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35-490: The mural was inspired by Griesedieck's work as a painter documenting Americans at work, as well as by the collaborative aspects used in the creation of the Watts Towers . It is considered to be the largest indoor collaborative artwork in the world, with more than 15,000 students and adults across the country contributing to its creation with Griesedieck. The mural is viewable from the 5,000-square-foot ground floor and via

70-488: A makeshift vise . Other items came from alongside the Pacific Electric Railway right-of-way between Watts and Wilmington . Rodia often walked the right-of-way all the way to Wilmington in search of material, a distance of nearly 20 miles (32 km). In the summer of 1954, Rodia suffered a mild stroke. Shortly after the stroke, he fell off a tower from a low height. In 1955, Rodia gave his property to

105-456: A neighbor and left, reportedly tired of battling with the City of Los Angeles for permits, and because he understood the possible consequences of his aging and being alone. He also mentioned that the towers were frequently vandalized by neighbors. He moved to Martinez, California , to be with his sister. He remained there for the next eleven years until his death in 1965. Rodia's bungalow inside

140-403: A period of 33 years from 1921 to 1954. The tallest of the towers is 99.5 feet (30.3 m). The work is an example of outsider art (or Art Brut) and Italian-American naïve art . The Watts Towers were designated a National Historic Landmark and a California Historical Landmark in 1990. They are also a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument , and one of nine folk art sites listed in

175-459: A tribute to his adopted country and a monument to the spirit of individuals who make their dreams tangible. Rodia's Towers inspired many to rally and preserve his work and protect it for the future. The Los Angeles County Museum of Art mounted a 1962 photographic exhibition, Simon Rodia’s Towers in Watts: A Photographic Exhibition , which was the first museum exhibition on the art or Simon Rodia and

210-518: A visit to the towers. In his book White Sands Geoff Dyer writes about his visit to the Watts Towers in the chapter "The Ballad of Jimmy Garrison". The short story With Virgil Oddum At The East Pole by an American science fiction writer Harlan Ellison is directly inspired by the Watts Towers and dedicated to the memory of Sabotini Rodia. The story placed first in the 1986 Locus Award for Best Short Story . The Watts Towers Arts Center

245-630: Is an adjacent community arts center. The current facility opened in 1970. Before that, the Center operated under a canopy next to the Towers. The center was built and staffed by the non-profit Committee for Simon Rodia's Towers in Watts. Changing displays of contemporary artworks are on exhibit, and tours of the Watts Towers are conducted by the center. The center's Charles Mingus Youth Arts Center holds art classes, primarily for youth and Special Needs adults from

280-710: Is widely known and accepted that he was referred to as "Sam" by close friends. He appears as Samuel Rodia (and still living in Oakland) in the 1910 U.S. Census, but by the time of the 1920 U.S. Census, he had already become Sam Rodia. His surname has also been misspelled as "Rodella" or "Rodilla". The sculptures' armatures are constructed from steel rebar and Rodia's own concoction of a type of concrete, wrapped with wire mesh. The main supports are embedded with pieces of porcelain , tile, and glass. They are decorated with found objects , including bottles, ceramic tiles, seashells , figurines, mirrors , and other items. Rodia called

315-699: The 1994 Northridge earthquake in the region, with only a few pieces shaken loose. An extensive restoration project by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art began in 2017. The site re-opened in November 2022 when the work was finished. California Historic Landmark Marker on the site reads: NO. 993 WATTS TOWERS OF SIMON RODIA – The Watts Towers are perhaps the nation's best known work of folk art sculpture. Using simple hand tools, cast off materials (glass, shell, pottery pieces and broken tile) Italian immigrant Simon Rodia spent 30 years building

350-612: The Los Angeles County Museum of Art received a grant from the James Irvine Foundation to scientifically assess and report on the condition of the Watts Towers, to continue to preserve the undisturbed structural integrity and composition of the aging works of art. Weather and moisture caused pieces of tile and glass to become loose on the towers, which are conserved for reattachment in the ongoing restoration work. The structures suffered little from

385-821: The National Register of Historic Places listings in 1985. Watts Towers The Watts Towers , Towers of Simon Rodia , or Nuestro Pueblo ("our town" in Spanish ) are a collection of 17 interconnected sculptural towers, architectural structures, and individual sculptural features and mosaics within the site of the artist's original residential property in Watts, Los Angeles , California, United States. The entire site of towers, structures, sculptures, pavement and walls were designed and built solely by Sabato ("Simon" or "Sam") Rodia (1879 or 1886 to 1965), an Italian immigrant construction worker and tile mason, over

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420-949: The National Register of Historic Places in Los Angeles . The Watts Towers of Simon Rodia State Historic Park encompasses the Watts Towers site. Sabato ("Simon" or "Sam") Rodia (12 February, 1878 – July 17, 1965) was born and raised in Serino , Italy . In 1895, aged fifteen, he emigrated to the United States with his brother. Rodia lived in Pennsylvania until his brother died in a mining incident. He then moved to Seattle, Washington , where he married Lucia Ucci in 1902. They soon moved to Oakland , where Rodia's three children were born. Following his divorce around 1909, he moved to Long Beach and worked in construction and other odd jobs before finally settling in Watts in 1920. Among

