Erik Valiente keeps his head up and camera ready when he takes to the streets of Los Angeles. Combining two of his passions—running and art—has earned him a digital and literal following. “I’ve always been a street art fan, so I’d post pictures on social media of art I’d see on my runs,” says the 26-year-old marketing manager and marathoner. “My friends were like, ‘Where are you finding these cool art pieces?’” Valiente invited them to join him on a visual foot tour of the city. His buddies were so impressed with the roving art show, they persuaded Valiente to make it a standing date.
Word spread, and in the span of two years, Valiente’s group, now known as BlacklistLA, has grown to more than 300 members. The club meets every Monday night for three-to four-milers that take in public art in downtown L.A. and surrounding neighborhoods. Valiente can keep his routes varied thanks to the fact that L.A. is home to several thousand murals and graffiti works. “The art pieces are usually within a two-mile radius of our meeting location,” says Valiente. “In one month, we try to discover four new art pieces. Our runners love experiencing Los Angeles in a unique way.”
Valiente set a 10 p.m. start time to escape L.A.’s notorious gridlock (“If we did it earlier, all you’d hear is traffic,” he says), and to cater to busy people who are more likely to meet up after work is over and kids are in bed. “I get that people have work and families, and there’s a need to be in your car,” Valiente says. “But we leave for work in a bubble and then come home in a bubble. I want to help people feel the city and be a part of a community. Time seems to slow down when you’re out at night.”
BlacklistLA attracts a mix of locals and tourists, artists and runners. “We get serious runners and art enthusiasts, but once they join our group they’re both,” Valiente says. Daisy Martinez, 25, is a good example: A grad student at California State University, Los Angeles, she never considered herself a runner before a friend introduced her to BlacklistLA last year. “I ran my first three miles with BlacklistLA, and now I’m running marathons,” says Martinez. “The support and guidance I’ve received is unbelievable. BlacklistLA isn’t just a club. It’s my running family.” Artists feel the love, too. Runners interact with them by tagging them on social media, and artists often respond. “What the club does is amazing,” says Septerhed, a muralist best known for his intricate line work and use of psychedelic colors. “I love the group photos in front of my work on Instagram. This is another platform to promote awareness.” On two occasions, BlacklistLA ran into street art in progress and talked with the artist. And once, an artist joined the group for a run.
Valiente wants runners in other cities with thriving public art scenes to follow his lead. “Sometimes I ask people to describe the art in their neighborhood and they can’t,” Valiente says. “They’re running by it, but they aren’t taking it in. I want people to appreciate things around them.”
