In the continued effort to heal and transform the Watts community and instill a sense of hope and cultural pride, WLCAC’s cultural arts programming has provided a place of expression and fellowship.
“The Center” is the WLCAC’s heart, a seven-acre cultural theme park that houses our interactive community space, exhibition tourism facilities and administrative headquarters. It is here that we engage members of our community of all ages and house the core of our Watts cultural tourism initiative, created to dispel and redefine the misperceptions of our beloved Watts community.
The Center site facility is not only a community cross section and tourist destination, but also a valuable venue for cultural organizations and other agencies to host events, generating valuable revenue to sustain operations.
YOUTH SERVICES
Our children can been seen enjoying the state-of-the-art Kaboom® play space, the recently constructed Skate park or even learning to blow glass and sculpt ceramics, experiences that have already been described by the kids themselves as “life changing”.
Howard Bingham Multimedia Institute
Residents of all ages avail themselves of the recently re-dedicated Howard Bingham Multimedia Institute, which through a partnership with Maxwell House provides access to state of the art multimedia technology to members of our community and helps bridge the digital divide.
Cecil Fergerson Gallery
The Cecil Fergerson Gallery is a gallery space where visitors are engaged by the brilliant and thoughtful expressions of African American life through the painted and photographed mediums.
The Ted Watkins Center for International Communication
35,000 square foot structure housing Phoenix Hall, the 99-seat theatre, Freedom Hall, and The Cecil Fergerson Gallery, commercial kitchen, gift shop, and multimedia laboratories.
The Watts International Marketplace
Open air market housing embroidery, silk-screening, ceramics, fine arts, glass blowing, wood working, and photography studios. Slated for development are a retail restaurant, library, and farmer’s market.
BONES & BLUES
Resident adults avail themselves of our monthly Bones and Blues series where some of the finest musicians in the world come to share their talents on The Center's Phoenix Hall stage the last Friday of each month.
Civil Rights Tour
Thousands of visitors from around the world have come to engage in this unique, three-part experiential tour.
The Mother of Humanity
A main attraction on the site is The "Mother of Humanity". This monument to womanhood is a 16 ½ foot bronze sculpture by artist Nigel Binns and is situated in a beautiful water garden.
Americana: The Hall of Shame
The Hall of Shame includes items from the WLCAC produced exhibit, Americana, an exhibit challenging the unauthorized commoditization of the Black Image.