455-823: The 3,000-square-foot second- and third-level platforms. AMP opened in June 2022. In 2023, the organization began hosting live music and arts events, as well as art exhibits. AMP also offers education programs year-round centered on the themes of work and collaboration. The three-dimensional mural depicts people at work. Professions include construction, printing, military, mechanics, aviation, medicine, smelting, mining, entertainment, transportation, fishing, glass blowing, music, law enforcement, firefighting, ironwork, aerospace, stone cutting, farming, automotive, education, communications, literature, agriculture, and electronics. Some professions and worker depictions are literal and others are implied. Some professions are honored and symbolized by

490-425: The Towers "Nuestro Pueblo" ("our town" in Spanish ). He built them with no special equipment or predetermined design, working alone with hand tools. Neighborhood children brought pieces of broken pottery to Rodia, and he also used damaged pieces from Malibu Potteries and CALCO ( California Clay Products Company ). Green glass includes recognizable soft drink bottles from the 1930s through the 1950s, some still bearing

525-518: The U.S. Winsted Hosiery Mill The Winsted Hosiery Mill , also known as the Whiting Mill , is an industrial complex at 210 Holabird Avenue in the Winsted section of Winchester, Connecticut . Developed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it was one of the largest industrial employers in the community for many years, and is relatively unaltered from its period of development. It

560-540: The Underdog , writing about his childhood fascination with Rodia and his work. There is also a reference to the work in Don DeLillo 's novel Underworld . California-based poet Robert Duncan featured Rodia's Towers in his 1959 poem, "Nel Mezzo del Cammin di Nostra Vita," as an example of democratic art that is free of church/state power structures. In her 1974 book, Eve's Hollywood , Eve Babitz describes

595-586: The company embarked on a ten-year construction program that resulted in the present complex. The company experienced significant growth until about 1935, and saw declining employment during World War II . In the 1950s it shifted to the production of woolen garments. In 1965 the company, then known as the Winchester Spinning Company, moved its operations to more modern facilities in North Carolina . The Winsted Hosiery Mill complex

630-516: The enclosure burned down as a result of an accident on the Fourth of July 1956, and the City of Los Angeles condemned the structure and ordered it all to be destroyed. Actor Nicholas King and film editor William Cartwright visited the site in 1959, and purchased the property from Rodia's neighbor for $ 2,000 in order to preserve it. The city's decision to pursue expediting the demolition was still in force. The towers had already become famous and there

665-477: The exterior of the mill buildings are ongoing. The second mill building, which has not been renovated, will house the visitor and education center. Winsted was one of the first mill towns in Connecticut and one of the largest industrial employers in the late 1800s and early 1900s. In addition to being a manufacturing center for more than twenty factories for scythes, clocks, hardware, and electrical appliances,

700-491: The five-story mural, began in 2017. The process of assembling and installing the mural started in 2019 and still continues, with approximately 95 percent of the installation complete. AMP opened its doors to the public with regular hours in June 2022. On-site education programs now include school programs and field trips, summer enrichment camps, after-school activities, internships, and professional development workshops. Programs and art activities are also offered Renovations to

735-502: The former logos of 7 Up , Squirt , Bubble Up , and Canada Dry ; blue glass appears to be from milk of magnesia bottles. Their structural design and placement near the builder's home are strongly reminiscent of the gigli ("lillies") towers which feature in an annual festival to St. Paulinus in Nola , Italy, with which he was probably familiar. Rodia bent much of the Towers' framework from scrap rebar, using nearby railroad tracks as

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770-465: The local community and surrounding cities. Partnerships with CalArts and Sony Pictures provide media arts and piano classes. The Day of the Drum and Jazz Festival occurs annually on the last weekend of every September. It includes arts and craft booths and live music. Watts Towers Crescent Greenway is a 0.2 mile rail with trail bike–pedestrian path next to the Towers. It is the shortest open rail-trail in

805-418: The materials used to create the mural. Other professions are represented by names or donated items. The mural is primarily composed of paintings created by Griesedieck, with other multimedia pieces created from artistic materials attached to sections of the mural. Griesedieck created most of the three-dimensional elements, and students and other participants across the country constructed others. The sections of

840-495: The model for future collaborative projects in additional states. To date, Griesedieck and her team have traveled to 17 states to create elements of the mural, with the goal to reach all 50 states. Griesedieck is still constructing and installing sections of the mural. AMP has partnered with schools, nonprofits, and professionals—including NASA , Boeing , Habitat for Humanity , and HealthCorps —on projects that involve people from multiple states. These states are not included in

