Three LA Museums to Honor Architect Paul R. Williams
The USC Fisher Museum, the Getty, and LACMA are mounting a coordinated series of exhibitions to celebrate the legacy of Paul R. Williams. Williams was the first Black architect licensed west of the Mississippi and a key figure in shaping Los Angeles' architectural identity. The exhibitions will run through 2027.
- The exhibitions will draw from the Paul R. Williams Archive, which was jointly acquired by the USC School of Architecture and the Getty Research Institute in 2020, featuring many items on public view for the first time. - Williams was posthumously awarded the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Gold Medal in 2017, the highest honor for an architect in the U.S., making him the first Black architect to receive the distinction. - Over his nearly six-decade career, Williams designed more than 3,000 projects, including homes for celebrities like Frank Sinatra, and Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. - His significant commercial and civic projects have left a lasting mark on Los Angeles, including the iconic Theme Building at LAX (as part of the design team), the Beverly Hills Hotel, and the Golden State Mutual Life Insurance Building. - To accommodate white clients who might have been uncomfortable sitting next to a Black man, Williams developed the remarkable skill of drawing his designs upside down from across the table. - The USC Fisher Museum's exhibition will specifically focus on Williams' contributions to modern multifamily housing, highlighting 35 projects from his career. - Beyond his design work, Williams was a civic leader, serving on the first Los Angeles City Planning Commission in 1920 and later on the Federal Advisory Committee on Government Housing Policies and Programs. - A 75-foot mural titled "The Pawn Who Became a King" by artist Patrick Henry Johnson was unveiled in November 2024 as part of the Destination Crenshaw public art project to celebrate Williams' legacy.
