Leimert Park is a uniquely vibrant South Los Angeles neighborhood, steeped in creativity, resilience and history. At its heart, Leimert Park Village thrums with life as African drum beats echo through the air on weekend mornings, and colorfully painted storefronts welcome locals and visitors alike. The neighborhood serves as a cornerstone of Black culture and art, and a hub symbolizing the dynamism of the city’s Black population. 

The art community in Leimert Park began to flourish in the late 1960s, when brothers Alonzo and Dale Davis established the Brockman Gallery. This commercial gallery showcased Black art and, from 1967 to 1989, worked with local businesses to increase exposure of the work. The fervent Black culture was also reflected in the Leimert Park theater scene. In 1990, actress Marla Gibbs purchased the Leimert Theater, designed by seminal LA architect Stiles O. Clements, and transformed it into the headquarters for her arts nonprofit, Crossroads Arts Academy. Renamed the Vision Theater by Gibbs, it houses a playhouse and concert hall for Black theatrical performances. The historically significant Spanish colonial revival building was later acquired by the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, and has undergone a two decade renovation period to welcome in the next phase of the Vision; to serve, inform, educate, and entertain the community, while remaining committed to the legacy of Black entertainment.   

Today, Leimert Park remains true to its roots, while evolving alongside the rest of the city. The recent development of the K (Crenshaw) Line and the neighborhood’s official station have affirmed Leimert Park  as a destination in Black Los Angeles. Institutions like Art + Practice continue to enrich the community by offering free access to museum-curated contemporary art, free art programming, and support for art programs for transition-age foster youth and children experiencing displacement.