DCA’s Henry P. Rio Bridge Gallery at City Hall showcases the work of young people, adults, and seniors enrolled in City art programs, as well as themed exhibitions celebrating the City’s Heritage Month Celebrations.
Current Exhibition
Cultural Treasures of South LA: African-Americans and the Arts
Curated by LA CommonsFebruary 1 – February 29, 2024
Curatorial Statement
South LA is a place, and it is also an identity, a venue for building, and grounds for creating.
The vibrancy of arts and culture in South LA is undisputed. Storied creators like Ben Caldwell, Lula Washington, Noni Olabisi, and C. Bernard Jackson weave social, political, and spiritual narratives that define and enrich our experiences and neighborhoods. A deep sense of community persists because of the commitment of visionary and creative individuals who render our stories into art, which has led members of the community to identify them as Cultural Treasures.
While Cultural Treasures can also be institutions or places, it is our creators who facilitate expression through food, dance, music, film, poetry, visual art and more, to immortalize feelings of indescribable joy or sadness, preserve our histories or pay homage to our heroes. With this in mind, we tell the true story of South LA — an identity, a place of innovation, inspiration, and creativity through the eyes, hands, and voices of these noteworthy creators and many others in this ongoing project to appreciate and amplify our Cultural Treasures.
The South Los Angeles Promise Zone and the broader South Los Angeles region have thrived despite economic disinvestment resulting from institutionalized racism and systemic oppression. This includes practices such as “redlining” in the decades following the New Deal in the 1930s; oversaturation of liquor stores and scarcity of basic amenities like grocery stores; the closure of significant job centers like the Goodyear tire plant in the 1970s; and the emergence of mass incarceration towards the end of the 20th century. The cumulative impact of these policies has disproportionately hit Black and Brown communities in South Los Angeles, establishing structural barriers to wealth creation not generally encountered by residents in predominantly white neighborhoods in Los Angeles.
And yet, South LA Artists have continued to create, build, and teach their craft to each generation.
Sample Exhibition Images
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Image courtesy of Fernando Pullum. Photo, Fernando with his students
Noni Olabisi (1954 – 2022), Artwork: Man One painting of Noni
Image courtesy of Inner City Cultural Center
V. Kali, portrait. Image courtesy of CicLAvia
About Cultural Treasures of South LA
Cultural Treasures of South LA is a community-based cultural asset mapping and activation initiative of the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA) in the South Los Angeles Promise Zone co-created and implemented in partnership with LA Commons, the South Los Angeles Transit Empowerment Zone (SLATE-Z), Community Coalition, and the University of Southern California (USC)’s Neighborhood Data for Social Change (NDSC) Initiative. This project gives South LA community members a participatory platform to spotlight local Cultural Treasures that they deem significant, illuminating the rich cultural tapestry that makes this community thrive.
Cultural Treasures include artists, musicians, dance and theater companies, studios, galleries, street art, restaurants, annual events and celebrations, bookstores, social halls, cultural practices, community elders and tradition-bearers, historic sites, and gathering places of all kinds.
The South LA Promise Zone is approximately five miles wide, from Crenshaw Boulevard to Central Avenue, and is roughly framed by LA Metro’s Expo (E), Crenshaw (K) and Blue (A) Line light rail systems. The area has a population of approximately 233,000 residents, which constitutes just under 6% of Los Angeles City’s total population (American Community Survey, 2021). The South Los Angeles Promise Zone area is home to a diverse and vibrant community recognized for its culture, history, and neighborhood assets. The South Los Angeles region has a rich history as a social, cultural, and economic hub for Los Angeles’ Black community. Starting with the Central Avenue jazz scene during the 1920s, the area has been at the center of many social and cultural movements of national and international significance over the last century.
Recent Exhibitions
Transgender Awareness Month Exhibition: Day of Remembrance
November 13, 2023 to December 10, 2023
DCA’s Henry P. Rio Bridge Gallery at City Hall presents an exhibition curated by Council District 11 that honors the transgender community by celebrating, uplifting, and honoring the diversity of perspectives and experiences. The works will be on view between November 13, 2023 through December 10, 2023.
Unsung Heroes: Somos LA, an exhibition in celebration of Latino Heritage Month at DCA’s Henry P. Rio Bridge Gallery at City Hall. Featuring works by David Andrade, Lilith Carolina Ferreira, and Castro Frank, with archival images by Emmon Clarke and John Kouns dedicated those who work tirelessly, and often thanklessly, to help their community, and those who, through being their authentic selves, help guide us towards a more just tomorrow.
Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs’ Henry P. Rio Bridge Gallery at City Hall Presents LA Through Their Lens: Perspectives from the Street
There are an estimated 41,000 members in our city who are currently un-housed, a 14% increase from the previous year. Inspired by an exhibition at the Paris City Hall in 2015, this exhibition is organized by a recent graduate of the Los Angeles Mayors Youth Council, Ethan Hodess, in hopes to build connections between those who have homes, and those without.
A select group of homeless participants were identified by our partner organizations and given disposable cameras to chronicle their experience of Los Angeles, The photos in this collection were selected from over 300 entries by twelve photographers, and were thoughtfully curated with the help of Los Angeles photographer Matt Sayles.
These images allow us to catch a glimpse of the lives of the talented men and women behind the cameras. They present us with views of the city that at times reflect a sense of solitude and isolation, but at other times capture moments of joy and hope. We are reminded that the photographers, and many more like them, are creative, perceptive and interesting people who deserve to be treated with dignity and respect.