Watts Towers Arts Center
Los Angeles, CA 90002
Phone: (213) 847-4646
- Cross Street:
- Graham Avenue
Editorial Review for Watts Towers Arts Center – by Peter Geiberger
The Background
Perhaps the country's best-known work of folk art, Watts Towers reopened in 2001 after years of restorations. (The structures had sustained serious damages during the 1994 Northridge quake.) Italian immigrant Simon Rodia single-handedly constructed the spiraling masterpieces as a tribute to his adopted country, completing nine towers--the tallest nearly 100 feet tall--in three decades. A mass of tile, broken bottles and more than 25,000 seashells, the encrusted towers seem to spin into thin air. Rodia had no formal arts training and did all the work in his spare time.
Facts
Surviving riots, numerous temblors and even scheduled demolition, the monuments have since become official state historic locations. Not far from the flashpoint of the Watts riots, the towers fared well during the unrest, while nearly all surrounding buildings were destroyed. In the years since, they've become symbols of South-Central Los Angeles' black community.
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Insider Tips
When to GoThe annual Simon Rodia Watts Towers Jazz Festival, which usually occurs late September, features emerging and established musicians from across L.A. Hundreds take part in the festivities every year.
User Reviews for Watts Towers Arts Center
08/07/2002 Posted by AJDURAN
Truly, beauty is in the eye of the beholder...but if you can appreciate the time and efforts put into this, then you will see its' beauty.
Cons: Very bad area
06/04/2002 Posted by mimi
If you grew up in LA you cant help but know about the Towers. They took you there when you were a kid with the school, and they told you the story and as you drive through Watts you cant beleave something so Beautiful is in Cali. Take your kids look at the Height and the Creatativity that went in to these Works of Art.
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