Barnsdall Art Park

The Barnsdall Art Park has as its mission the presentation, promotion, enrichment, and development of the arts and artists of the Los Angeles region in all its cultural diversity. This is in keeping with the wishes of Aline Barnsdall, who donated Barnsdall Park to the City of Los Angeles for arts and recreational purposes, including the preservation of the historic architecture and landscape features. Located at the crest of Olive Hill, Barnsdall Park overlooks the city of Los Angeles. The park is centered on the National Historic Landmarked Hollyhock House and several other buildings on the grounds designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright.

History

Barnsdall Park had its beginning in the early 1900s when Aline Barnsdall came to the West with plans to develop a new theatre company. In 1927, Aline Barnsdall donated the Park and its Frank Lloyd Wright designed structures to the city of Los Angeles, wishing to provide an accessible arts center that incorporated and preserved the famous Hollyhock House as a vital component. The spirit of Barnsdall's intention was to maintain an active arts center for the community with assured longevity.

The owner - Aline Barnsdall

Aline Barnsdall was a native of Bradford, Pennsylvania. William Barnsdall, her grandfather, drilled the second largest oil well in the United States, establishing the fortune that would finance Aline's philanthropy and her extensive travels. She was an unconventional, independent woman with a passion for the arts. In the 1910s, her interest in the future of the American stage led her to Chicago, Illinois, where she co-directed an experimental theatre company. While in Chicago, she met the equally unconventional Frank Lloyd Wright, whose recently completed Midway Gardens she admired. When a trip to California in 1915 turned Barnsdall's attention to Los Angeles, she hired Wright to help her develop an innovative theatrical community on the nation's cultural frontier.

The architect - Frank Lloyd Wright

Frank Lloyd Wright is America's best known architect. Born in 1867, he lived to be 91, and enjoyed a career that lasted nearly as long as his lifetime. Some prime examples of his work include the prairie houses, the Johnson Wax Headquarters, Fallingwater, and the Guggenheim Museum. Wright was often absent during the actual construction of Hollyhock House, due to the demands of another major commission, the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo, Japan. Therefore, he entrusted supervision of the Barnsdall project to two young men who would later rank among Los Angeles's most prominent architects: his apprentice, Rudolph Schindler and his son, Lloyd Wright.

The building - Hollyhock House

The Aline Barnsdall Residence, known as Hollyhock House is the first Los Angeles project of America's most famous architect, Frank Lloyd Wright. Built between 1919 and 1921, it represents his earliest efforts to develop a regionally appropriate style of architecture for Southern California.

Taking advantage of the area's mild climate, Hollyhock House is a combination of house and garden. It is a remarkable example of the architect's love of nature and how he incorporated it into his designs. The House takes its name from the favorite flower of Wright's client, oil heiress Aline Barnsdall. At her request, Wright's abstract hollyhock pattern was incorporated into the decoration of the House.

Aline Barnsdall was an unconventional independent woman with a passion for the arts. In 1915 she commissioned Wright to help her develop an innovative theatrical community on the nation's cultural frontier. Selecting a thirty-six acre site known as Olive Hill, client and architect worked together to develop a plan that included a home for Barnsdall and her young daughter, two secondary residences, a theater, a director's house, a dormitory for actors, studios for artists, shops and a motion picture theater. Because of financial and artistic differences, only the two secondary residences and the Barnsdall home, Hollyhock House, were finally built.

In 1927 Aline Barnsdall gave Hollyhock House and eleven surrounding acres to the City of Los Angeles for use as a public park in memory of her father, Theodore Barnsdall. Today, surrounded by a modern theater, galleries, and studios, Hollyhock House comes closer than ever before to realizing its original purpose as the centerpiece of a functioning arts complex. The House attracts thousands of visitors annually, who come from around the world to acknowledge its place in the cultural and architectural history of Los Angeles.

Hollyhock House gallery

The Gallery at Hollyhock House presents temporary exhibitions whose content is appropriate to the House and its international profile as a Frank Lloyd Wright house museum. The Gallery exhibits work related to Frank Lloyd Wright, Aline Barnsdall and the history of Hollyhock House as well as work by contemporary Los Angeles architects. Exhibitions focus on the built environment of Southern California with special emphasis on the history of Los Angeles, its architectural traditions, design and related material, and the decorative arts.