875-667: The mural displayed in the “Ramp Gallery” (opening anticipated in 2025) include pieces that were created during Griesedieck's travels across the country to work on collaborative projects in each U.S. state. The first collaborative project took place in 2003 at Monument Mountain High School in Great Barrington, Massachusetts . The project involved students from eight rural and urban public and independent schools in Connecticut , Massachusetts , and New York and served as

910-507: The mural exhibit may also enjoy Family Days, lectures, and special presentations. AMP purchased two mill buildings in 2006 on Whiting Street in Winsted, Connecticut, located next to Whiting Mills, a 115,000 square-foot complex that houses fifty studios, craftspeople, and specialty shops. AMP then began offering off-site education programs focused on the theme of work. In 2008, AMP received an EPA Brownfields grant for extensive cleanup of

945-1126: The overall count of 17 collaborative state projects, but the people who worked on these multi-state projects are included in the 15,000 total collaborators. Materials used in the creation of the mural include honeycomb aluminum panels, blown glass, copper, ceramics (two tons of ceramic tile), fabric, muslin, marble (6,480 lbs.), fiberglass, paint, Makrolon (polycarbonate), resin, fishing nets, lobster traps, lawn ornaments, bait bags, wire, shells, driftwood, watches (11,645 total), mesh, spackle, leaves, sand, dirt, bark, pinecones, feathers, plants, seeds, indigo, glue, tongue depressors, markers, photos, drawings, action figures, shoes, jewelry, medals, pencils, wood (128 sq. feet of scrap), and more. As an arts center, AMP offers year-round events, concerts, and education programs for all ages. Past performers include musician Paul Winter , gospel singer Theresa Thomason , and poet Taylor Mali . Education programming includes school field trips, after-school programs, summer arts and innovation programs for children and teenagers, workshops, and professional development for educators. Visitors to

980-613: The projects he is known, or claimed, to have worked on are the UC Berkeley campus, the Eastern Star Home and the Bullocks Wilshire building. Rodia began constructing the Watts Towers in 1921. There has been some question as to what Rodia was called during his lifetime; some sources have cited that his birth name was "Sabatino" and it is disputed as to whether he was called "Simon" during his lifetime. It

1015-440: The property, allowing the next phases of renovation to occur. The State of Connecticut pledged $ 1 Million in matching funds for the renovation of the first of two mill buildings, which AMP obtained after raising the required $ 1.4 Million from local residents, supporters across the country, and businesses. Renovations to the first building, which included raising the roof 25 feet and affixing nearly 120 tons of steel armature to support

1050-553: The river. Five of them are of brick construction, and one is of stone. The stone building, which housed the mill offices, is located at the corner of Holabird and Whiting, with a long and narrow brick building extending to the south. Across Whiting Street is another large building, with smaller structures attached and standing detached nearby. The Winsted Hosiery Company was founded in 1882 by William L. Gilbert, producing hosiery and underwear for men made from cotton-wool blends. Its original mill building burned down in 1900, after which

1085-723: The site independently until 1975 when, for the purpose of guardianship, they partnered with the City of Los Angeles and then with the State of California in 1978. The Towers are operated by the City of Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Department and curated by the Watts Towers Arts Center/Charles Mingus Youth Arts Center, which grew out of the Youth Arts Classes originally established in the house structure. In February 2011,

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1120-440: The towers. Two artist interviews, "Watts Towers Q&A with Dominique Moody" and "Q&A With Artist Alison Saar About Her Connection to Watts Towers," were produced in 2012 by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art as part of its Exhibitions on View series. The Simon Rodia Continuation High School in Watts is named for Simon Rodia. Jazz musician Charles Mingus mentioned Rodia's Towers in his 1971 autobiography Beneath

1155-736: The town was also home to Winsted Hosiery Company . Founded in 1882 and occupying six buildings built in 1900–01 on the east bank of the Still River , the company was the largest hosiery manufacturer in Connecticut by 1936, also making underwear and other knit goods, primarily from wool. In the 1950s, Winsted Hosiery Company shifted to manufacturing wool sweaters and later changed its name to Winchester Spinning Company. The company moved all operations to North Carolina in 1965. AMP occupies two mill buildings that were originally used for shipping, as well as storing scoured bales of wool, primarily from Australia. The Winsted Hosiery mill buildings were added to

1190-404: Was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. It is now subdivided for multiple industrial and commercial tenants. The former Winsted Hosiery Mill complex is located north of Winsted's commercial downtown, on the east side of the Still River and the south side of Holabird Avenue. The complex has six buildings, and is roughly divided in half by Whiting Street, which parallels

1225-558: Was opposition from around the world. King, Cartwright, architects, artists, enthusiasts, academics, and community activists formed the Committee for Simon Rodia's Towers in Watts. The committee negotiated with the city to allow for an engineering test to establish the safety of the structures and avoid their demolition. Tests conducted October 10, 1959, found that the towers were capable of withstanding lateral forces of up to 10,000 pounds. The Committee for Simon Rodia's Towers preserved

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