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Artbound

The Art and Science of Preserving the Watts Towers

Deemed outsider art, folk art, and other similarly nondescript and fluid labels, the Watts Towers do not necessarily fit the bill for a standard definition or understanding of art. But no matter what they are called, the Towers remain a cultural jewel of Los Angeles. And within the cracks and structure of these Towers lies an unfolding story and scientific mystery of sorts.

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Season
Giant Robot: Asian Pop Culture and Beyond
56:28
Giant Robot was a bimonthly magazine that profoundly affected Asian American pop culture.
A New Deal for Los Angeles
56:43
WPA projects live on in L.A. Explores what effect a similar program might have today.
Arte Cósmico
56:49
Six Latinx artists in L.A. work to secure their place in American art.
Duchamp Comes To Pasadena
56:59
When Marcel Duchamp came to Pasadena in 1963, he sent ripples down L.A.'s art scene.
Love & Rockets
56:43
A self-published comic book made by brothers from Oxnard, Ca. makes comic book history.
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53:45
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56:55
The Autry Museum is working to recontextualize a large mural, dating from the 1980s.
Desert X 2021
56:34
Site-specific desert art about land ownership, water scarcity and overlooked histories.
Sweet Land: The Making of a Myth
56:39
“Sweet Land” recasts this nation's story through the eyes of immigrants and the Indigenous
Life Centered: The Helen Jean Taylor Story
55:39
Ceramist Helen Jean Taylor crafted timeless works and helped others find peace in clay.
Con Safos
54:35
A tribute to Rubén Funkahuatl Guevara, a Chicano music pioneer.
The sign outside the Watts Towers Art Center | Still from "The Watts Towers Arts Center" ab s11 episode image
57:08
The Watts Towers Arts Center was born out of the resilience of 1960s Black L.A.
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