Inglewood has a rich history of art. It boasts many public artworks, such as Helen Lundeberg’s WPA History of Transportation mural, made in 1940, and Richard Wyatt’s 1987 Inglewood Project. It’s also home to the annual Open Studios, an event that showcases the work of local contemporary artists.
Helen Lundberg, History of Transportation, 1940, image courtesy of Helen Lessick
In an effort to honor Inglewood’s creativity, we organized an open call to artists who reside in and around the area, as part of the Inglewood Art+Film Lab, which begins its five-week residency this Friday. Our pop-up lab, which is organized by LACMA and which will take place in and around the Inglewood Public Library as well as the Beacon Arts Building, is host to a variety of programs, including free film screenings, film and video-making workshops, and the gathering of oral histories from community residents.
Darby Art Action team with East Los Streetscapers, Parks Make Life Better, image courtesy of City of Inglewood Public Art Program
Inglewood is the eighth of nine stops around Los Angeles for the Art + Film Lab, but this was the first time we put out a special call to artists. We wanted to collect digital images of visual art to be projected prior to the free public film screenings happening each weekend for the next five weeks. We were thrilled to see the extraordinary amount and quality of work that artists submitted, ranging from paintings and photographs to new media installations and fine decorative crafts.
Of course this is no surprise, given the artistic renaissance Inglewood has seen over the past several years. Whether it’s the growth of the Beacon Arts Building (an adapted former Bekins storage facility), or the many murals and projects created as part of Inglewood Cultural Arts (ICA), the city has had a dramatic rise in art innovation. ICA’s annual Open Studios draws hundreds of visitors to see the artists at work, some of whom are natives and some who are transplants from different parts of the country. One such artist is Holly Tempo, whose work explores the cultural history and psychology of urban environments and blends traditional elements of painting with elements of street art. An active resident of the city, Tempo helps organize the annual Open Studios and teaches in neighboring Otis College of Art and Design.
Holly Tempo, Frustrated Mayans at the Corner Market, 2013, courtesy of the artist
Artist John Ildefonso, who is also participating in the project, uses his work to explore his culture and identity as a first generation Mexican-American. Other participating artists are Virginia Broersma, Deborah Lambert, Lee Clarke, and Feliz McInnis, among others, all of whom have different means and intentions of expression.
John Ildefonso, Avita, 2013, courtesy of the artist
The spirit and love of art that exudes from these groups and individuals are what the call to artists project is meant to share.
To see these works and others, join us this Friday on the lawn of Inglewood City Hall for the opening night of the Inglewood Art+Film Lab, which will feature a live performance by Buyepongo, a screening of animated shorts by emerging filmmakers, and the celebration of the creative culture of Inglewood.
Valentina Mogilevskaya, Education Assistant