The gallery is open Wednesday through Sunday from 12 noon to 4:00 p.m. and may be viewed during the Hollyhock House tour.

The educational programs of Hollyhock House aim to increase public awareness of the history of the House, the architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright, and the ideas and contributions of Aline Barnsdall; to encourage an understanding of the need to preserve historic sites; and to promote an appreciation of Los Angeles. Public Tours are available Wednesdays through Sundays. Tours for elementary and secondary school groups are offered Tuesday through Friday at 10:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. There is no fee.

Special events at the Art Park provide innovative, multi-disciplinary culturally active performances by artists of Los Angeles and the Southern California area; and, to commission new works and initiate collaborations with organizations and individual artists for both inside and outside spaces and for both children and adults. Arts-related events by outside groups may be held on a limited basis.

The Bookstore carries a variety of books on the architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright and gift items. Bookstore hours are Wednesday through Sunday 12 noon to 4:00 p.m. The ground floor of Hollyhock House is wheelchair accessible. An open-captioned videotape of the second floor is available. Open-captioning of the video is provided by a donation from Captions, Inc. Sign-language interpretation is available with 48 hours notice.

Friends of Hollyhock House (FOHH)

The FOHH provide, in cooperation with the Cultural Affairs Department of the City of Los Angeles, an increased public awareness of Frank Lloyd Wright, Aline Barnsdall, and Hollyhock House through public tours, special events, and the Friends of Hollyhock House Library. The library is a small research library that contains books and articles on Frank Lloyd Wright and Aline Barnsdall. Appointments are by reservation only Wednesday through Sunday 12 noon to 4:00 p.m.

A major function of the Friends of Hollyhock House is responsibility for the docent program. After a seven week training session in the Fall, docents lead personalized tours through the House on a regular monthly schedule. All Docents are members of the Friends of Hollyhock House and must provide four hours of service per month. For anyone who is unable to donate his or her time on a regular basis but who wishes to support the programming at the Hollyhock House, there are several levels of membership, each with accompanying benefits.

Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery

The Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery is a 10,000 square foot venue that offers dramatic exhibition space for large, thematic group exhibitions that are representative of the current endeavors of area artists, and major retrospective exhibitions of work by individuals who have made an extraordinary contribution and impact on art in Los Angeles. The Junior Arts Center Gallery is a convert|2000|sqft|m2|sing=on venue that offers a more intimate space for oneperson exhibitions by mid-career artists who have produced a significant body of high quality work, as well as smaller thematic group shows. At times the two spaces are linked by a single, large scale exhibition occupying both galleries.

The Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery of Barnsdall Park are dedicated to the presentation, interpretation, documentation, promotion, and enrichment of the arts and artists of the culturally diverse Southern California. As the city's primary exhibition venue, the gallery is devoted to the exhibiting emerging, mid-career, and senior artists from the area, in group and individual presentation formats. The curatorial focus includes painting, sculpture, photography, architecture, video, installation, design, and related disciplines that reflect the architectural fabric of Los Angeles.

The ongoing mission is to provide college level studio arts which are taught by artist/instructors who are professional artists. The Senior Living Arts program provides arts experience for adults with special needs, in retirement center, schools and special facilities. The center has developed a sense of community and has a student body from the ages of 18 well into their 80's.

Exhibitions program

The exhibitions program at Barnsdall Park produces approximately nine exhibitions of contemporary art each year at the Municipal Art Gallery. The mission of the program is to promote, interpret and present to the general public, the contemporary art of artists from culturally diverse Southern California. The curatorial focus includes painting, sculpture, photography, architecture, design, video, electronic, performance and installation works. Exhibits at Barnsdall Park serve over 45,000 visitors annually.

Exhibitions at the gallery are developed and produced by the curatorial staff, who often work with guest curators to insure a diversified curatorial perspective. The curators work with advisory input from the gallery's Artist Advisory Committee and the Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery Associates Program Committee. These committees each meet six times a year with the curatorial staff to discuss issues, evaluate current exhibitions, and preview the development of future exhibitions. While the Gallery Associates raises funds to support the Exhibition and Education Programs at the gallery, the Associates Program Committee also seeks to develop and produce ancillary programs such as films, lectures and symposia. Gallery hours are Friday through Sunday from 12:00 to 5:00 p.m., and first Fridays from 12 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. A wheelchair for visitor use within the facility is available. Please ask the gallery attendant at the entrance for assistance. Sign Language Interpreters are available with at least two weeks advance notice.

