WILLIAM GRANT STILL ART CENTER
Community Center for the Cultural Arts in Los Angeles, California.

The William Grant Still Art Center was dedicated in honor of the legacy of American
composer-conductor, Dr. William Grant Still, on March 11, 1978.  The Center's
dedication ceremony was led by City Councilman Dave Cunningham and the
principle speaker was Miriam Matthews, a very dear friend of the Still family and the
first African-American librarian in California. (The Art Center is a 501c3 non-profit
organization and is located at 2520  South  West View  Street in Los Angeles,
California.)

The Art Center focuses on the artistic efforts of the community and has a variety of
programming throughout the year reflecting the multicultural diversity of its neighbor-
hood where Still resided for twenty years.  It has been serving the Westside of
Los Angeles and the 10th City District since its dedication. [Go to the "Friends of
William Grant Still" website at www.fowgs.org/fowgs1 for more information.]

In February 2002, the Office of Cultural Affairs of the City of Los Angeles commission-
ed Noni Olabisi to create a mural for the William Grant Still Art Center that would
express the contributions that William Grant Still made to the world.  Ms. Olabisi
began the Center's mural in December 2002 and completed the project in August
2003. Charles "Boko" Freeman assisted Noni in her creation of the mural.

The stunning mural that Noni Olabisi created effectively tells the story of the 1791
slave rebellion in Haiti which inspired William Grant Still's opera, Troubled Island.
The viewer experiences, dramatically, the pain and suffering of the slaves and the
rise to power of Jean-Jacques Dessalines, leader of the slave revolt.  In the center
of the pictorial saga is William Grant Still, with his spiritual "eye" depicted in the
middle of his forehead, conducting his powerful operatic score which expresses
the need for a new era of interracial understanding, loving-kindness and
God-consciousness on the earth.

Noni Olabisi also created a large-scale canvas version of the mural which is
shown above.

The outer side wall of the William Grant Still Art Center with Noni Olabisi's mural depicting the story of Still's "Troubled Island."

Noni Olabisi's depiction of William Grant Still conducting his powerful operatic score, with his spiritual "eye" in the middle of his forehead, which expresses the need for a new era of interracial understanding, loving-kindness and God-consciousness on the earth.

The depiction of Jean-Jacques Dessalines, leader of the Haitian slave revolt.

Noni Olabisi and Charles Freeman at work on the Troubled Island mural at the William Grant Still Art Center.

Photography by Willie R. Middlebrook.

The museum-quality, canvas rendering of the original Troubled Island mural is in
reduced format measuring 3 ft. height x 13 ft. 4 in. length and painted in acrylic.
All rights reserved by Noni Olabisi.

This canvas rendering of the mural is available for purchase.  Contact
William Grant Still Music for details, (928) 526-9355 or discovermusic@williamgrantstill.com.

[The family of William Grant Still and William Grant Still Music do not receive
any financial benefit from the activities of the William Grant Still Art Center.]