Cal State LA has received a $265,000 grant from the Getty Foundation to process the Compton Communicative Arts Academy (CCAA) archives as part of an effort to expand access to under-documented histories of Black visual arts in Southern California.
The two-year project will focus on cataloging, preserving, and digitizing the collection, which will be available online for research to students and the public through the University Library.
Materials in the archives document the connections between art, community, and social change in Los Angeles’ Black communities from 1968 to 1985.
Previous digitization efforts in 2008 and 2016 made 385 images accessible through the Cal State LA’s Digital Repository. However, the majority of photographic materials have remained unavailable to the public until August of this year.
Azalea Camacho, the head of Special Collections and Archives, said the project’s goal is making the full collection accessible.
“The goal of the project is to expand the existing digital collection by adding approximately 4,406 photographic materials to the digital repository, ensuring comprehensive digital access to the full collection,” Camacho said.
The archives include works by influential Black artists such as Charles Dickson, John Outterbridge, and Elliott Pinkney, and highlight the CCAA’s role in advancing creative expression during a period marked by activism and transformation.
Founded in 1967, the organization provided a platform for Black artists to develop their work and engage with broader social movements, such as the War on Poverty.
Carlos Rodriguez, dean of the University Library at Cal State LA, emphasized the significance of the grant.
“This support [of the grant] affirms the historical and cultural significance of the CCAA Collection and the importance of making this material available to the public,” Rodriguez said.
Camacho said that future plans include a series of public events. These events will be targeted to the local community.
“Develop and implement a series of impactful public programming events in collaboration with community partners,” Camancho said. “These events will showcase the digital collection and engage diverse audiences through exhibitions, workshops, panel discussions, and educational resources highlighting the digital collection.”
Students can view the collection at the University Library by scheduling an appointment, which is available Tuesday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
