Watts Towers
Constructed between 1921 and 1954/55 by Italian immigrant Simon Rodia, the Watts Towers have become an iconic monument to the city.
The collection of seventeen structures, which Rodia himself called Nuestro Pueblo (“our town”), were erected by hand and made of steel rods wrapped in wire mesh and coated with cement. Embedded into nearly every inch of the environment are shards of ceramics, bottles tiles, shells, and other scraps—often brought to Rodia by others in the neighborhood.
Owned by the State of California and managed by the City of Los Angeles, The Watts Towers are a National Historic Landmark and one of the most widely recognized works of art to come out of Southern California in the last century.
LACMA has partnered with the City of Los Angeles’s Department of Cultural Affairs toward the preservation of this landmark work of art. Throughout 2011 LACMA’s Conservation Center will develop a comprehensive plan for the long-term preservation of the Towers.
1st Quarterly Report (PDF | 935kb)
2nd Quarterly Report (PDF | 2.7mb)
3rd Quarterly Report (PDF | 600kb)
The museum will also focus its efforts on raising both funds and awareness around the Towers, including reaching out to other local institutions for their expertise and recommendations in support of LACMA’s efforts.
Image: 2011 © Museum Associates
Funding for the planning phase was made possible by a grant from 
The Towers
Directed by William Hale
We are grateful to be able to share this 1957 film about Watts Towers and Simon Rodia.
Produced by Rembrandt Films, William Hale and Antonio M. Vellano.
Run time: 12 minutes
Remastered 2010 by Over the Moon Productions
Watts Towers Q&A with Artist Dominique Moody
Last year, LACMA began a partnership with the City of Los Angeles’s Department of Cultural Affairs to work toward the long-term preservation of Watts Towers. Lucas Casso, an intern with LACMA’s Department of Curatorial Planning has been conducting interviews with artists and others who have been involved in or influenced by the Towers...
Watts Towers and Los Angeles Artist Mark Steven Greenfield
Mark Steven Greenfield is an artist from Los Angeles who served as the director of the Watts Towers Art Center from 1993 until 2002. Much of his artwork deals with blackface images from the early twentieth century and other purveyors of African American stereotypes. Intern Lucas Casso recently visited him at his home/studio, where he was able to see some of his completed artworks, as well as those in progress, and he sat down with him to discuss the Watts Towers...
