Three LA museums take a new look at architect Paul R. Williams
LACMA opens Paul R. Williams: Architect for Living on Nov. 15, joining shows at USC Fisher and the Getty about the LA-born architect who shaped the city.
By LA This Weekend Team · November 9, 20260 views
LACMA opens Paul R. Williams: Architect for Living on Sunday, Nov. 15, the museum announced. It is one of three exhibitions this season about the Los Angeles native, whom LACMA calls the most prominent Black American architect of his generation. LA Weekly reported that together they are the largest museum presentations of his work to date.
What to know
- The LACMA show in the Resnick Pavilion features never-before-exhibited drawings and photographs from Williams's archive and runs through May 31, 2027, Art Vault reported. Time Out lists it as included in general admission ($25).
- Paul R. Williams: An Architect Considered at the USC Fisher Museum of Art focuses on 31 multifamily housing projects and runs through March 13, 2027, according to Art Vault.
- The Getty Research Institute opens Paul R. Williams: Architecture Across the Color Line on Dec. 15, about how he built with and for Black Los Angeles under segregation, Art Vault reported.
- Williams designed more than 3,000 projects over nearly six decades. He was the first Black architect licensed west of the Mississippi and received the AIA Gold Medal posthumously in 2017, Art Vault reported.
- His work includes modern elements of the Beverly Hills Hotel, and he was part of the team behind LAX's Theme Building, Time Out reported.
Our take
You have almost certainly driven past a Paul Williams building without knowing it. These shows tell a fuller story than "architect to the stars," including the housing and churches he built for everyday Angelenos. It is a good excuse to see LA with new eyes, then go look at the real buildings. Which Paul Williams building is your favorite?
Sources
- LACMA Unframed: This Week at LACMA
- LA Weekly: LACMA celebrates architect Paul R. Williams
- Art Vault: Three Los Angeles exhibitions reframe Paul R. Williams
- Time Out: Paul R. Williams: Architect for Living
File photo: the Golden State Mutual Life Insurance Building in West Adams, designed by Paul R. Williams, by Downtowngal, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
What do you think? Tell us in the comments below, or post about it on the community board.
LA This Weekend Team