Red roses from the Rose River Memorial honor the lives lost to coronavirus. (Courtesy of Rose River Memorial)ORANGE COUNTY, CA — It’s time to grieve, artist Marcos Lutyens explains. It started with just a few handmade, red felt roses, but the Rose River Memorial has now grown to signify the thousands who have died in the coronavirus pandemic. Each rose represents a life, a loved one lost to coronavirus on Los Angeles’ Westside. Each rose symbolizes a memory and tribute behind a heartbreaking loss.Find out what’s happening in Newport Beach-Corona Del Marwith free, real-time updates from Patch.Let’s go!The installation will be featured on March 1 at the Orange County Museum of Art, 1661 W Sunflower Ave., Santa Ana.
(Courtesy of Rose River Memorial) Lutyens created the memorial, which is now featured at Building Bridges Art Exchange, 2525 Michigan Ave., Santa Monica. It’s part of Santa Monica’s Art of Recovery project, which since November has given local artists the opportunity to create public art addressing either economic recovery, community connectedness and restorative justice, or public health and safety. Find out what’s happening in Newport Beach-Corona Del Marwith free, real-time updates from Patch.Let’s go!The piece will contribute towards a countywide memorial in spring or summer, and in March 2022, the roses from the Westside will join a nationwide memorial to honor people who have died during the COVID-19 pandemic across the U.S.
“Projections predict up to 500,000 U.S. deaths, so we still have a huge number of roses to make,” Lutyens told Patch. “Some roses come with special stories included about COVID loss.”
The installation on the wall of Building Bridges reflects all the coronavirus deaths on the Westside of Los Angeles. (Courtesy of Rose River Memorial) The project has evolved throughout the pandemic, traveling throughout the city, at the beach, and the Hollywood Forever Cemetary. “The project brings together the local community that has suffered so much through the COVID crisis here on the Westside,” Lutyens said. “This includes a collaboration with Marisa Caichiolo and Petra Eiko of our partner Building Bridges Art Exchange, several galleries at Bergamot Station, and with the generous support of the City of Santa Monica Art of Recovery program,” Lutyens said. “We all need to come together and this gives a unique opportunity for the community to do so in order to honor the local COVID victims and their families, and through grieving, we can all move forwards towards a brighter future.” (Courtesy of Rose River Memorial) In 2020, the artist started making kits to handout at Bergamot Station to about 50 people who contributed the roses. The COVID-19 death toll at the time of the opening was 414 in the area, Lutyens said. It ballooned to 580 in just three weeks, as more community members continue creating roses each day.
(Courtesy of Rose River Memorial) Local Girl Scout groups and the Ocean Charter School, thanks to Carolyn Freyer-Jones of The Friday Minute, have also begun creating the roses. Other Westside galleries and partners also plan to feature and participate in the Rose River Memorial, including City Garage, Robert Berman Gallery, Rose Gallery, BG Gallery, Craig Krull Gallery, Lois Lambert Gallery, William Turner Gallery, Santa Monica Auction and Copro Gallery. You can make an appointment to visit the Rose River Memorial at Building Bridges Art Exchange via the website. Volunteers and roses are still needed. It takes only a few minutes and the free kits are available online. Don’t miss local and statewide news about coronavirus developments and precautions. Sign up for Patch alerts and daily newsletters.
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