Belmar History + Art

A Civic Commemoration Project

Belmar History + Art (BH+A) #BelmarHistoryArt

Santa Monica Cultural Affairs has embarked on a collaborative project to commemorate the history of the African American residents and business owners of the Belmar neighborhood, which was formerly situated in the current Civic Center campus. A team has been gathered to develop art and interpretive elements and an educational program centered at the new Civic Center Multipurpose Field, now called Historic Belmar Park.

Artist:

April Banks

Historian:

Dr. Alison Rose Jefferson

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Project Overview

The artwork, interpretive signage, and education plan are informed and inspired by historical research and a public engagement process that aims to shine a light on underrepresented stories of the community, including the legacy of displacement that the site in part represents. The Santa Monica Arts Commission confirmed artist April Banks as designer and lead artist. Banks works with artmaking as “social practice,” a form which puts human engagement and community at the heart of its process. Utilizing themes gathered from the public engagement activities and historical materials about the area, she collaborated with project historian Dr. Alison Rose Jefferson in gathering the stories, reminiscences, and dreams of Santa Monicans and the descendants of those who were displaced from the Field site. This ongoing conversation with community members culminated in an artistic interpretation at the new Historic Belmar Park that commits to social justice, commemorates the site’s history, and celebrates the rich legacy of African American contributions to Santa Monica life. 

Biographies

Events & Programs

Belmar Events

“RE/GENERATION is a series of events for the community. Below is a selection of the milestone events, both in-person and online, that took place during this project, as well as save-the-dates for upcoming events. A listing of events is available below. Leading up to the anticipated spring 2021 installation of the final physical elements of the field there will be other online events including a call for material to be included in the Belmar Time Capsule. Stay tuned!” 

City of Santa Monica Calendar

All events

The Site

Past

This aerial view shows Belmar, one of the first neighborhoods where African Americans settled when they migrated to Santa Monica. The Belmar area thrived with homes, culture and business until it was displaced in the 1950s by eminent domain.

"The City of Santa Monica has the oldest African American settlement of any seaside community in the region which includes their descendants and institutions from the early twentieth century. Seduced by the escapism of the sand and surf resort town, these pioneers came to seek their dream of “El Dorado,” just like the other migrants to the area. They were of the working class group who had faith in the promise of upward mobility." — Dr. Alison Rose Jefferson

Present

The project site, now the City’s newest park is located at 4th Street and Pico Blvd surrounding the new Civic Center Multipurpose Sports Field. The name Historic Belmar Park was approved by Santa Monica City Council on August 27, 2020. As part of the approval of the sports field, the Coastal Commission added a special condition requiring interpretive signage and an educational program that conveys the history of the African-American residents and business owners of the Belmar neighborhood that was formerly located here.

More about the Civic Center Field Project; more about general plans at the Civic Center Campus.

Art Sculpture Rendering

View renderings

Archive

Info

Learn More about the project and further resources below. Contact us if you have a Belmar-related story you’d like to feature in our Archive! 

Biographies

April Banks was raised a vegetarian in the woods of Virginia. She graduated with a Bachelor of Architecture from Hampton University in Virginia in 1996. After migrating west, she obtained a Master of Science in Environmental Design from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena in 1999. She lived in Oakland for 13 years, spent a year living abroad in Colombia, before returning to Los Angeles in 2014. Her unconventional career intertwines the worlds of art, design, architecture and social practice. With years of experience designing exhibitions for museums, she understands the challenge of creating public engagement opportunities. As an artist she has developed a style that is visually enticing and thought provoking. By combining the two she develops artwork and design solutions that are memorable multi-sensory experiences. Learn more about April’s work at aprilbanks.com.

A third-generation Californian, Alison Rose Jefferson, M.H.C. | Ph.D. is a historian and heritage, conservation consultant. Her research interests explore the intersection of American history and the African American experience in California, historical memory, spatial justice, and cultural tourism, with an aim to engage broad audiences through applied history projects in the struggle for social justice. Her new book, Living the California Dream, African American Leisure Sites during the Jim Crow Era (University of Nebraska Press, 2020) examines the local stories of African Americans, including in Santa Monica, who fought for equal access to California’s recreation and relaxation offerings as they contributed to the broader U.S. freedom rights struggle during the nation’s Jim Crow era (1900s to 1960s). Leisure, was not an optional add-on to civil rights, but an essential component of liberty. Her work has garnered attention in KCET-LA programming, the Los Angeles and New York Times newspapers and other media outlets. Learn more about Dr. Jefferson’s work at alisonrosejefferson.com.

Documents

• Civic Field Approval Press Release, March 2019
• Civic Field Groundbreaking Press Release, August 2019
• BH+A Launch Seascape Article, December 2019
• Belmar project Press Release, December 2019
• Email Newsletter, January 2020
• April Banks selection Blog Post, February 2020
• Email Newsletter, February 2020
• Belmar design Press Release, July 2020
• Email Newsletter, March 2020
• Historic Belmar Park naming Press Release, August 2020
• Update from Andy Agle, City of Santa Monica Community Services Director, about completion Blog Post, November 2020

Press

• The Argonaut, "Stories and Sweet Tea" Feb 26, 2020 by Stephanie Bell
• Santa Monica Daily Press, "Sculpture Designs Approved and Revealed" July 18, 2020 by Brennon Dixson
• KCET, Three Major Projects Chronicle Histories and Displacement of African Americans in Santa Monica, October 21, 2020 by Nadra Nittle

Other Resources

• Santa Monica Public Library Digital Image Archives and Marcus O. Tucker Collection
• Quinn Research Center
• Alfred T. Quinn collection at UCLA Libraries
• Culture Mapping 90404 - 18th Street Art Center
• “White Wash” (film)
• “Walking on Water: A Brief History of Black Surfers” (film)
• Flamming, Douglas. Bound For Freedom: Black Los Angeles in Jim Crow American. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 2005.
• Hayden, Dolores. Power of Place, Urban Landscapes as Public History. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1997.
• Jefferson, Alison. Living the California Dream: African American Leisure Sites during the Jim Crow Era. Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press, 2020.
• Scott, Paula. Santa Monica: A History on the Edge. Charleston, South Carolina: Arcadia Publishing, 2004.
• Learn more about the City of Santa Monica’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion initiatives