Slide registry

The City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs maintains a Slide Registry which includes slides and artist information of over 500 artists in California. The Registry is an important resource for curators, art consultants, gallery owners, film studios, developers and libraries. In addition to slide and artist files, information on each artist is also contained in a computer database. There is a $20 fee for artists who wish to be registered and visitors wishing to use the Registry may do so for free. Some exhibitions are developed, in part, from the Department of Cultural Affairs Slide Registry which is housed at the Municipal Art Gallery. Representation in the registry is open to all Southern California artists.

Museum education and tours

The education program was designed to help familiarize the public with the rich diversity of contemporary art, particularly the achievements of living Southern California artists that form the core of the Municipal Art Gallery's exhibitions. The Education Department of the Municipal Art Gallery seeks to familiarize the public with the rich diversity of contemporary art, particularly the achievements of living Southern California artists which form the core of the Gallery's exhibitions through innovative and participatory programs. The educational programs of Hollyhock House aim to increase public awareness of the history of the House, the architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright, and the ideas and contributions of Aline Barnsdall; to encourage an understanding of the need to preserve historic sites, and to promote an appreciation of Los Angeles history.

Through informal study and discussion, gallery visitors of all ages and backgrounds may better understand and enjoy a challenging range of art in a broad variety of media and styles. With facilitation by the gallery educator, each Municipal Art Gallery exhibition becomes an opportunity for the public to explore new perceptions, gather information, and develop fresh insights into the contemporary art world as well as the world around them.

Tours

The Education division offers tours of Municipal Art Gallery exhibitions to groups of all ages, from kindergarten to seniors. Tours are led by gallery educators trained in participatory tour techniques that encourage viewers to analyze and refine their appreciation of contemporary art. For student tours, the educators use interactive inquiry methods, role-play, theater techniques and guided art projects to promote enjoyment and understanding.

Outreach programs

The school outreach program introduces aspects of exhibitions to groups before the date of the class visit to the Municipal Art Gallery. Outreach educators travel to classrooms, show slides of selected artworks, and conduct hands-on projects to further prepare students for their gallery visit.

Internships

In the college and graduate school Internship Program, majors in art, art history or education are trained as gallery educators. They teach in the gallery for a two hour period on selected mornings, attend weekly training meetings, and keep journals to document their progress. Through direct experience, interns can learn about contemporary art as well as how to engage young people and adults in dialogues on various art issues. College and Graduate School Internships are available throughout the academic year, offering academic credit.

Multicultural programs

Multicultural internships are offered by the Education division. They have been designed to prepare students from underserved groups for future employment in the arts through apprenticeships in the Education division. The interns not only gain valuable professional experience but are able to conduct tours.

In the Multicultural Internship program, individuals from universities, colleges and community arts organizations who have an interest in art and education are trained as gallery educators. Interns receive museum training, attend education classes and experience an introduction to various aspects of curatorial work for exhibitions.

Teacher programs

The Teacher Resource Center is a collection of art education materials available to the public throughout the year. Teachers are welcome to visit the center, conduct research, and borrow from resources that include: a selection of art education and art history books and packets, a slide library containing hundreds of images from historical as well as contemporary art periods, and a collection of mounted small poster prints for use in a range of classroom activities.

Public and family programming

Conversations With The Artists is a way to learn more about the art on exhibition through informal talks with the artists themselves. The Children's Film Series is a film and art workshop offered in the late fall and spring.

Self-guided tours for families of art in Barnsdall Park. The Barnsdall Art Park Family Tour is an interactive walking tour that gives family members an opportunity to see the architecture and public works of art in the Park. A specially prepared activity booklet is made available to the public free of charge containing information about the works of art, interesting discussion topics for all ages about each work, and art activities based on the artwork.

Barnsdall Gallery Theatre

Owned and operated by the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs Community Arts Division, this 299-seat fully-equipped and wheelchair-accessible Barnsdall Gallery Theatre is a low-price rental house for live theatre, dance, music, spoken word, lecture, film and for events of all kinds to individuals and organizations . The theatre is equipped with dual sound, lights, a HD ready digital projector, plus a built in 16mm film, slide and video projectors; as well as dressing rooms, spacious upper and lower lobbies with box office and refreshment counters.

