The Skirball Cultural Center will present its inaugural public art installation in the City of West Hollywood from June 15 to October 1, 2023. The art and activism initiative, titled “Be the Change: A Jewishly Inspired Public Art Movement,” draws inspiration from the pursuit of justice, a core value in Jewish life. Originating from the Jewish Arts Collaborative (J Arts) in Boston, Massachusetts, the project has been adapted by the Skirball to create site-specific works for Southern California.
As the producer of “Be the Change” in Southern California, the Skirball has partnered with five community organizations to collaborate with a diverse group of artists. Together, they have created artworks that shed light on issues of injustice and motivate community members to take action. The participating organizations, artists, and themes include:
- Holocaust Museum LA and an eleventh-grade world history class at Whittier High School, exploring the concept of tzedakah (charitable giving).
- LA vs. Hate and interdisciplinary visual artist River T. Garza, focusing on indigenous communities.
- Nature Nexus Institute and several artists, such as Azul Calderon, Diandra Dillon, Akari Johnston, Joanna Ruacho, Stacey Vigallon, and Brian Young, addressing environmental justice.
- Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles, artist and educator Marni Gittleman, and graffiti artist Bobby Z. Rodriguez, examining tikkun olam (heal the world).
- Pico Union Project and whimsical artist Mr. B Baby, highlighting the housing crisis. Additionally, the Skirball has partnered with self-taught American Lebanese artist Alex Ahmad Abli to explore the intersection of religion and social justice.
The artworks, designed to resemble large tzedakah boxes traditionally used to collect money for charity, will be displayed at the City of West Hollywood’s Plummer Park. This location was chosen due to its vibrant community of immigrants, particularly those who speak Russian and are of Jewish heritage. The intention behind “Be the Change” is to transform the tzedakah box into a sculptural symbol that can inspire change within the community.
The Skirball Cultural Center’s commitment to pursuing justice aligns with the core Jewish values that underpin its programming. Partnering with J Arts to bring “Be the Change” to Southern California has provided an opportunity for the Skirball to actively embody these values. The initiative strengthens the center’s relationships with community organizations across Los Angeles, amplifies the role of artists in raising awareness about complex social justice issues, and supports the efforts of the City of West Hollywood and the Skirball to engage a broad audience.
Against the backdrop of increasing antisemitism and hate crimes nationwide, “Be the Change” offers a unique opportunity for unity and exploration of challenging issues through beautiful and inclusive means.
In conjunction with the public art installation, the Skirball and its partners will host a community celebration and a panel discussion to delve further into the social justice themes represented by the six tzedakah boxes. The panel will feature representatives from the partner organizations, artists, and experts in the field. Additional information about these events can be found on the Skirball’s website.
The realization of “Be the Change: A Jewishly Inspired Public Art Movement” and its related programs at the Skirball Cultural Center has been made possible through the generous support of Marcie and Cliff Goldstein. Serving as the lead producer, the Jewish Arts Collaborative has brought this project to cities including Boston, Cincinnati, and now Los Angeles/West Hollywood, with plans to expand to additional locations.
The City of West Hollywood’s Arts Division offers a wide range of arts programs, including public art installations, grants, theater performances, exhibitions, and more. For detailed information about the city’s arts programming, visit their website.
For inquiries regarding “Be the Change: A Jewishly Inspired Public Art Movement,” please contact Marcus Mitchell, the City of West Hollywood’s Public Art Administrator, via email at mmitchell@weho.org or by phone at (323) 848-3122. For individuals who are Deaf or hard of hearing, please use TTY at (323) 848-6496.
To stay updated on news and events from the City of West Hollywood, follow @wehocity on social media, subscribe to their email updates, and refer to their calendar of meetings and events on their website. City Hall services can be accessed by phone at (323) 848-6400 or through the official website. To receive text message updates from the city, text “WeHo” to (323) 848-5000.
Reporters and members of the media seeking additional information about the City of West Hollywood can reach out to the Public Information Officer, Sheri A. Lunn, at (323) 848-6391 or slunn@weho.org.
A “Jewishly Inspired Public Art Movement”….somehow this just seems off.
This is so wrong. There are like 10,000 religions in the world. To be fair to all, the City needs to have art exhibits from either every single one of the 10,000 religions, or none of them. Non-Jews might be offended by public exhibits of Jewish symbols, like tzedakah boxes of Star of David, non-Christians might be offended by symbols like a crucifix etc. Would you like 20,000 more examples of who might be offended? This whole idea is so offensive to me. I would guess this is Sepi pandering as usual, rather than figuring out how to rid the… Read more »
You’re offended by religion, high wages, poor people, the city council etc…
Damn, how do you have so much energy to be offended all the time?!
Thots and prayers.
Actually, what offends me more than any of that are people who aren’t as smart as they think they are.
You’re a mean one, Mr. Grinch. According to your oversensitive edicts, we’ll have to ditch any city-wide Christmas themed decorations this winter.
I admit I’m the meanest person in Weho, and would be the first to happily do a mass Ellis Act eviction, like currently being done at the Barrington Plaza in West L.A., but XMAS decorations are fine, as long as no crucifixes, no displays of religious people. Snowpersons, reindeer, carolers, Santa Claus etc. are all ok, and especially ok would be a tribute to the Grinch himself. But the City would probably have to give equal time to all 10,000 other religions, but a lot more leeway when the overtly religions nonsense isn’t involved.
I think you need a visit from Christmas past and future.
Maybe Weho’s very own anti semite Council Member can stage an anti Israel protest here and continue her struggle against a country and people she knows absolutely nothing about.