Public Art in the Public Park
Public art in the new Los Angeles State Historic Park at the Cornfield site should reflect the struggles, hopes, and triumphs of the generations who have entered Los Angeles through El Pueblo and the Cornfield to reflect the dreams of the community, the purpose of the park, and the vision of the Cornfield Advisory Committee. Murals that tell the history of the people and place; community art projects including photography exhibits and oral histories that serve as “family albums” to allow others to see the park through the eyes of the people today; signs, lamppost banners, and other interpretive materials; educational programs for school children; and links to myriad nearby cultural, historical, recreational, and environmental resources can engage the community fully and fairly in the inaugural project for the park. Exhibits can be connected with El Pueblo Historic Monument and the Southwest Museum. The experience of public art that engages and tells the stories of the community in these ways can remain a part of the legacy of the park, and enhance the interim use project and the ephemeral proposal to grow corn there, without compromising the general plan.
Click here to download the concise four-page Policy Brief, Public Art in the Public Park: People, Place, and Power in the Los Angeles State Historic Park.
