Recently, one of our favorite community hubs, William Grant Still Arts Center, hosted The West Adams Collectors Club for an 8-week, intergenerational workshop on archiving grassroots histories. From Black dolls and mix tapes to books, flyers, social movements and community spaces, the group learned about collecting, keeping, and exhibiting cultural and social history through personal collections and building archives.
Multiple generations and narratives come into play in the exhibition to demonstrate and encourage new generations to collect and keep history. Billie Green’s collection of dolls made by the Shindana Toy Company showcase how a company formed in South Central Los Angeles in the post-Watts Rebellion era created dolls which reflected positive role models, cultural figures, and everyday life for children of color to enjoy. Other collections include Johann Hassan’s collection of stamps featuring important African-American historical, social, and cultural figures and Gilda Byers’ flyers/documentation of her work in LA’s reggae music scene in the 1980s and 1990s.
A full gallery will be dedicated to the debut of a large collection documenting the past, present, and future of the work of Community Services Unlimited, beginning with the Free Breakfast for Children Program of the Southern California chapter of the Black Panther Party through to their recent purchase of the Paul Robeson Center on South Vermont with plans to transform it into an organic produce market for the community. A take-one, leave-one bookshelf will enable exhibition guests to add to The Miracle Bookmobile, a donation-driven project which activates the public redistribution of literature and ideas.
West Adams Collectors Club:
Collecting, Archiving & Exhibiting Your Own Cultural History
October 3-November 21, 2015
Exhibit Opening: Saturday, October 3, 3-6pm
Concert By Marcus L. Miller Freedom Jazz Movement
Free Books from The Miracle Bookmobile – Bring A Book to Donate, Too!
Cobblers and macaroons from Sweet Beginnings
Related Exhibit Programming and Events:
10/10 and 10/24 – Exhibit Walk-Throughs, 2pm
Learn from community contributors about their collections in their own words.
10/31 – Community Services Unlimited (CSU) Archive Launch, 12-3pm
An event to launch Sankofa, a multi-media, multi-discipline project looking at CSU’s current work through the lens of their history; the event will feature music, speakers including NBA player-turned-farmer Will Allen, archive tours, information about their local gardening and produce programs, and more.
11/14 – Grassroots Archive Fair, 1-4pm
Tables from other archive projects and resources for those interested in getting started on building their own personal archives.
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