Featured Events

The exhibition brings together artists Michael Massenburg, Aiseborn, and Mr. B Baby to explore the intersections of family,
culture, and community. Curated by Guillermo Aviles-Rodriguez, PhD., the works will be on view Wednesday to Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., from April 13 to August 2024, with a reception/artist talk and performance by Nedra Wheeler Trio taking place Sunday, June 9 at 1:00 p.m. Admission is free.

Cover image: Helping Families Grow, by Michael Massenburg, Aiseborn, and Mr. B Baby located at Kaiser Permanente Watts Counseling and Learning Center

The City of Los Angeles (COLA) Individual Artist Fellowship by the DCA (Department of Cultural Affairs) allows accomplished artists to create new work with increased freedom to innovate and experiment in the disciplines of design, visual arts, literary arts, and performing arts.

Grand Performances presents live showcases by 2024 COLA Artist Fellows Sehba Sarwar, Dorian Wood, Gina Loring, Chris Wabich, and Jay Carlon.

The exhibition brings together artists Michael Massenburg, Aiseborn, and Mr. B Baby to explore the intersections of family,
culture, and community. Curated by Guillermo Aviles-Rodriguez, PhD., the works will be on view Wednesday to Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., from April 13 to August 2024, with a reception/artist talk and performance by Nedra Wheeler Trio taking place Sunday, June 9 at 1:00 p.m. Admission is free.

Cover image: Helping Families Grow, by Michael Massenburg, Aiseborn, and Mr. B Baby located at Kaiser Permanente Watts Counseling and Learning Center

DCA, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH LA COMMONS AND MAKE MUSIC LOS ANGELES, CELEBRATE MAKE MUSIC DAY WITH A CONCERT AND GLOBAL LIVESTREAM IN LEIMERT PARK AS PART OF THE PARIS 2024 CULTURAL OLYMPIAD

On Friday, June 21, 2024 from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA), in partnership with LA Commons and Make Music LA will celebrate Make Music Day (Fête de la Musique) with Pulsations LA, a free, outdoor concert event featuring artists identified as Cultural Treasures by the Cultural Treasures of South LA, a community-based cultural asset mapping initiative, a collaboration between DCA, LA Commons, South Los Angeles Transit Empowerment Zone (SLATE-Z), Community Coalition (CoCo) and USC’s Neighborhood Data for Social Change initiative. This Make Music Day Celebration will be livestreamed globally as part of the Paris 2024 Cultural Olympiad.

The Make Music Day Concert will be held on People Street in Leimert Park Village in front of the historic Vision Theater, featuring musical performances from Kinnara Taiko, Fernando Pullum Community Arts Center Jazz Ensemble featuring vocalist Dwight Trible, tap dance by the Nicholas Dance Studio, poetry by artivist S. Pearl Sharp, with a family-friendly drum workshop by Project Knucklehead.

This concert event will be part of a global “rhythmic relay” called Pulsations as part of the Paris 2024 Cultural Olympiad. Under the creative direction of French/Lebanese trumpeter Ibrahim Maalouf, Pulsations will unite artists in 24 countries with a shared heartbeat rhythm that will travel around the world from New Zealand to Paris. Participating countries include

Participating countries include Brazil, Canada, China, Cyprus, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, New Zealand, Nigeria, Portugal/Afghanistan, South Africa, South Korea, Türkiye, Ukraine, United Kingdom, and the United States on the following schedule:

At 8:30 a.m. on Friday, June 21, 2024 Los Angeles will pick up the rhythm from Mexico and pass it to Canada as it makes its way around the globe to Paris via livestream. For the complete global livestream schedule visit: makemusicday.org/pulsations.

