Statue of Junípero Serra (Los Angeles) explained

Statue of Junípero Serra
Italic Title:no
Artist:Ettore Cadorin (replica)
Subject:Junípero Serra
Metric Unit:cm
Imperial Unit:in
Condition:In storage
City:Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Mapframe:yes
Mapframe-Zoom:13

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.

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] A bronze statue by Henry Lion of the Spanish Colonial governor, Felipe de Neve, was also installed in 1932 in the park.[4]

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[5] and Native/Indigenous activists[6] in solidarity with the George Floyd protests in June 2020.[7]

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.[8] The park will be renamed by the Board of Recreation and Parks Commissioners in collaboration with local tribal communities.[9] [10]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Fra Junipero Serra, (sculpture). . . July 12, 2020 . July 12, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200712202020/https://siris-artinventories.si.edu/ipac20/ipac.jsp?&profile=ariall&source=~!siartinventories&uri=full=3100001~!922~!0#focus . live .
  2. News: Miranda. Carolina A.. June 21, 2020. At Los Angeles toppling of Junipero Serra statue, activists want full history told. live. June 27, 2020. Los Angeles Times. en-US. June 26, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200626151008/https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2020-06-20/statue-junipero-serra-monument-protest-activists-take-down-los-angeles.
  3. Web site: Meares . Hadley . November 12, 2020 . What Do We Do With LA's Junipero Serra Statues? . March 24, 2022 . LAist . en . November 5, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211105060313/https://laist.com/news/la-history/what-do-we-with-las-junipero-serra-statues-california-missions-native-american-history . live .
  4. Web site: Early Views of the Los Angeles Plaza . December 8, 2020 . Water and Power Associates.
  5. News: Licas. Eric. Protesters in L.A. topple statue of Junipero Serra, who helped colonize California. July 12, 2020. LA Daily News. July 18, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200718052017/https://www.dailynews.com/2020/06/20/protesters-in-l-a-topple-statue-of-junipero-serra-who-helped-colonize-california/. live.
  6. News: Pollack. Gina. Activists Tore Down A Statue Of Junipero Serra In Solidarity With Black Lives Matter. July 12, 2020. LAist. June 30, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200630090950/https://laist.com/2020/06/20/native_angelenos_tore_down_a_statue_of_junipero_serra_in_solidarity_with_black_lives_matter.php. live.
  7. News: KABC. June 21, 2020. Demonstrators topple statue of Junipero Serra, who helped found missions in California, in DTLA. June 23, 2020. ABC7 Los Angeles. en. June 21, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200621183437/https://abc7.com/6258309/. live.
  8. Web site: City of Los Angeles. Council File: 20-0871. July 12, 2020. July 14, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200714045041/http://clkrep.lacity.org/onlinedocs/2020/20-0871_mot_06-30-2020.pdf. live.
  9. News: Wick. Julia. October 11, 2021. 'We're sorry': L.A. moves to make amends for wrongs committed against Indigenous people. live. October 13, 2021. Los Angeles Times. en-US. October 12, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211012205042/https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-10-11/la-announces-apology-mistreatment-indigenous-people.
  10. News: Jones . Kevin . 2021-10-16 . Los Angeles renames Father Junípero Serra Park, despite Catholic praise for sainted missionary . 2023-06-11 . Angelus News . Multimedia Catholic News . en-US.

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