| Woodcrest Library is located in South LA. Through holding community engagement events there, we learned that it is highly valued in the neighborhood as a place of community, learning, and social support. Even so, graffiti is an ongoing issue at the library. We chose to pursue a graffiti abatement strategy based on reprogramming the exterior space of the library as a place to learn, play, and celebrate. The project is about space-making as a means to support and spur future programming.
Both the shade canopy and mural took cues from nature. We studied native flowering plants and butterflies of Southern California, digitizing and abstracting the flower petals and butterfly wings. The butterfly and its transformation from a caterpillar is an inspiring symbol of change. The outdoor plaza at Woodcrest Library has the potential to become a central social space, an outdoor extension of the library, where young minds can be nourished and transformed.
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