside design, architecture, dining, and community gathering at Helms.

Thresholds 2026: Up Close and Personal will be projected nightly through May 31st.

Top Prize Winners

1st Place: Eric J. Smith
2nd Place: Rick Musto
3rd Place: Carl Young

Honorable Mentions

Eliot Allen, Hanna Armour, Mia Baccala, Melanie Chapman, Jeff Evans, George Feucht, Rohitha Gunetilleke, Richard Hay Jr, Dean Hendler, David Herman, Avery Junius, Nancy Kaye, Poul Lange, Patricia Lemke, Dana Lina, Suz Lipman, Rick Musto, Carl Pfirman, michael rababy, Christopher Reale, Eric M. Renard, Brian Roberts, Bradley Ross, Landon Takano, Greg Tamura, Jack The Wolfman, James Yocuté

Juror

Michaela Norah Mohrmann, is the assistant curator at UC Irvine Langson Orange County Museum of Art

Photo Credit: First Place Winner, Eric J. Smith