New Destination Crenshaw Sculpture Park Dedicated to Black Artists Is Set to Debut This Fall

This fall, Sankofa Park, the centerpiece of Destination Crenshaw, the most significant global public art initiative with a Black theme, is opening its doors to tourists in Los Angeles. The initiative will feature more than a hundred pieces of art from local Black artists. When completed, Destination Crenshaw will be the largest arts and culture fair in the United States dedicated to honoring the cultural contributions of African Americans.

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“The site is a reaction to the local community,” explains Jason W. Foster, president of Destination Crenshaw. “When completed, the corridor will be brimming with stories and stunning public artworks.”

Destination Crenshaw Honoring LA’s African Americans

The Crenshaw neighborhood, the center of Black Los Angeles, may have been affected by the choice to place the LA Metro Railway line above ground at Crenshaw Boulevard during the development of the expansion from LAX to central LA. Instead, a chance to expand the region’s already robust artistic scene presented itself.

Officials concluded that the initiative needed to be an engaging and unforgettable experience of art, music, and other forms of creative expression. This street art and cultural background will stretch along Crenshaw Boulevard, paying tribute to the area’s long-standing status as an artistic incubator and the impact Black Los Angeles has had on the popular community and social change through ten new public parks, exhibits, and an entirely new streetscape.

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The project’s topic offers a meeting place where technical mastery and spontaneous expression may coexist. This region becomes an essential point of the entrance from the southern and northern parts of the city by aligning the south edge of the project area, adding major three-dimensional art components, and erecting a new Crenshaw monument as a milestone that marks the beginning of the experience.

Two new pocket parks will serve as the focal points of the intersection’s southern corners, and the region will soon be home to the offices of Council District 8.

54th West Pocket Park and the future Council District 8 headquarters building. ©Perkins & Will

The Wall, the oldest artifact in Destination Crenshaw, is another highlight. Adding a new parklet on the roof will link the space to the pocket park on the opposite side of Crenshaw Blvd.

The Wall ©Perkins & Will

This project section would build a sizable new public area directly to the south of the already existing, historic Leimert Park, acting as a gateway to the northern end of the adventure, encouraging, assembling, and displaying commissioned artwork, exhibit material, and scaled-up programming.

Panorama of Sankofa Park Seen from Above. ©Perkins & Will

Destination Crenshaw Concept’s Inspiration

Destination Crenshaw’s overarching aesthetic principle was influenced by the African Giant Star Grass philosophy, with the slogan “Grow Where You’re Planted.” Slave traffickers used the grass as bedding on their ships, and it has since flourished in hostile environments far from home. It still serves as a powerful symbol of black persistence in the face of racism and brutality.

Like the Giant Star Grass, the Black LA community has indestructible roots that have developed and spread worldwide. ©Perkins & Will

Architecture, landscaping, expressive design, artwork, and the metro are just a few of the design disciplines that share a common thread thanks to the embracing design idea for the project. By the time it’s done in 2027, Destination Crenshaw will have worked with more than a hundred different artists on pieces located all along the boulevard.

“We are doing all this in honor of the history, tradition, and innovation of Black L.A.,” said Jason W. Foster, president, and chief operating officer of Destination Crenshaw, in a press statement. We can’t wait until the autumn of 2023 when Sankofa Park, the centerpiece of Destination Crenshaw, is ready to open its doors to the public as a stunning new gathering space.

Mark Ridley-Thomas, Supervisor of Los Angeles County, and the Destination Crenshaw design team from Los Angeles and North Carolina break ground on Sankofa Park. ©Jun Tang Photography

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