WORLD-CLASS ARTS ACCESS FOR EVERY DREAM, EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD, AND EVERY GENERATION.

The SELA Cultural Center will be a world-class arts and cultural destination rooted in the heart of Southeast Los Angeles. This project is not about bringing culture to SELA. It is about investing in the talent, stories, and creativity that have always existed here and building the space our communities have long deserved. 

Founded by Speaker Emeritus Anthony Rendon, the State of California has already committed 124 million dollars toward making this vision a reality. The Foundation is now working to raise the remaining funds needed to bring the Center to life. Anthony Rendon has defined his leadership in SELA through a commitment to cultural equity and infrastructure revitalization. He has long challenged the disparity in arts access between affluent coastal communities and the working-class neighborhoods of the Southeast. His approach emphasizes that artistic talent already exists within SELA but lacks the physical "network" and venue space to thrive; thus, his policy work—including his tenure as Chair of the Joint Committee on the Arts—focuses on building the permanent institutions necessary for local artists to lead, collaborate, and showcase their work within their own community.

The Center is designed by world renowned architect Frank Gehry with direct input from the SELA community to reflect the region’s vibrant cultural identity. Planned features include space for visual and performing arts, education and workforce development, community gatherings, and cultural programming. All of these are being shaped by the priorities and aspirations of local residents.


Location

The SELA Cultural Center will span 500,000 square feet on an 8.6 acre site along the eastern bank of the Los Angeles River, at the Rio Hondo Confluence in the City of South Gate.

Learn more!

Colorful logo with the words 'Sela Cultural Center' in decorative fonts.

Project Partners

The SELA Cultural Center is a collaborative undertaking involving the dedicated efforts of Los Angeles County (the County), the San Gabriel and Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountains Conservancy (RMC), in partnership with the California Department of Parks and Recreation (State Parks), and the SELA Arts Foundation.

In 2023, the California Legislature created the SELA Cultural Center Advisory Panel to advise on the vision, design, and governance of the SELA Cultural Center.

Aerial view of a modern urban park with pathways, trees, grassy areas, and contemporary buildings, surrounded by a highway and industrial area.
People gathered outside a modern library building with glass walls and a blue and gray exterior during dusk.
Aerial view of a construction site with modern buildings, a bridge, and surrounding roads in an urban area during daytime
Children and adults in a bright, modern indoor space with high glass ceiling, sitting on wooden benches around a table with food, wearing chef hats, and engaging in a cooking or baking activity.
A top-down view of a large architectural model of a building complex, including green spaces, trees, various white buildings, and outdoor areas with swimming pools.
An outdoor scene with a group of children and adults attending a community event under a modern, metal pergola with string lights. Kids are gathered around a seated musician playing brass instruments, with some children observing and listening. Adult
People walking and biking on a pathway beside an industrial building with a clear blue sky overhead.
Aerial view of a modern architectural complex with various white and glass buildings, green lawns, and surrounding cityscape, taken from a high altitude.
People walking and sitting in an outdoor covered walkway, with children drawing on large paper and artist supplies on the ground, shops with colorful displays on one side.
Inside a modern concert hall with red seats arranged in a semicircular fashion around a stage. People are seated and some are standing, watching a performance or rehearsal. The hall has wooden paneling and a large window at the back letting in natura
Construction crew setting up stage inside modern auditorium with glass walls, wooden seating, and outdoor trees.
People, including children and adults, gathering in an outdoor plaza with modern buildings, some sitting on the ground and engaging in arts and crafts, while others walk or stand, under a clear blue sky with a few clouds.
Night view of a modern wooden building with large glass windows, filled with people inside and outside, some looking at pottery displays on the ground, others walking or taking photos, with string lights overhead
Modern multi-story glass building with people on balconies and stairs, surrounded by children and adults playing and talking outdoors in the evening sky.