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Due to Overwhelming Demand: CongoSonic Exhibition Extended!

The 17th Annual African American Composers’ Series: CongoSonic — Bantu Beats Across the Americas

The rhythms still resonate—and now, they’ll play on even longer. We’re thrilled to announce that the current exhibition at the William Grant Still Arts Center has been extended beyond June 14 to August 1 due to overwhelming public response!

CongoSonic: Bantu Beats Across the Americas isn’t just an exhibition—it’s a cultural movement. Featuring immersive displays, rare musical artifacts, and videos from the Congo, this year’s series traces the powerful journey of Bantu-rooted rhythms across the Atlantic. From Congolese rumba to hip-hop, jazz, cumbia, salsa, and beyond, discover how sounds born of resilience and migration continue to shape the global music scene.

Presented in partnership with Friends of the Congo and Basandja Coalition, CongoSonic dives deep into both the legacy and the present-day reality of the Congo. While you explore vibrant sonic traditions, you’ll also gain critical insight into the ongoing humanitarian crisis affecting the region today.

Haven’t visited yet? Now’s your chance. Already came through? Come again—there’s always more to hear, see, and feel.

More film screenings and programs coming soon.

Free admission | William Grant Still Arts Center

Now extended – Closing August 1

After June 14, we will move to a Monday-Friday 12-5pm schedule for viewing due to summer programs.

Don’t miss the sound of a movement that continues to shape continents.

Screening Thursdays | 7:00 p.m.

The Rumba Kings, April 10, 2025
Neptune Frost, May 1, 2025
When We Were Kings, June 5, 2025

Questions? Please contact WGSAC at (323) 734-1165 or wgsarts@lacity.org.

Prior to the colonization of Southern California in the 18th century, Native communities throughout the region deployed controlled fire regimes to ensure the well-being of their local ecosystems. Fire Kinship counters attitudes of fear and illegality around fire, arguing for a return to Native practices in which fire is regarded as a vital aspect of land stewardship, community well-being, and tribal sovereignty. Wednesdays 12:00 noon – 8:00 p.m., Thursdays – Sundays 12:00 noon – 5:00 p.m.

Create fun memories during summer vacation with a free tour of The Music Center’s sprawling campus. The 90-minute tours encompass The Music Center’s Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Ahmanson Theatre, Mark Taper Forum, and Walt Disney Concert Hall. Check the website to confirm tour dates. Tuesdays – Fridays, 11:00 a.m. Saturdays – Sundays, 10:15 a.m.

In 2019, Lawson answered more than 1,000 questions in his Story File so that future generations can continue conversing with him to learn about his legacy. What would you like to ask Lawson?

Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.,
Thursday, 12:00 noon – 8:00 p.m.
Adults – $16, Seniors and Youth – $9, Members and Children under 5 – Free

Mark Bradford’s 150 Portrait Tone, a mural-size composition that contains elements of both abstraction and realism, is based on an idea for a work that the artist conceived after the fatal shooting of Philando Castile by a police officer in Saint Paul, Minnesota, in July 2016. Castile, a nutrition services supervisor at an elementary school, was shot after being pulled over in his car—an incident that was livestreamed on Facebook by Castile’s girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds, who was sitting in the passenger seat next to him.

The painting features excerpts of Reynolds’s dialogue from the video. The title, 150 Portrait Tone, refers to the name and color code of the pink acrylic used throughout the painting. Like the now-obsolete “flesh” crayon in the Crayola 64 box (renamed “peach” in 1962), the color “portrait tone” carries inherent assumptions about who, exactly, is being depicted. In the context of Bradford’s painting, the title presents a sobering commentary on power and representation.

Experience the interior of Hollyhock House at your own pace with a self-guided tour. Docents are on hand to provide information and answer questions. Guidebooks are also available for visitors to use in the house.

Tickets on sale now through January. Tickets for February will be released in December. If it says NO EVENTS on the purchasing calendar that indicates tours are sold out for that date or Hollyhock House is closed. Questions? Email hollyhockhouse@lacity.org.

The Watts Towers Tour Guide Program offers visitors a unique and in-depth look at one of Los Angeles’ most iconic landmarks. Participants will be guided by knowledgeable tour guides through the towers, learning about the history, cultural significance, and artistic processes involved in their creation. The tour, which is the only way to gain access to the towers, will last approximately 30 minutes and highlight the life of Simon Rodia, the Italian immigrant who built the towers over a

33-year period, and the cultural and social context of the Watts neighborhood in which they stand. The tour also includes a visit to the Watts Towers Arts Center, where visitors can see rotating exhibitions of contemporary art and learn about the ongoing preservation efforts for the Towers. With this program, visitors will gain a greater appreciation for the Watts Towers as a masterpiece of folk art and a symbol of resilience and community spirit.

 $3 Bill celebrates the contributions of LGBTQ+ artists in the last century. From pioneers who explored sexual and gender identity in the first half of the 20th century, through the liberation movements and the horrors of the HIV/AIDS epidemics, to today’s more inclusive and expansive understanding of gender, $3 Bill presents a journey of resilience, pride, and beauty. Tuesdays – Thursdays & Sundays 10:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Fridays & Saturdays 10:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.