The Barnsdall Gallery Theatre also co-produces a variety of community events in the theatre, including many popular FREE programs, including "Independent Shakespeare Company", Silverlake Conservatory of Music's "Music Summer Camps", and many yearly festivals including the "Thai Festival" and "Artwallah."

Now in its third year, the "Independent Shakespeare Company, at the Barnsdall Art Park, is an on-going, free to the public, live series being held on an outdoor stage, overlooking the hills of Hollywood. In 2004, in association with the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, the Independent Shakespeare Company (ISC) established a residency in Barnsdall Art Park, the hidden jewel of Hollywood. The summer season was kicked off with a gala performance of "The Two Gentlemen of Verona". Twelve performances, offered free to the public, followed.

In October 2004, the ISC toured "Richard III" to France as part of the 100th anniversary of the Entente Cordiale, the only Shakespeare performance in France to be honored in this way. This production returned to Los Angeles as part of Free Shakespeare in Barnsdall Art Park 2005, performed in rotation with "The Two Gentlemen of Verona" and "Hamlet."

In 2005, the ISC returned to Barnsdall Art Park with a new production of "Hamlet", running in repertory with "Richard III" and encore performances of "The Two Gentlemen of Verona." And in 2006, the ISC has returned once again to the Barnsdall Art Park with the productions of "As You Like It" and "Hamlet."

The ISC helps to serve our community through creating inspiring, accessible theater and bringing it to as wide an audience as possible. The outdoor stage averages 200 to 300 people each evening, ready to enter the world of Shakespeare.

Now in its second year, the Silverlake Conservatory of Music presents "Music Summer Camps," bringing music to young people inside the Barnsdall Gallery Theatre. A team of professional master musicians present a music program combining academic information with live performance. The musicians perform their music, and then "break it down" explaining how their instrument fits into the rhythm, the chord structure, and the mood or melody of a piece.

Young people who are interested in a musical career are able to experience learning from professionals. For those with little knowledge about the musical art form, this program builds awareness and interest.

The Barnsdall Gallery Theatre also produces festivals, some of which include theatre events at Barnsdall Art Park. These festivals, such as the "Thai Festival" and "Artwallah" present a wonderful forum for the expression of the arts and an opportunity to learn about the city's cultural heritage. Festivals also increase harmony between ethnic and cultural groups and create a positive climate among all people in this city enriching the communities we serve.

The Gallery Theatre is a 229-seat venue available for rental at a nominal fee for individuals and organizations.

Barnsdall Art Center

The Barnsdall Art Center provides college level art instruction at low cost in a unique Frank Lloyd Wright building. The center is temporarily housed in the Junior Arts Center due to the Frank Lloyd Wright building being closed due to safety reasons. The Barnsdall Art Center Student Advisory Committee (B.A.C.S.A.C.) is the organization that provides support and student influence for the centers' growth. The non-profit organization provides volunteer services with registration and assists financially covering programs and classes that the city is unable to fund.

The Junior Arts Center

The Junior Arts Center and Gallery are dedicated to the development of the creative process in children and teens. The vision and mission encourage curiosity, creativity, and all aspects of human development. Children at the center come from all ethnicities, religions and economic levels. Programs include the Living Arts Program that provides arts experience for children with special needs and the Barnsdall Goes to the Library program that presents workshops free of charge at local libraries.

The Junior Arts Center offers extensive art programs to children and youth ages three to eighteen, including many unique programs designed to serve the needs of children of Los Angeles. Art instruction held at the Center throughout the year includes drawing, painting, film making, printmaking, acting, photography and sculpture. Parent/child classes are also available. The Living Arts Program serves as a national model in arts education for special needs youth. The Junior Arts Center Children's Gallery features the work of young artists. The Center's location within the beautiful city park lends itself to a variety of multicultural festivals, celebrations and family outings.

The Junior Arts Center Gallery provides family oriented exhibitions of both children and adults work as well as interactive exhibits for the entire family. Annual Special Events include Dia de los Muertos and Aline Barnsdall Day, Culmination of Children's classes, and Barnsdall Art Center Students exhibit.

References

External links

* [http://www.barnsdallartpark.com barnsdallartpark.com] - Official site of Barnsdall Park