International Languages Department - Los Angeles Public Library

Kick it in the Library

Celebrate the World Cup coming to Los Angeles with soccer-themed library programs and curated book lists!

Celebra la llegada de la Copa Mundial a Los Ángeles con programas de fútbol en la biblioteca y listas de libros recomendados.

https://www.lapl.org/world-cup?fbclid=IwY2xjawScE_ZleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEePHymAZ2VOHOa9Df3Z1hVlFClBJDT22mGqFED7MeDfrWT9UEc2mcseEm6Ecs_aem_h7BdiYyIBZfJlu8EyJvuaQ

Kick it in the Library | Los Angeles Public Library Celebrate the World Cup coming to Los Angeles with soccer-themed library programs and curated book lists! Celebra la llegada de la Copa Mundial a Los Ángeles con programas de fútbol en la biblioteca y listas de libros recomendados. Current Exhibit World Encounter Over El Arroyo Seco On view May 28...

June Jubilee, Saturday, June 13, 2026, - photos

World Encounter Over El Arroyo Seco

World Encounter over El Arroyo Seco (1994) by the East Los Streetscapers (David Botello and Wayne Healy) hangs in the atrium of the Central Library. The mural is acrylic on canvas and measures roughly 9 feet wide by 24 feet high.

Mural by the East Los Streetscapers entitled World Encounter over El Arroyo Seco, created in 1994 and previously exhibited at the Burbank Airport. It will be on display through 2028.

Mural description
Two soccer players drift into orbit, chasing a ball toward a passing satellite. Below them, the Rose Bowl shrinks into the distance. The East Los Streetscapers (artists David Botello and Wayne Healy) created this dynamic image in 1994 to capture the global excitement of the World Cup when Los Angeles first hosted the games.

Botello and Healy work closely together to plan and paint their murals—sometimes even painting over each other’s work. Their murals are populated by people from diverse backgrounds, reflecting a city where cultures and traditions meet and community flourishes. The curvature of the earth, a form repeated in several of their murals, is a way they suggest our human interconnectedness. Healy’s daytime job as an aerospace engineer in the satellite division for Hughes Aircraft Company also clearly influenced the mural’s themes. And, of the two artists, Healy has the most enthusiasm for soccer. He even played goalie on the Hughes team!

Botello and Healy first met in elementary school in the 1950s and became fast friends, but they were separated when construction of the 710 freeway resulted in the razing of Botello’s family home, forcing his family to move across town. They reconnected as adults in the 1970s and, inspired by the Chicano Mural Movement, formed the East Los Streetscapers. Over nearly fifty years of mural painting, they have worked collaboratively, inviting other artists and hundreds of young people to join them on their many inspiring public art projects.

World Encounter Over El Arroyo Seco | Los Angeles Public Library Enlarge World Encounter over El Arroyo Seco (1994) by the East Los Streetscapers (David Botello and Wayne Healy) hangs in the atrium of the Central Library. The mural is acrylic on canvas and measures roughly 9 feet wide by 24 feet high. Mural by the East Los Streetscapers entitled World Encounter o...

Kick it in the Library

Celebrate the World Cup coming to Los Angeles with soccer-themed library programs and curated book lists!

Celebra la llegada de la Copa Mundial a Los Ángeles con programas de fútbol en la biblioteca y listas de libros recomendados.

Kick it in the Library | Los Angeles Public Library Celebrate the World Cup coming to Los Angeles with soccer-themed library programs and curated book lists! Celebra la llegada de la Copa Mundial a Los Ángeles con programas de fútbol en la biblioteca y listas de libros recomendados. Current Exhibit World Encounter Over El Arroyo Seco On view May 28...

Central Library Soccer Celebration: Mexico vs South Africa, Group A

Date: Thursday, June 11, 2026
Time: 12 noon - 2 p.m.
Location: Central Library, Mark Taper Auditorium

Join us in the Taper Auditorium at Central Library for the Central Soccer Celebration as we screen the FIFA World Cup 26™.

