The Italian Cultural Institute of Los Angeles cordially invite you to the presentation of the book "Sabato Rodia's Towers in Watts: Art, Migrations, Development".

Edited by Luisa Del Giudice (NY: Fordham University Press, 2014) it represents a tour de force culmination of the last five years of activity around the extraordinary Watts Towers, a National Historic Monument, created over the course of 3 decades by a visionary artist, Italian immigrant laborer, Sam, Simon (born Sabato) Rodia, who wanted to "do something big."

Through international conferences (Univ. di Genova, 2009; UCLA and Watts, 2010), and the Watts Towers Common Ground Initiative, scholars, artists, civic authorities, conservateurs, and others, explored the monument's multiple resonances within local and global migrations, contested social and urban spaces, and the relationship between art and economic development. These new voices, as well as Rodia's own words (transcribed from sound recordings at UCLA Research Library's Special Collections for the first time), return to the mysteries that remain around the man and his artwork: What are they? Why did he build them? Why is a new generation rallying around this icon?

The editor and coordinator of the Initiative, Luisa Del Giudice, will be joined by a few contributors to the volume, Rosie Lee Hooks (Director, Watts Towers Arts Center), Thomas Harrison (Director, UCLA Department of Italian), and Jo Farb Hernandez (Director, S.P.A.C.E.S & Art Gallery, San Jose State University) to share a slide-illustrated book presentation, discussion, and future plans. Followed by book signing and reception.
RSVP rsvp.iicla@esteri.it

Source: http://www.iiclosangeles.esteri.it