Woodcrest Library Canopy and Mural
Woodcrest Library Butterfly Sculpture and Mural
South Los Angeles, California
Our Butterfly Sculpture and Mural are public art installations that were commissioned by the Los Angeles County Arts Commission for their Civic Art Infrastructure Project, also known as the Creative Graffiti Abatement Project. The series of artworks were designed around the idea that better engagement in the development of civic art would promote community value for civic spaces and deter vandalism at county properties. As artists, we worked closely with community partners and art & community engagement consultant Sara Daleiden to facilitate civic engagement and create permanent public artwork at Woodcrest Library in Westmont, Los Angeles.
The major goals of the project included shifting perceptions about the sites, increasing community activity, reducing graffiti vandalism, fostering a sense of community ownership, and building capacity for future arts and culture activities. Like libraries themselves, artwork is part of civic infrastructure. The artwork, spaces, and programs offered in these spaces are part of the infrastructure that builds and supports relationships among community members.
The butterfly, and its transformation from a caterpillar, is an inspiring symbol of change. The outdoor plaza at Woodcrest Library becomes a central social space for gathering, celebrating, and supporting community. The butterfly, like other pollinators, plays a role in nature like the role that the library plays in the Westmont community. The Butterfly Sculpture celebrates this similarity of purpose and re-imagines the plaza as an outdoor extension of the library where young minds can be nourished, and nature can flourish.
Civic / Woodcrest Library
Client
Los Angeles County Arts Commission
Erin Harkey, civic art project manager
Pauline Kanako Kamiyama, civic art project manager
Los Angeles County Library
Office of Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, Second District
Collaborators
Sara Daleiden, art and public engagement consultant
Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust
Los Angeles Conservation Corps & Louise Griffin, installation support
Paramount Roll, metal bending and rolling
MDI, custom casting and hardware
Thornton Tomasetti, Inc., structural engineer
Trash 4 Teaching, engagement support
GeoTek, Inc., geotechnical engineer
Marc Escribano, videography
Elon Schoenholz, photography