THE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN ART AND HISTORY

By : Cozette Vergari

January 2022

The Westchester/Playa Historical Society is proud to celebrate the past, present and future partnership between the arts and the history of our flourishing community of neighborhoods. As we step into the New Year, let’s remind ourselves of what is right at our fingertips. 

At the corner of Manchester and Sepulveda, you see the statute, “Horse and Man” sculpted by highly acclaimed Millard Sheets, a native California artist who grew up near Los Angeles. In 1953 Sheets founded the Millard Sheets Designs Company. Sheets love of horses can be directly traced back to his childhood years spent living at his grandfather’s horse ranch. Sheets returned to the theme of horses in his art design. He was commissioned by United States Savings Bank in 1957 to sculpt the Horse and Man for their new bank in Westchester.

Located in the Westchester district of Los Angeles, the Loyola Theatre opened on October 3, 1946, by Fox West Coast Theatres. Before the theatre’s conversion to a medical office building, the front of the Loyola Theatre featured a beautiful swan neck tower rising nearly 60 feet above the theatre’s marquee at the southeast corner of Manchester and Sepulveda. The Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Board declared the theater a cultural and historic monument on June 2, 1982.

Millirons, now Kohl’s, opened March 1949. The $3 million dollar store embodied a host of unique design features created by Gruen Associates. Architectural historians consider it a prototype for the modern self-contained department store. Gruen cited the economic advantages of a low sprawling building, with parking and other retail on top of the building. Elevation of the main façade screened the parked cars from street view.

The iconic Theme Building at LAX is considered an architectural example of the Space Age design style. Influenced by “Populuxe” architecture, it is an example of the Mid-century (1950s)  modern design movement later to become known as “Googie.” The Airport Theme Building Exterior and Interior was designated as a historic-cultural monument in 1993 by the city of Los Angeles. The image of a “flying saucer that has landed on its four legs” was designed by James Langenheim, subsequently brought to life by a team of architects and engineers headed by Willian Pereira, Charles Luckman, Paul Williams and Welton Becket.

The Westchester Municipal Building, built circa 1960, was designed by architect James Homer Garrott. It retains the essential character defining features of Mid-Century Modernism from the period of significance. It was developed during the Post WWII period as part of an overall City planning program to expand government services.

Moving from three dimensional historical pieces of art, more recently our communities have been complimented with murals, depicting important elements of the Westchester/Playa community.

“Welcome To Westchester” is a 10,000 square foot diptych mural that was created in 2017 between Sepulveda and Sepulveda Westway Westchester Parkway, as a collaborative civic artwork facilitated by Artist/ Professor David Russell. He and his Otis College of Art and Design students from the Creative Action Program and Drollinger Properties worked together to develop the design representative of the local community and its history.

The “You Are Beautiful” mural was a long-time dream of Karen Dial to pay tribute to her two preceding generations of Drollinger family, as well as other founds of Westchester. The mural, vibrating from just south of CVS/Ralphs shopping complex, was created and painted by Aly Kourouma, a.k.a. Timbuctu State. He is an artist and fashion designer, with cultural preservation at the heart of his work. “You Are Beautiful” is also an empowering message to the neighborhood, and a gift of art for those who might not be exposed to it otherwise. 

“Noodle World” is a seven-part mural series that was created in 2018/ 19 as a collaborative civic artwork. The project was facilitated by Artist/ Professor David Russell, his Otis College of Art and Design students from the Creative Action Program, Drollinger Properties and the current building tenants. You will find it tucked away in a short alley on the east side of Sepulveda, between Manchester and LaTijera.

“the kids’ lot” is actually the entrance to a new community garden, located on the eastside of the southern most end of the Sepulveda commercial district, between Sepulveda and Sepulveda Eastway. The community garden was inspired by the ownership of the Tomat restaurant to inspire the community to embrace the “farm to table” food concept, upon which Tomat will build its cuisine. To open soon near The Book Jewel in the Westchester Triangle. An Otis student branded and produced an exterior mural under the mentorship of Artist / Professor David Russell from the Creative Action Program and Drollinger Properties collaboration.

Westport Heights Elementary School, again through a partnership with Otis College of Art And Design, proudly shares two murals, created within the past four years, one at the front entrance and the other located within the interior of the campus. The project engaged 4^th graders and represents the identity of their school, including the recent celebration of the school’s 75^th Anniversary. 

Near the corner of Falmouth and Mancheter, you will find the “Playa del Rey” mural, designed and painted by Hunter Culberson and David Russell in 2019. The mural depicts a message of welcome, while celebrating and honoring marine and fresh water life.