Friday, June 21, 2024 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. (Pacific Standard Time)

6:00 a.m. – New Zealand, South Korea, Japan, China, India, Ukraine

7:00 a.m. – Turkey, Ireland, Greece, Kenya, South Africa, Nigeria

8:00 a.m. – Ghana, Brazil, Mexico, United States, Canada, United Kingdom

9:00 a.m. – Italy, Cyprus, Portugal, Czech Republic, Germany, France

Founded in 1982 as Fête de la Musique, Make Music Day is now celebrated in more than 1,000 cities in 120 different countries. The French government and the French people take pride in how the Fête de la Musique has grown to become an international phenomenon. For that reason, the Paris 2024 Cultural Olympiad has selected Make Music Day as one of their key days of action leading up to the games.

Musicians of all ages, cultures, genres, and skill levels are encouraged to create a free public outdoor concert to play and share music with friends, neighbors, and strangers. For more information on how to participate in Make Music Los Angeles visit https://www.makemusicla.org/

“We are honored and thrilled to have our Make Music Day Celebrations in Leimert Park, and partake in an amazing experience of global artistry and unity. For decades, South Los Angeles has been a vibrant center of expression with a rich cultural history,” said Heather Hutt, Los Angeles City Councilwoman for District 10. “This celebration will be a testament to this legacy, inspiring our City for years to come.”

“We are thrilled to participate in the international and global livestream of Make Music Day (Fête de la Musique) with Pulsations as part of the Paris 2024 Cultural Olympiad. Music is the bridge that connects us across continents, and together we are creating a festival of global unity,” said Daniel Tarica, General Manager to the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs. “With the partnership of LA Commons and Make Music LA, we are showcasing our city’s artists on the global stage.”

“This international performance is poised to be a flagship event of the Paris 2024 Cultural Olympiad, the official cultural program of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The Pulsations project mirrors our collective values, promoting camaraderie, peace, and mutual respect worldwide. As President of the Arab World Institute and Director of Culture at Paris 2024, we extend a cordial invitation for you to partake in this grand, inclusive celebration. It would be our privilege to have your presence alongside us for this momentous occasion.” – Dominique Hervieu, Director of Paris 2024 Cultural Olympiad and Jack Lang, President of the Arab World Institute and Founder of Make Music Day.

“Through Cultural Treasures of South LA, we are affirming South Los Angeles as one of the most dynamic cultural and artistic hotspots in the country. It is truly fitting that South LA serves as the US site for the Pulsations Rhythmic Relay as part of the 2024 Cultural Olympiad. We are excited to partner with DCA, Make Music LA, and the team at Fete de la Musique Paris to celebrate music as a vehicle for connecting people around the world and to showcase the stunning talent of students at Fernando Pullum Performing Arts Center in collaboration with Dwight Trible along with Kinnara Taiko and Project Knucklehead as part of the full morning lineup.” – Karen Mack, Founder and Executive Director of LA Commons

“Music has the ability to bring people together. In a diverse city like Los Angeles, where more than 200 languages are spoken by residents, Make Music Day provides an opportunity to share the many vibrant cultures and communities that make L.A. so special. We are proud to partner with DCA, LA Commons and the Paris 2024 Cultural Olympiad on this project, to share the extraordinary musical creativity of South LA with the world. And we hope this will inspire Angelenos from all communities to take part in Make Music Day on June 21st and for years to come.” – Dorsay Dujon, Founder, Make Music Los Angeles

Reserve your spot today!

Celebrating the Icon, Legends and Trailblazer of West Adams’ Black History

Saturday, June 14, 10:00-11:30 a.m., at Village Green Club House

In February 2024, FORT: LA Fellowship recipient Madelene Dailey completed a research project and 7 short films about the neighborhood’s historic and unique architecture and led by narratives and reflections of the residents themselves.

Join us to learn about the founding of the Wilfandel Club by Della Williams and Fannie Williams, Alan and Vera Clarke Ifill’s founding of the Caribbean Credit Union, Yvonne Miller who was one of the founders of the First Negro Classical Ballet, and Paul R. Williams, the iconic architect who designed the legendary FAME Church.

The panelists will address the future of the neighborhood and the efforts underway for its preservation.