Join us in the comfortable, air-conditioned Taper Auditorium at Central Library for the Central Soccer Celebration as we screen the FIFA World Cup 26™. From June 11 through July 19, 2026, experience the excitement of the world’s largest soccer tournament with matches featuring countries from around the globe. We’ll gather to celebrate the beautiful game and the global community it brings together.

The Taper Auditorium will be transformed into an immersive, stadium-like atmosphere with professional audio and a large high-definition screen for maximum visibility and an unforgettable viewing experience. We are committed to providing a safe, welcoming, and family-friendly environment for all fans. We look forward to seeing you there—let’s cheer on the world together! Please plan ahead, as no food or drink is permitted in the Taper Auditorium.

Central Library Soccer Celebration: Mexico vs South Africa, Group A Join us in the Taper Auditorium at Central Library for the Central Soccer Celebration as we screen the FIFA World Cup 26™. Join us in the comfortable, air-conditioned Taper Auditorium at Central Library for the Central Soccer Celebration as we screen the FIFA World Cup 26™. From June 11 through ...

2026 REAB Traveling Symphony presents: Voices in Harmony: Collective Storytelling & Sound with TeAda Productions

Date: Saturday, May 30, 2026
Time: 1 p.m. - 3 p.m.

Workshop 1: The Community Narrative -- 1-2pm
Join multidisciplinary artists from TeAda Productions for an interactive workshop where audience members become creators through the unique TeAda Methodology. After viewing excerpts from acclaimed works Refugee Nation and Masters of the Currents, participants will engage in a devised ensemble process to build a collective community poem.

Workshop 2: The Symphony of Us -- 2-3pm
Experience the "symphony" of community storytelling in this high-energy, collaborative session led by multidisciplinary facilitators. Participants will explore the process of creating sounds through vocalization, culminating in a facilitated "Sound Jam" where every voice contributes a unique vocal phrase and story as a collective.

This program is made possible by the generous contribution and support of the Los Angeles Public Library Racial Equity Action Board.

https://www.lapl.org/whats-on/events/2026-reab-traveling-symphony-presents%E2%80%A8voices-harmony-collective-storytelling-sound

~ Teens of LA Film Festival 2026 submissions opening soon. ~
https://www.lapl.org/teen-film-festival

AAPI Joy

Saturday, May 16, 2026
11 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Central Library

Celebrate the diversity of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities in Los Angeles at AAPI Joy, a free festival for all ages. Explore the City’s rich AAPI heritage and join us in forging a shared future of acceptance, cooperation, and inspiration with the greater Los Angeles community.

AAPI Joy | Los Angeles Public Library AAPI Joy: AAPI Voices, Then & Now Saturday, May 16, 2026 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. Central Library Celebrate the diversity of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities in Los Angeles at AAPI Joy, a free festival for all ages. Explore the City’s rich AAPI heritage and join us in forg...

Our puzzle enthusiasts, Danny Leung and Jose Luis Silva, completed the 500-piece 'Island of Life' puzzle in under three hours. This beautiful piece was a kind donation from 'Piecing Taiwan into the World', a project by Hsiao-Wen Lo that celebrates Taiwanese culture through art.

AAPI Joy

AAPI Joy: AAPI Voices, Then & Now
Saturday, May 16, 2026
11 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Central Library

Celebrate the diversity of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities in Los Angeles at AAPI Joy, a free festival for all ages. Explore the City’s rich AAPI heritage and join us in forging a shared future of acceptance, cooperation, and inspiration with the greater Los Angeles community.

AAPI Joy | Los Angeles Public Library AAPI Joy: AAPI Voices, Then & Now Saturday, May 16, 2026 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. Central Library Celebrate the diversity of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities in Los Angeles at AAPI Joy, a free festival for all ages. Explore the City’s rich AAPI heritage and join us in forg...