We began at Rock Rose Gallery this morning at 10:30. Paula supplied the hot coffee, and once we had a little group assembled, we headed around the corner on foot to the Lummis House.
Charles F. Lummis (1859-1928) is bound to end up in our show somewhere. Author, Editor, Historian, Poet, Librarian...among his many interesting accomplishments, he:
- wrote ten books on the Southwest and California
- founded the Southwest Museum
- was City Editor for the Los Angeles Times
- was director of the Los Angeles Public Library (1905-10)
- "awakened Anglo-Americans to the value of Spanish American culture"
- initiated preservation of the California Missions
- created the slogan "See America First" (truly one of my favorite slogans)
I had never been to this place, and I will return. The gardens are lovingly maintained, and the compound is currently undergoing some city-funded renovations. Perhaps some potential as a performance venue?
There's a Lummis Day Parade and arts festival in Highland Park every June. Something tells me there
will be a Cornerstone float in the next Lummis Day Parade.
After an hour or so, we headed back to the gallery for some more conversation and a few more structured activities: a five senses activity, some list-making about Who's Who in Highland Park, some writing about places on our personal maps of the neighborhood (i.e. Where in Highland Park do you feel most comfortable? Unsafe? Where do important conversations happen?) All of this writing was gathered up, and will be given to playwright Mark Valdez for perusal at his leisure.
On occasion throughout the day, folks would pop into the gallery to say hi to Rosamaria, or wander in off the sidewalk because they were curious about the place. She treats everyone as a guest and a friend, and takes everyone's photo. Rosamaria is a self-declared "incubator," educator and a real community treasure. We are lucky to have her on our team.
We ate pupusas for lunch, brought in from a restaurant just up Fig. Then most of us ventured on foot up toward the Southwest Museum, to see a beautiful mural on Marmion Way that is currently undergoing restoration. It was great to take some walks through the neighborhood today, and put a visual on some of the places and ideas we've been discussing over the past few days.
Our numbers have been small but mighty over the past three days of conversation at Rock Rose. I want to especially acknowledge Rosamaria Marquez for her extraordinary positivity and hospitality.
Other friends, old and new, who joined us for some or all of our time:
Doug Jacobs, theatre artist, co-founder of San Diego Rep, and font of historical info on All Things Highland Park
Jeannette Godoy
Natalie Venegas, of Cafe Vida and Homeboy Industries
Carmela Gomes...another font of history and community connections
Jane (last name?), a local artist
Eben Garces
I'm sure I'm missing some folks. We have names and contact info for everyone who passed through, and we have many, many ideas for folks we need to contact and follow up with as this project moves forward. I won't try to summarize what I learned about HP over the past few days, but I feel it's been a lot. It's a neighborhood with a very vivid history and a churning, changing present that includes some very real tensions. It's a confluence of arroyo, freeway and Gold Line...all rivers rushing through day and night. It's full of artists and folks who are actively working to preserve what they love about their place. One of our recurring themes among our longer-term residents: the newcomers don't say hello, or even look you in the eye when they pass you on the street. Rosamaria and her gallery seem intent, in part, on countering this phenomenon by saying hello to passersby, inviting them inside, having them sign the guest book and taking their photo.
That's it for now. PH
After an hour or so, we headed back to the gallery for some more conversation and a few more structured activities: a five senses activity, some list-making about Who's Who in Highland Park, some writing about places on our personal maps of the neighborhood (i.e. Where in Highland Park do you feel most comfortable? Unsafe? Where do important conversations happen?) All of this writing was gathered up, and will be given to playwright Mark Valdez for perusal at his leisure.
On occasion throughout the day, folks would pop into the gallery to say hi to Rosamaria, or wander in off the sidewalk because they were curious about the place. She treats everyone as a guest and a friend, and takes everyone's photo. Rosamaria is a self-declared "incubator," educator and a real community treasure. We are lucky to have her on our team.
We ate pupusas for lunch, brought in from a restaurant just up Fig. Then most of us ventured on foot up toward the Southwest Museum, to see a beautiful mural on Marmion Way that is currently undergoing restoration. It was great to take some walks through the neighborhood today, and put a visual on some of the places and ideas we've been discussing over the past few days.
Our numbers have been small but mighty over the past three days of conversation at Rock Rose. I want to especially acknowledge Rosamaria Marquez for her extraordinary positivity and hospitality.
Other friends, old and new, who joined us for some or all of our time:
Doug Jacobs, theatre artist, co-founder of San Diego Rep, and font of historical info on All Things Highland Park
Jeannette Godoy
Natalie Venegas, of Cafe Vida and Homeboy Industries
Carmela Gomes...another font of history and community connections
Jane (last name?), a local artist
Eben Garces
I'm sure I'm missing some folks. We have names and contact info for everyone who passed through, and we have many, many ideas for folks we need to contact and follow up with as this project moves forward. I won't try to summarize what I learned about HP over the past few days, but I feel it's been a lot. It's a neighborhood with a very vivid history and a churning, changing present that includes some very real tensions. It's a confluence of arroyo, freeway and Gold Line...all rivers rushing through day and night. It's full of artists and folks who are actively working to preserve what they love about their place. One of our recurring themes among our longer-term residents: the newcomers don't say hello, or even look you in the eye when they pass you on the street. Rosamaria and her gallery seem intent, in part, on countering this phenomenon by saying hello to passersby, inviting them inside, having them sign the guest book and taking their photo.
That's it for now. PH
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