After the lecture, participants will be invited to continue the conversation while touring the stunningly verdant grounds of Village Green Clubhouse.

RSVP for FREE, HERE!

About the Panelists

• Madelene Daily is an Urban Planner from Florida, working primarily with the state of Florida on projects related to community infrastructure planning, public transportation, and federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulation. Her professional experience includes assisting local and national non-profit organizations, as well as state and federal agencies, in grant writing/funding, daily operations, volunteer outreach, community design workshops, and public support campaigns. Madelene also volunteers her time on pro bono and community enrichment development, and has worked with local non-profit organizations in Los Angeles on justice-driven civil design projects. She serves as a Director of Architecture + Advocacy, a USC student-founded startup working to address spatial justice through design and architecture. She is co-president of the USC National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMAS) Chapter and is a USC Architectural Guild Board member. She received her Bachelor’s in Environmental Studies and Visual Arts from Eckerd College in 2018. She will graduate from the University of Southern California with a Master’s in Architecture in the spring of 2024. During her studies her work will focus on intersecting equitable urban planning with sustainable design, she aims to earn a certificate in sustainable architecture as well.
• Joshua A. Foster is an award-winning community builder, architectural designer, educator, and speaker. He is the Founder and CEO of JAF — a community-impact focused consulting firm empowering the AEC and real estate industry with the tools to maximize impact in the built environment. Joshua also serves on multiple local and national non-profit boards including, the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA), the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA), the Long Beach Community Design Center, Architecture + Advocacy, and the USC Architectural Guild. Joshua is a graduate of both Columbia University and the University of Southern California.

About the Organizers 

Village Green (aka Baldwin Hills Village) is one of the most important housing design precedents in the nation and is the best example of the garden apartment typology on the West Coast. The project organizes 627 one-, two- and three-bedroom units in 92 one- and two-story buildings across a 67.7-acre site. The site is bounded, but not penetrated, by public streets, allowing for the creation of an approximately 13-acre, nearly half-mile long central green spine, called the Village Green.

Friends Of Residential Treasures: LA is an award-winning nonprofit dedicated to bringing people together by celebrating the history and influence of residential architecture. Our organization has developed four interlocking programs in pursuit of our mission: An online mapping system for self-guided tours of the exteriors of architecturally significant  homes developed by experts in the field (FORT Trails); a fellowship to foster new knowledge (FORT Fellowship); a series of virtual experiences to provide interior access  understanding (FORT Frames); and an ongoing series of live and virtual educational events (FORT Gatherings). We have been covered by the LA Times, KCRW, KCAL, NBC: LA, Spectrum News, NPR, Los Angeles Magazine, Time Out Los Angeles, American Way, and other outlets. We have partnered on live events with the Los Angeles Public LIbrary, the Hollyhock House, the Gamble House, Pasadena Heritage, the Pasadena Museum of History, soho.home.studeio, the Wolford House and more. Our organization is the recipient of an LA Conservancy Preservation award and a California Preservation Foundation Design award. FORT’s newsletter announcing its free monthly content reaches over 9,000 subscribers.

The exhibition brings together artists Michael Massenburg, Aiseborn, and Mr. B Baby to explore the intersections of family,
culture, and community. Curated by Guillermo Aviles-Rodriguez, PhD., the works will be on view Wednesday to Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., from April 13 to August 2024, with a reception/artist talk and performance by Nedra Wheeler Trio taking place Sunday, June 9 at 1:00 p.m. Admission is free.

Cover image: Helping Families Grow, by Michael Massenburg, Aiseborn, and Mr. B Baby located at Kaiser Permanente Watts Counseling and Learning Center

Celebrating the Icon, Legends and Trailblazer of West Adams’ Black History

Saturday, June 14, 10:00-11:30 a.m., at Village Green Club House

In February 2024, FORT: LA Fellowship recipient Madelene Dailey completed a research project and 7 short films about the neighborhood’s historic and unique architecture and led by narratives and reflections of the residents themselves.

