L.A. is home to some of the best graffiti and street art in the country — nearly 100 murals in downtown’s Arts District alone. In his excellent 2007 book, Graffiti L.A.: Street Styles and Art, author and artist Steve Grody chronicled the history and culture of local graffiti, from Hollywood to South Central to Huntington Beach, dating back to the 1930s. Grody, along with founder Cindy Schwarzstein and others, conducts tours and workshops for downtown arts organization Cartwheel Art.

For Graffiti & Machines Tour, Grody will guide you through all the graffiti in the Arts District, including an “actual graffiti yard,” and discuss the art form’s many styles. He’ll be joined by Joseph “Nuke” Montalvo, a graffiti artist for more than 25 years and a member of the UTI Crew, who’ll lead a lettering workshop at The House of Machines, the new, nearby motorcycle shop/events space/café that opened last year.

The House of Machines, 2028 E. 7th St., downtown; Sun., Aug. 25, 2-5 p.m.; $48. cartwheelart.com.

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