Good afternoon. This week we look at the legacy of one of SoCal’s most important architects, a new archive devoted to Skid Row art and activism, and a must-see upcoming film screening from a young Native American artist.

—Elisa Wouk Almino, Senior Editor, Los Angeles

In addition to being the most prolific Black architect in Southern California, Paul Revere Williams was also known as “the architect to the stars.” He designed homes for the likes of Cary Grant, Frank Sinatra, and Lucille Ball (whose home appears in the image above). Earlier this summer, the Getty Research Institute and the University of Southern California (where Williams studied architectural engineering) announced they they would be acquiring Williams’s archive, which includes thousands of plans, drawings, photos, correspondence, and more.

Lexis-Olivier Ray revisits some of Williams’s key projects, as well as the unique challenges he faced as a Black architect in the mid-20th century:

Artists and activists have a long history in the Skid Row neighborhood. The nonprofit performance group known as the Los Angeles Poverty Department, or LAPD (a cheeky allusion to the Police Department), has been around since the 1980s. In recent years, the group has drawn attention for its Walk the Talk parade, which celebrates community activists in Skid Row. While they weren’t able to host the parade this year, they have just uploaded an online archive featuring several interviews with Skid Row artists and activists, as well as recordings of past performances.

Hyperallergic editor Natalie Haddad spotlights some of these people, including Skid Row resident Katherine McNenny, who started an initiative to plant trees and gardens in her neighborhood. McNenny notes:

Fox Maxy, an Ipai Kumeyaay and Payómkawichum filmmaker, is sharing four of their films this weekend through the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). One of the films, San Diego, was made during the COVID-19 quarantine and looks at how tribes in Southern California have tried to continue their traditional gatherings during this challenging time.

Maxy shared some poignant thoughts on filmmaking ahead of the screening and conversation this weekend. They emphasized, “I try my hardest to recognize that filmmaking is just like every other aspect of being alive.”

Since it’s that time of year, it seems only appropriate to revisit the radical footage of TVTV, the Bay Area collective of 20-somethings who filmed the DNC and RNC of 1972 in a completely new way. The UC Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive has digitized hundreds of hours of raw footage.

The beloved Women’s Center for Creative Work (WCCW) officially announced today that the organization will be departing their Glover Place location, which has been their home for the past five years. WCCW will temporarily relocate to a smaller studio space and focus on online programming. The center is hosting a “Socially Distance Glover Goodbye & Give-away” this weekend. Info via the WCCW below:

In memory of WCCW’s Glover Place location, revisit this great exhibition on women’s work, weaving, and computer programming.