Statue of Junípero Serra (Los Angeles)
A statue of Junípero Serra (sometimes called Father Junipero Serra or Fra Junipero Serra)[1] was installed in a portion of El Pueblo de Los Ángeles Historical Monument informally known as Father Serra Park in Los Angeles, California.
Statue of Junípero Serra | |
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![]() The statue in 2014 | |
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Artist | Ettore Cadorin (replica) |
Year | 1932 |
Medium |
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Subject | Junípero Serra |
Condition | In storage |
Location | Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
34.0562°N 118.2383°W |
Description
Located between the Santa Ana Freeway and the city's Chinatown district, the bronze sculpture of Junípero Serra, a replica of the one completed by Ettore Cadorin for the National Statuary Hall Collection in 1930, measures approximately 8' 9" × 2' 2" × 2' 4", and rests on a concrete base that measures approximately 5' 8" × 3' 8" × 3' 8".[1]
History
The memorial was installed in 1932.[2] Some 4,000 people came for the occasion.[3]
The artwork was surveyed by the Smithsonian Institution's "Save Outdoor Sculpture!" program in 1994.[1]
Removal
The statue was toppled by a group consisting of members from the Tongva and Tataviam Tribal Nations[4] and Native/Indigenous activists[5] in solidarity with the George Floyd protests in June 2020.[6]
The City of Los Angeles deemed the removal an act of civil disobedience. On June 30, 2020, the city introduced a motion to address controversial statues, plaques and other symbolic honorifics.[7] The park will be renamed by the Board of Recreation and Parks Commissioners in collaboration with local tribal communities.[8]
See also
References
- "Fra Junipero Serra, (sculpture)". Smithsonian Institution. Archived from the original on July 12, 2020. Retrieved July 12, 2020.
- Miranda, Carolina A. (2020-06-21). "At Los Angeles toppling of Junipero Serra statue, activists want full history told". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 2020-06-26. Retrieved 2020-06-27.
- Meares, Hadley (2020-11-12). "What Do We Do With LA's Junipero Serra Statues?". LAist. Archived from the original on 2021-11-05. Retrieved 2022-03-24.
- Licas, Eric. "Protesters in L.A. topple statue of Junipero Serra, who helped colonize California". LA Daily News. Archived from the original on 2020-07-18. Retrieved 2020-07-12.
- Pollack, Gina. "Activists Tore Down A Statue Of Junipero Serra In Solidarity With Black Lives Matter". LAist. Archived from the original on 2020-06-30. Retrieved 2020-07-12.
- KABC (2020-06-21). "Demonstrators topple statue of Junipero Serra, who helped found missions in California, in DTLA". ABC7 Los Angeles. Archived from the original on 2020-06-21. Retrieved 2020-06-23.
- City of Los Angeles. "Council File: 20-0871" (PDF). LA City. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2020-07-14. Retrieved 2020-07-12.
- Wick, Julia (2021-10-11). "'We're sorry': L.A. moves to make amends for wrongs committed against Indigenous people". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 2021-10-12. Retrieved 2021-10-13.
External links
- Activists topple statue of Junipero Serra in Downtown Los Angeles on YouTube
- Junipero Serra Statue In LA Comes Down on YouTube