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| History Of Jazz In L.A. Inspires Public Art By Teens Teenagers participating in The HeArt Project, a nonprofit organization bringing the arts to Los Angeles County continuation high schools, will unveil a tile mural honoring the history of the Los Angeles jazz movement on Central Avenue at Jazz Park on 42nd Street on Saturday, July 30th at 11:30a.m. Los Angeles City Councilwoman Jan Perry (District 9) will address the public and introduce HeArt Project students. The 17-foot long mural is the culmination of an after-school public art residency by HeArt Project students and artist Robin Strayhorn. Well known for her ceramic work, Strayhorn’s public commissions include tile benches at the Metropolitan Transit Authority’s Rosa Parks Blue Line Station in Los Angeles and a ceramic tile mural and terrazzo floor design in Terminals 2 and 4 at Ontario International Airport. Most recently, she designed and installed a tile mural on the exterior of the new Hyde Park-Miriam Matthews Branch of the Los Angeles Public Library. Strayhorn also has a deep connection to jazz history. Her great uncle was the legendary jazz composer Billy “Sweet Pea” Strayhorn. Musical notation from his famous song, “Take The A Train”, appears in the mural’s design along with images of jazz greats Billie Holiday, Charles Mingus, Duke Ellington and others. HeArt Project students met weekly for five months at the community room of Esperanza Community Housing Corporation’s Alegria Apartments. As part of their research, the students interviewed jazz organist Paul Bryant and songwriter Mike Stoller. Their stories inspired design ideas for the mural. Working with Strayhorn, the teens developed a concept drawing and color scheme. The design was then transferred to six-inch square ceramic tiles, glazed, and fired. “I am impressed by the thoughtful and careful work that the HeArt Project students put into this tile mural. Their efforts have created a historically significant art piece that reflects that past and celebrates the present spirit of Central Avenue, ” said Councilwoman Perry. Since 1992, The HeArt Project has taught the arts to continuation high school students – teenagers who have been expelled or dropped out of school, are young parents or on probation. Operating on a “conceptual ladder”, The HeArt Project implements its arts programming on three levels: workshops and public presentations, residencies, and scholarships. Each year, 300 HeArt Project students participate in three consecutive, 11-week, thematic workshops led by professional artists working in a variety of disciplines. At the culmination of each workshop, students present their work at relevant Los Angeles area cultural institutions such as the Getty, LACMA, and Walt Disney Concert Hall. Teens participating in this year’s residency reached the second level of The HeArt Project’s ladder, committing time after school to art-making and a related leadership course at Art Center College of Design. Select residency students can take the third and final step of The HeArt Project’s ladder by earning scholarships to study art in partnership with local institutions. This summer, eight residency students are attending programs at Art Center College of Design, Otis College of Art and Design, UCLA, and USC School of Architecture. write your comments about the article :: © 2005 Jazz News :: home page |