Statue of Junípero Serra
The statue in 2014
ArtistEttore Cadorin (replica)
Year1932 (1932)
Medium
SubjectJunípero Serra
ConditionIn storage
LocationLos Angeles, California, U.S.
Coordinates34°03′22″N 118°14′18″W / 34.0562°N 118.2383°W / 34.0562; -118.2383

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

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Fra Junipero Serra, (sculpture)". Smithsonian Institution. Archived from the original on July 12, 2020. Retrieved July 12, 2020.
  2. ↑ Miranda, Carolina A. (June 21, 2020). "At Los Angeles toppling of Junipero Serra statue, activists want full history told". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on June 26, 2020. Retrieved June 27, 2020.
  3. ↑ Meares, Hadley (November 12, 2020). "What Do We Do With LA's Junipero Serra Statues?". LAist. Archived from the original on November 5, 2021. Retrieved March 24, 2022.
  4. ↑ "Early Views of the Los Angeles Plaza". Water and Power Associates. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  5. ↑ Licas, Eric. "Protesters in L.A. topple statue of Junipero Serra, who helped colonize California". LA Daily News. Archived from the original on July 18, 2020. Retrieved July 12, 2020.
  6. ↑ Pollack, Gina. "Activists Tore Down A Statue Of Junipero Serra In Solidarity With Black Lives Matter". LAist. Archived from the original on June 30, 2020. Retrieved July 12, 2020.
  7. ↑ KABC (June 21, 2020). "Demonstrators topple statue of Junipero Serra, who helped found missions in California, in DTLA". ABC7 Los Angeles. Archived from the original on June 21, 2020. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
  8. ↑ "Council File: 20-0871" (PDF). City of Los Angeles. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 14, 2020. Retrieved July 12, 2020.
  9. ↑ Wick, Julia (October 11, 2021). "'We're sorry': L.A. moves to make amends for wrongs committed against Indigenous people". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on October 12, 2021. Retrieved October 13, 2021.
  10. ↑ Jones, Kevin (October 16, 2021). "Los Angeles renames Father Junípero Serra Park, despite Catholic praise for sainted missionary". Angelus News. Multimedia Catholic News. Retrieved June 11, 2023.
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