Join us to learn about the founding of the Wilfandel Club by Della Williams and Fannie Williams, Alan and Vera Clarke Ifill’s founding of the Caribbean Credit Union, Yvonne Miller who was one of the founders of the First Negro Classical Ballet, and Paul R. Williams, the iconic architect who designed the legendary FAME Church.

The panelists will address the future of the neighborhood and the efforts underway for its preservation.

After the lecture, participants will be invited to continue the conversation while touring the stunningly verdant grounds of Village Green Clubhouse.

RSVP for FREE, HERE!

About the Panelists

• Madelene Daily is an Urban Planner from Florida, working primarily with the state of Florida on projects related to community infrastructure planning, public transportation, and federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulation. Her professional experience includes assisting local and national non-profit organizations, as well as state and federal agencies, in grant writing/funding, daily operations, volunteer outreach, community design workshops, and public support campaigns. Madelene also volunteers her time on pro bono and community enrichment development, and has worked with local non-profit organizations in Los Angeles on justice-driven civil design projects. She serves as a Director of Architecture + Advocacy, a USC student-founded startup working to address spatial justice through design and architecture. She is co-president of the USC National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMAS) Chapter and is a USC Architectural Guild Board member. She received her Bachelor’s in Environmental Studies and Visual Arts from Eckerd College in 2018. She will graduate from the University of Southern California with a Master’s in Architecture in the spring of 2024. During her studies her work will focus on intersecting equitable urban planning with sustainable design, she aims to earn a certificate in sustainable architecture as well.
• Joshua A. Foster is an award-winning community builder, architectural designer, educator, and speaker. He is the Founder and CEO of JAF — a community-impact focused consulting firm empowering the AEC and real estate industry with the tools to maximize impact in the built environment. Joshua also serves on multiple local and national non-profit boards including, the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA), the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA), the Long Beach Community Design Center, Architecture + Advocacy, and the USC Architectural Guild. Joshua is a graduate of both Columbia University and the University of Southern California.

About the Organizers 

Village Green (aka Baldwin Hills Village) is one of the most important housing design precedents in the nation and is the best example of the garden apartment typology on the West Coast. The project organizes 627 one-, two- and three-bedroom units in 92 one- and two-story buildings across a 67.7-acre site. The site is bounded, but not penetrated, by public streets, allowing for the creation of an approximately 13-acre, nearly half-mile long central green spine, called the Village Green.

Friends Of Residential Treasures: LA is an award-winning nonprofit dedicated to bringing people together by celebrating the history and influence of residential architecture. Our organization has developed four interlocking programs in pursuit of our mission: An online mapping system for self-guided tours of the exteriors of architecturally significant  homes developed by experts in the field (FORT Trails); a fellowship to foster new knowledge (FORT Fellowship); a series of virtual experiences to provide interior access  understanding (FORT Frames); and an ongoing series of live and virtual educational events (FORT Gatherings). We have been covered by the LA Times, KCRW, KCAL, NBC: LA, Spectrum News, NPR, Los Angeles Magazine, Time Out Los Angeles, American Way, and other outlets. We have partnered on live events with the Los Angeles Public LIbrary, the Hollyhock House, the Gamble House, Pasadena Heritage, the Pasadena Museum of History, soho.home.studeio, the Wolford House and more. Our organization is the recipient of an LA Conservancy Preservation award and a California Preservation Foundation Design award. FORT’s newsletter announcing its free monthly content reaches over 9,000 subscribers.

The exhibition brings together artists Michael Massenburg, Aiseborn, and Mr. B Baby to explore the intersections of family,
culture, and community. Curated by Guillermo Aviles-Rodriguez, PhD., the works will be on view Wednesday to Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., from April 13 to August 2024, with a reception/artist talk and performance by Nedra Wheeler Trio taking place Sunday, June 9 at 1:00 p.m. Admission is free.

