This moving, seminal visual arts project was conceptualized and developed by the Watts Towers Arts Center Director, Rosie Lee Hooks, who commissioned 13 artists from the community to use shovels as a canvas to honor the legacy of our ancestors. Each of the world-renowned master artists who accepted the challenge has a history of building art institutions in Watts and in the greater Los Angeles area.

SPIRIT OF THE ANCESTORS
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Upcoming Events
We Live in Painting: The Nature of Color in Mesoamerican Art
Mesoamerican artists held a cosmic responsibility: as they adorned the surfaces of buildings, clay vessels, textiles, bark-paper pages, and sculptures with color, they (quite literally) made the world. Color mapped the very order of the cosmos, of time and space. The exhibition explores the science, art, and cosmology of color in Mesoamerica. See website for ticket prices and registration.
Classical Sundays at Six- St. James in the City
Classical Sundays at Six is now presented at St. James in-the-City as part of our broader offerings of Great Music at Saint James. It is the oldest continuing chamber music series in Southern California. Offered from October through May at 6 PM, Classical Sundays at Six features chamber, orchestral, and solo artists from Southern California and around the globe streaming live and on-demand. They are also live streamed on their website.
Main Street Santa Monica Farmer’s Market
Approximately 25 certified California farms, live entertainment, activities, and Main Street based retail vendors present a vibrant atmosphere where locals and visitors alike shop and spend the morning with friends and family. This market was established in 1995 and is a collaboration with the Main Street Business Improvement Association, Ocean Park resident group, the Victorian and the Heritage Museum. Approximately 40 certified California farms, live entertainment, activities, and Main Street based retail vendors present a vibrant atmosphere where locals and…
LéaLA – Spanish Book Fair & Literary Festival 2024
LéaLA, the premier Spanish Book Fair & Literary Festival, returns from September 19-22, 2024, at LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes located at 501 N. Main Street in the heart of downtown Los Angeles. Organized by the University of Guadalajara Foundation USA, this year’s event, themed Building Peace Together, celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month by honoring the rich traditions, language, and culture of the Latino community through literature, art, and intellectual dialogue. As part of Hispanic Heritage Month, LéaLA will highlight…
2025 BLACK HERITAGE MONTH EXHIBITION FEATURING A RETROSPECTIVE OF THE WORK OF LOS ANGELES PHOTOGRAPHER, LEROY HAMILTON
Join Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson; Mayor Karen Bass; the Los Angeles City Council; and the Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA) to officially celebrate the exhibition installation of the work of Los Angeles photographer, Leroy Hamilton in DCA’s Henry P. Rios Gallery at Los Angeles City Hall on display from Friday, January 31, 2025 to February 26, 2025. The Story of Us displays Black Angelenos in several dimensions of their lives—at home with family, in the conference room, on the court,…