The Wall Changed Me: Celebrating Words and Sounds of the Great Wall of Los Angeles

The Social and Public Art Resource Center (SPARC) cordially invites you to a special Friends of the Great Wall of Los Angeles event celebrating the intersection of poetry and public art through the lens of the Great Wall mural.

We are honored to welcome back Kelly (Watts) Williams, distinguished author and alumna of the Great Wall mural project, for the debut of her new poetry collection. As one of 400 youth artists who contributed to painting the original mural in the Tujunga Wash four decades ago, Williams returns to Los Angeles to launch A Feast for the Hunger We All Have (Goldnook, 2025). This book debut will feature a reading of her poem “The Wall Changed Me,” a powerful reflection on her transformative experience as a young mural maker.

The program showcases a dynamic roster of contemporary voices, including emerging poets Lance Roberts and Aiyana Sha’niel Da’briel, alongside Los Angeles-based slam poet, screenwriter, and producer Dessaline Etienne. Together, these artists will explore the dialogue between visual narrative and spoken word, bringing voice to what many have described as the Great Wall’s visual poetry.

This special evening celebrates both the mural’s enduring legacy and its continued relevance to new generations of artists and activists. We invite you to become a Friend of the Great Wall of Los Angeles. All donations support SPARC’s ongoing mission and the expansion of the Great Wall of Los Angeles mural.

This project was made possible in part with 150th Anniversary Microgrant support from the City of Santa Monica Cultural Affairs. 

Saturday, October 11, 2025
2pm – 4pm
SPARC at Bergamot Station

Admission Free, RSVP here.