Cover image: Helping Families Grow, by Michael Massenburg, Aiseborn, and Mr. B Baby located at Kaiser Permanente Watts Counseling and Learning Center

Celebrating the Icon, Legends and Trailblazer of West Adams’ Black History

Saturday, June 14, 10:00-11:30 a.m., at Village Green Club House

In February 2024, FORT: LA Fellowship recipient Madelene Dailey completed a research project and 7 short films about the neighborhood’s historic and unique architecture and led by narratives and reflections of the residents themselves.

Join us to learn about the founding of the Wilfandel Club by Della Williams and Fannie Williams, Alan and Vera Clarke Ifill’s founding of the Caribbean Credit Union, Yvonne Miller who was one of the founders of the First Negro Classical Ballet, and Paul R. Williams, the iconic architect who designed the legendary FAME Church.

The panelists will address the future of the neighborhood and the efforts underway for its preservation.

After the lecture, participants will be invited to continue the conversation while touring the stunningly verdant grounds of Village Green Clubhouse.

RSVP for FREE, HERE!

About the Panelists

• Madelene Daily is an Urban Planner from Florida, working primarily with the state of Florida on projects related to community infrastructure planning, public transportation, and federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulation. Her professional experience includes assisting local and national non-profit organizations, as well as state and federal agencies, in grant writing/funding, daily operations, volunteer outreach, community design workshops, and public support campaigns. Madelene also volunteers her time on pro bono and community enrichment development, and has worked with local non-profit organizations in Los Angeles on justice-driven civil design projects. She serves as a Director of Architecture + Advocacy, a USC student-founded startup working to address spatial justice through design and architecture. She is co-president of the USC National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMAS) Chapter and is a USC Architectural Guild Board member. She received her Bachelor’s in Environmental Studies and Visual Arts from Eckerd College in 2018. She will graduate from the University of Southern California with a Master’s in Architecture in the spring of 2024. During her studies her work will focus on intersecting equitable urban planning with sustainable design, she aims to earn a certificate in sustainable architecture as well.
• Joshua A. Foster is an award-winning community builder, architectural designer, educator, and speaker. He is the Founder and CEO of JAF — a community-impact focused consulting firm empowering the AEC and real estate industry with the tools to maximize impact in the built environment. Joshua also serves on multiple local and national non-profit boards including, the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA), the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA), the Long Beach Community Design Center, Architecture + Advocacy, and the USC Architectural Guild. Joshua is a graduate of both Columbia University and the University of Southern California.

About the Organizers 

Village Green (aka Baldwin Hills Village) is one of the most important housing design precedents in the nation and is the best example of the garden apartment typology on the West Coast. The project organizes 627 one-, two- and three-bedroom units in 92 one- and two-story buildings across a 67.7-acre site. The site is bounded, but not penetrated, by public streets, allowing for the creation of an approximately 13-acre, nearly half-mile long central green spine, called the Village Green.

Friends Of Residential Treasures: LA is an award-winning nonprofit dedicated to bringing people together by celebrating the history and influence of residential architecture. Our organization has developed four interlocking programs in pursuit of our mission: An online mapping system for self-guided tours of the exteriors of architecturally significant  homes developed by experts in the field (FORT Trails); a fellowship to foster new knowledge (FORT Fellowship); a series of virtual experiences to provide interior access  understanding (FORT Frames); and an ongoing series of live and virtual educational events (FORT Gatherings). We have been covered by the LA Times, KCRW, KCAL, NBC: LA, Spectrum News, NPR, Los Angeles Magazine, Time Out Los Angeles, American Way, and other outlets. We have partnered on live events with the Los Angeles Public LIbrary, the Hollyhock House, the Gamble House, Pasadena Heritage, the Pasadena Museum of History, soho.home.studeio, the Wolford House and more. Our organization is the recipient of an LA Conservancy Preservation award and a California Preservation Foundation Design award. FORT’s newsletter announcing its free monthly content reaches over 9,000 subscribers.

