Watts Towers Art Center Community Service Project

In the heart of the city of Watts, you’ll find the Watts Towers, Towers of Simon Rodia, or Nuestro Pueblo ("our town" in Spanish). The Watts Towers are a collection of 17 interconnected sculptural towers, architectural structures, and individual sculptural features and mosaics within the site of the artist's original residential property in Watts, Los Angeles. The entire site of towers, structures, sculptures, pavement and walls were designed and built solely by Sabato ("Simon") Rodia (1879–1965), an Italian immigrant construction worker and tile mason, over a period of 33 years from 1921 to 1954. The tallest of the towers is 99.5 feet. The work is an example of outsider art or Art Brut and Italian-American naïve art. In February 2011, LACMA received a grant from the James Irvine Foundation to scientifically assess and report on the condition of the Watts Towers, to continue to preserve the undisturbed structural integrity and composition of the aging works of art. The Watts Towers are considered one of Southern California's most culturally significant public artworks. They are one of nine folk art sites listed in the National Register of Historic Places, and were designated a National Historic Landmark in 1990. The towers were also designated a California Historical Landmark in 1990. Join us as we continue to help preserve and polish this National Historic Landmark. Our project will take place at the Watts Towers Art Center garden area, which is often used as an educational space for visitors and students. Also included in our project will be creating and building a new shade structure, as well as beautifying the Watts Towers area, path clearing, and some light gardening.

Type

Service Project

What To Wear

Your TMC shirt!

What to Bring

A friend!