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Arts & Entertainment

Photos: The Griffith Park Teahouse Installation Has Moved To San Pedro

TeaHouse11.jpg
The first location of the Griffith Park Teahouse in Griffith Park (Photo by Danny Jensen/LAist)

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The charming teahouse that was secretly constructed in Griffith Park last summer has found a new home near the Port of Los Angeles.

The Griffith Park Teahouse was initially installed in the park under the cover of night without permission by an anonymous artist collective—the same group who showered flower petals in a downtown alley earlier this month. And while the small wooden structure had many fans who used it as a place for quiet reflection or to make wishes, as an unsanctioned art installation it also had many detractors who wanted it removed, including the city. Fortunately, the Department of Recreation and Parks and the Department of Cultural Affairs ultimately came to an agreement with the artists to save the structure and relocate it. And now, with the city's blessing, the little treehouse has reappeared on Knoll Hill in San Pedro.

The teahouse took a bit of a road trip earlier today and was installed in the small park that overlooks the Vincent Thomas Bridge and the busy port. It will officially open on Saturday and be there until March 20 before heading elsewhere. And while the new location is more on the up-and-up with the city, the artists seem to be enjoying the official support. "There are moments where doing an art installation legitimately has been really amazing," one of the anonymous artists told the L.A. Times. "We're seeing all of the resources that the city brought to bear to make this happen. But you also see all the inner workings of the interest groups that have to be placated."

As the structure headed to San Pedro on the back of a flatbed, the official Twitter account for the installation hinted at its ultimate destination along the way.

Sponsored message

The teahouse, which still bears the moniker of Griffith Park despite the new digs, will officially open this Saturday. The opening ceremony will take place at at 4 p.m., and feature artists from San Pedro's Machine Community Studios, as well as a sunset concert by the California Fleetwarmers jazz band.

"I think we have always been drawn to these parts of Los Angeles that are so magnificent in scale," one artist tells the Times about why they chose the location. "It's paying attention to parts of the city that aren't always seen by the rest of the urban community."

On March 20 there will be a closing tea ceremony with a performance from the Golden State Pops Orchestra. Visitors are encouraged to bring their own teacup.

Meanwhile, at the original site of the teahouse in Griffith Park, the artists have installed a simple wooden bench constructed from the same salvaged redwoods used for the treehouse. And this time they worked with the parks department to do so.

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