Celebrating the Icon, Legends and Trailblazer of West Adams’ Black History

Saturday, June 14, 10:00-11:30 a.m., at Village Green Club House

In February 2024, FORT: LA Fellowship recipient Madelene Dailey completed a research project and 7 short films about the neighborhood’s historic and unique architecture and led by narratives and reflections of the residents themselves.

Join us to learn about the founding of the Wilfandel Club by Della Williams and Fannie Williams, Alan and Vera Clarke Ifill’s founding of the Caribbean Credit Union, Yvonne Miller who was one of the founders of the First Negro Classical Ballet, and Paul R. Williams, the iconic architect who designed the legendary FAME Church.

The panelists will address the future of the neighborhood and the efforts underway for its preservation.

After the lecture, participants will be invited to continue the conversation while touring the stunningly verdant grounds of Village Green Clubhouse.

RSVP for FREE, HERE!

About the Panelists

• Madelene Daily is an Urban Planner from Florida, working primarily with the state of Florida on projects related to community infrastructure planning, public transportation, and federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulation. Her professional experience includes assisting local and national non-profit organizations, as well as state and federal agencies, in grant writing/funding, daily operations, volunteer outreach, community design workshops, and public support campaigns. Madelene also volunteers her time on pro bono and community enrichment development, and has worked with local non-profit organizations in Los Angeles on justice-driven civil design projects. She serves as a Director of Architecture + Advocacy, a USC student-founded startup working to address spatial justice through design and architecture. She is co-president of the USC National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMAS) Chapter and is a USC Architectural Guild Board member. She received her Bachelor’s in Environmental Studies and Visual Arts from Eckerd College in 2018. She will graduate from the University of Southern California with a Master’s in Architecture in the spring of 2024. During her studies her work will focus on intersecting equitable urban planning with sustainable design, she aims to earn a certificate in sustainable architecture as well.
• Joshua A. Foster is an award-winning community builder, architectural designer, educator, and speaker. He is the Founder and CEO of JAF — a community-impact focused consulting firm empowering the AEC and real estate industry with the tools to maximize impact in the built environment. Joshua also serves on multiple local and national non-profit boards including, the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA), the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA), the Long Beach Community Design Center, Architecture + Advocacy, and the USC Architectural Guild. Joshua is a graduate of both Columbia University and the University of Southern California.

About the Organizers 

Village Green (aka Baldwin Hills Village) is one of the most important housing design precedents in the nation and is the best example of the garden apartment typology on the West Coast. The project organizes 627 one-, two- and three-bedroom units in 92 one- and two-story buildings across a 67.7-acre site. The site is bounded, but not penetrated, by public streets, allowing for the creation of an approximately 13-acre, nearly half-mile long central green spine, called the Village Green.

Friends Of Residential Treasures: LA is an award-winning nonprofit dedicated to bringing people together by celebrating the history and influence of residential architecture. Our organization has developed four interlocking programs in pursuit of our mission: An online mapping system for self-guided tours of the exteriors of architecturally significant  homes developed by experts in the field (FORT Trails); a fellowship to foster new knowledge (FORT Fellowship); a series of virtual experiences to provide interior access  understanding (FORT Frames); and an ongoing series of live and virtual educational events (FORT Gatherings). We have been covered by the LA Times, KCRW, KCAL, NBC: LA, Spectrum News, NPR, Los Angeles Magazine, Time Out Los Angeles, American Way, and other outlets. We have partnered on live events with the Los Angeles Public LIbrary, the Hollyhock House, the Gamble House, Pasadena Heritage, the Pasadena Museum of History, soho.home.studeio, the Wolford House and more. Our organization is the recipient of an LA Conservancy Preservation award and a California Preservation Foundation Design award. FORT’s newsletter announcing its free monthly content reaches over 9,000 subscribers.