Barnsdall Art Park
The park is centered on Barnsdall's Hollyhock House designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright, a city and national landmark and World Heritage Site.
The site's previous owner, Aline Barnsdall, was an oil heiress from Pennsylvania who had wanted to develop an arts and live-theater complex.
[10] Despite being close to streetcar routes, Olive Hill was not appealing to developers because it was not near either Downtown Los Angeles or central Hollywood.
[8][9] At the time of Barnsdall's purchase, the olive trees were planted 18 to 20 feet (5.5 to 6.1 m) apart on a grid, and the hill was accessed by two roads from the southeast and northeast.
[16] Plans for the estate were modified in 1920 to include an apartment house, a building with artists' studios and shops, additional residences, and a cinema.
[25] Despite local groups' attempts to buy the rest of Olive Hill,[26] Barnsdall sold some land to a syndicate for $2 million in February 1924;[27] the sale was finalized in May.
[38][39] The donation included 2 acres (0.81 ha) of land, and Barnsdall planned to spend $200,000 erecting a community art theater nearby.
[43] In February 1931, Barnsdall offered to donate another 9.12 acres (3.69 ha) at the outer edge of the park to the city of Los Angeles, which would lease it for eight years with an option to buy it for $2 million.
[45] Local residents objected, citing the fact that they would pay more taxes,[46] and veterans' groups criticized the move because they thought Barnsdall's donation prevented the erection of war monuments.
[49] Lloyd Wright designed a 400-seat children's theater and wading pool on the newly acquired land, which would replace the Little Lattice Playhouse.
[57] Barnsdall sued the California Art Club in February 1938 in an attempt to take back ownership of Hollyhock House,[58] though she agreed that October to postpone the lawsuit indefinitely.
[60] A judge ruled in 1941 that Barnsdall could take back ownership of Residence B, while the city of Los Angeles could keep the remainder of the Olive Hill estate, including Hollyhock House.
[71] In addition, Barnsdall's friend Dorothy Clune Murray offered to buy 23 acres (9.3 ha) around Olive Hill and donate it to the city.
[74] The southwest corner of the park, at Edgemont Street and Sunset Boulevard, was sold for $200,000 in 1951; the buyers wished to redevelop the site into a hospital.
[85] During that decade, the Associates for the Municipal Art Gallery was established to host social events at Barnsdall Park and Hollyhock House.
[79][87] This master plan, designed by Hunter & Benedict and Kahn, Farrell & Associates, called for nine new buildings, which were to be built in four phases.
[94] In 1985, a task force recommended that mayor Tom Bradley form a committee to devise plans for Barnsdall Park's future.
[96] At the time, the park's relatively isolated location made it a frequent hangout for vagrants, and many visitors came from afar because Angelenos tended to ignore it.
As part of the project, the LACMTA proposed acquiring an adjacent car wash and replacing it with an improved entrance to Barnsdall Park.
[102] After the 1994 Northridge earthquake, the city government hired the landscape architect Peter Walker and local preservationist Brenda Levin to design a master plan for the park and Hollyhock House.
[124] Wright was often absent during the actual construction of Hollyhock House, due to the demands of a major commission, the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo, Japan.
The curatorial focus includes painting, sculpture, photography, architecture, design, video, electronic, performance, and installation works.
The proscenium theater is rented at nominal fees to individuals and organizations for live theatre, dance, music, spoken word, lectures, films, and other events.
The Independent Shakespeare Company (ISC) is an ongoing, free live summer series held on an outdoor stage in the park.
This production returned to Los Angeles as part of Free Shakespeare in Barnsdall Art Park 2005, performed in rotation with The Two Gentlemen of Verona and Hamlet.
In 2005, the ISC returned to Barnsdall Art Park with a new production of Hamlet, running in repertory with Richard III and encore performances of The Two Gentlemen of Verona.
A team of professional master musicians present a music program combining academic information with live performance.
The musicians perform their music and then explain how their instruments fit into the rhythm, chord structure, mood, or melody of a piece.
The non-profit organization provides volunteer services with registration and financial assistance by covering programs and classes that the City is unable to fund.
Art instruction held at the center throughout the year includes drawing, painting, film making, printmaking, acting, photography, and sculpture.
