It is one of the most vivid examples of efforts by major arts organizations across the country to bring youth education programs out into communities, rather than concentrating them in city centers or urban arts districts.
For Inglewood, the new YOLA Center is a notable addition to what has been a transformative wave of stadium and arena construction, which has spurred a wave of commercial and housing development.
— The New York Times
The Beckmen YOLA Center opened in October on the site of a former Burger King restaurant as the latest iteration of a wave of high-profile projects tied to a larger plan being pursued by Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts Jr. which are reshaping the community of 109,000 in spite of advocates’ criticism that similar developments are fueling a wave of gentrification.
For his part, Butts Jr. says the satellite venue, which is as much the vision of Gehry as it is of LA Philharmonic director Gustavo Dudamel, provides a balance in an area known to outsiders for its sports stadiums and past economic woes.
“We’ve never been known for cultural enrichment,” he told The New York Times. “That is why this is so important to us. What’s happening now is a rounding out of society and culture: we will no longer be known for just sports and entertainment.”
1 Comment
Wow, this is the first Gehry project I've liked since Bilbao.
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