Crenshaw's Outdoor Museum Sounds Like the Real Deal

Rendering of Sankofa Park, Destination Crenshaw

Officials who greenlight public art often know little about it, and commissioned artists are sometimes more skilled in lobbying than art-making. Given that, I was managing my expectations for Destination Crenshaw, the Nipsey Hussle-touted outdoor museum for the historic Leimert Park neighborhood. Guess what? The first set of artists announced is pitch-perfect. Kehinde Wiley will be doing a Rumors of War equestrian monument, a Confederate rebuttal related to the one he did for the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. Other commissioned artists are Charles Dickson, Melvin Edwards, Maren Hassinger, Artis Lane, Alison Saar, and Brenna Youngblood. It's a thoughtful selection that doubles as a reminder of what a powerhouse L.A. has become for African-American art. Of the seven commissioned artists, four were born in L.A. and all have spent much of their lives in the city.

Destination Crenshaw's organizers plan to commission about a hundred artworks in all. That would make for a substantial, though far-flung collection spanning the mile between Leimert Park and Slauson Ave. Opening is slated for fall 2022.

Kehinde Wiley's Rumors of War (2019) for Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond. Photo by Travis Fullerton (c) VMFA