A Team Building Day Idea: Cultural Tourism in Our Neighborhood
Just before the holidays the workload eased
up enough to schedule a Team Building Field Trip. We explored a world
renowned work of public art, located 4 miles from our offices! We
followed Culture with Cuisine. Next time you visit EventWorks we offer
to take you because it turns out that Watts is hot!
We probably pay more attention to cultural sites as we travel around the world but we have the opportunity to visit a world famous National Historic Landmark blocks away from our offices: Watts Towers. Simon Rodia's master work was the Italian immigrant's labor of love and obsession, 34 years of non-stop construction, done by hand with the help of simple tools and donated materials. Truly inspiring! The Towers have always attracted international visitors but they have recently seen a growing interest from the local art and education scene.
Carolyn Vasi, Production Manager: "Our team of artisans and design artists could really appreciate the unbelievable achievement. Thankfully our docent was very knowledgeable about the practical aspects of the construction and could answer our detailed questions."
Equally impressive is the adjacent Arts Center that featured an activist-art exhibit "50 Years - And We Still Can't Breathe" commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Watts racial unrest, uprising or riots, depending on point of view, at the time. The center is named after Jazz Great Charles Mingus who grew up in Watts and assisted Simon Rodia with the construction.
The arts center offers art and music community programs and produces topnotch drum and jazz music festivals that we hope to attend.
We can't leave the office without looking for a #hipsterfoodie experience. Around the corner from the Watts Towers is the culinary hub of Watts' artist community, the Watts Coffee House. Soul food at its finest - we love the chicken -and-waffles and couldn't get enough of the homemade candied yams.
Just days later, Über chefs Roy Choi and Daniel Patterson celebrated the opening of their new healthy fast food venture: LocoL Watts. The event on Martin Luther King Holiday drew hundreds of fans as well as Hollywood celebrities Lena Dunham and Jon Favreau. Mayor Eric Garcetti came for lunch.
We'd love to take you!
Warm regards,
Janet
We probably pay more attention to cultural sites as we travel around the world but we have the opportunity to visit a world famous National Historic Landmark blocks away from our offices: Watts Towers. Simon Rodia's master work was the Italian immigrant's labor of love and obsession, 34 years of non-stop construction, done by hand with the help of simple tools and donated materials. Truly inspiring! The Towers have always attracted international visitors but they have recently seen a growing interest from the local art and education scene.
Carolyn Vasi, Production Manager: "Our team of artisans and design artists could really appreciate the unbelievable achievement. Thankfully our docent was very knowledgeable about the practical aspects of the construction and could answer our detailed questions."
Equally impressive is the adjacent Arts Center that featured an activist-art exhibit "50 Years - And We Still Can't Breathe" commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Watts racial unrest, uprising or riots, depending on point of view, at the time. The center is named after Jazz Great Charles Mingus who grew up in Watts and assisted Simon Rodia with the construction.
The arts center offers art and music community programs and produces topnotch drum and jazz music festivals that we hope to attend.
We can't leave the office without looking for a #hipsterfoodie experience. Around the corner from the Watts Towers is the culinary hub of Watts' artist community, the Watts Coffee House. Soul food at its finest - we love the chicken -and-waffles and couldn't get enough of the homemade candied yams.
Just days later, Über chefs Roy Choi and Daniel Patterson celebrated the opening of their new healthy fast food venture: LocoL Watts. The event on Martin Luther King Holiday drew hundreds of fans as well as Hollywood celebrities Lena Dunham and Jon Favreau. Mayor Eric Garcetti came for lunch.
We'd love to take you!
Warm regards,
Janet
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