When the Culver Plaza building was recently torn down to make way for , Ed Massey’s 7,000 square foot ‘Syncopation’ mural, which had been in place since 2004, also had to be removed.
, the mural was set to move to its new home at the Westside Neighborhood School in Del Rey. The piece has been in storage until now, and will finally be unveiled in an official ceremony at the school on Sept. 6.
The installation’s 20 feet of stretched canvas encompasses the school’s central administration building and the campus' education facilities.
“[I’m] excited by the idea of Syncopation being in a new and educational environment where it can inspire young people and can be appreciated by campus visitors, the community and passersby alike,” Massey, of Pacific Palisades, said in an official release. “Often when a building is demolished, the artwork is lost forever. In this case, we were able to save it and reuse it in a valuable way.”
Brad Zacuto, head of Westside Neighborhood School said in an official statement he appreciates the fact that Massey’s works are often collaborative and that he lets children take part in their creation.
“Ed Massey’s project-based approach is very closely aligned with how we teach and learn at Westside Neighborhood School,” he said. “We value and appreciate the process as well as the beauty of this artwork. We are honored to have it displayed on our building façade.”
Zacuto added that when the mural is revealed to staff and students on Sept. 6, “everyone present will witness the transformation of the exterior of WNS from a neutral-looking space to a building making a dynamic, bold and bright statement. It is as if the new mural is a reflection of all the creativity and enthusiasm of the students inside the building and among the many creative enterprises in our surrounding community.”
