The SELA Cultural Center, envisioned by Anthony Rendón and designed by Frank Gehry, seeks to bring world-class arts, local jobs, and cultural pride to Southeast Los Angeles.
Diana Morales laughs, nods, and speaks with conviction.
“We remain committed to building the SELA Cultural Center. It’s not something that’s been forgotten or that we want to abandon. The meetings continue, the discussions continue, and we hope to move forward,” says Diana Morales, executive director of the SELA Arts Foundation.
Though still young, the organization is continuing the work of empowering Southeast Los Angeles to build a long-awaited cultural center.
Former Assemblymember Anthony Rendón has been one of the project’s main champions. Rendón envisioned the early steps of this initiative as a lasting legacy for generations to come. The Southeast Los Angeles (SELA) Cultural Center is planned to be built along the Los Angeles River in South Gate.
Designed by renowned and visionary architect Frank Gehry — who forever transformed downtown Los Angeles with his futuristic Walt Disney Concert Hall — the SELA Cultural Center aims to bring together world-class design, high-caliber arts programming, and a cultural renaissance to a part of the county long overlooked in the arts world.
In 2015, Rendón authored Assembly Bill 539, helping spur revitalization efforts along the lower portion of the Los Angeles River by establishing the Lower Los Angeles River Working Group among Southeast L.A. cities.
That vision remains alive. After completing his final term as assemblymember, Rendón helped create the SELA Arts Foundation to continue fundraising for the project and to nurture artistic talent throughout the region.
“I worked with the former assemblymember for seven and a half years. That’s when I became involved in the project,” Morales says.
“We founded the organization in November 2024. In June 2025, I became its executive director. Rendón serves as president,” she adds.
Though SELA Arts Foundation is still young, its early efforts have been fruitful. The focus has been on taking small, intentional steps — reconnecting with activists, artists, and community leaders who make a difference in Southeast Los Angeles.
“We’re not only looking to support the construction of a center. We want to help prepare the community for jobs and provide ongoing support to the local arts community,” Morales explains.
From that vision came the idea to bring small-scale performances to neighborhood businesses — supporting both local establishments and the artists who perform.
“We can say we’re integrating into this work. Other organizations already share similar goals, but we’re here to add to those efforts,” she says.
That commitment led to a partnership with Irresistible Resistance, a year-long series of pop-up cultural events in small businesses across Los Angeles’ immigrant neighborhoods. The movement emerged in response to immigration raids conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which have severely impacted many local businesses.
The initiative was organized by art curator Ed Patuto as a way to formalize community support.
“When I saw those efforts taking shape, I told myself, ‘I have to bring this to SELA.’ And that’s what we’re doing this Friday at Birriería Barragán — a small Maywood business that has suffered economically because of the raids. We need to work as a community, contributing from wherever we can,” Morales says.
The dreams of this young Latina leader are many. As the daughter of Mexican immigrants, she understands firsthand the challenges her community faces.
“I feel good here. I feel at home working with the community. We cannot stop,” she says.
That same spirit is shared by Rendón.
“That’s one of the things I’m most excited about,” Rendón said of the Center. “Something that’s very much community-driven. We were trying to find out what the community wanted.”
📅 The Event
An evening of poetry, music, great food, and drinks in support of immigrant communities.
Featuring spoken word performances by Xitlalic Guijosa-Osuna and music by DJ Shneaky.
Food by Ryaito Café and Birriería Barragán.
Friday, February 27 | 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Birriería Barragán
6038 Atlantic Blvd, Maywood, CA 90270
Support neighborhood restaurants and bars negatively impacted by deportation raids. Stand with musical and spoken word artists by showing up for the businesses that are the lifeblood of immigrant communities throughout Los Angeles.
