Noah Purifoy (1917–2004) was an artist that influenced many artists through his innovative use of assemblage and found objects, particularly in the context of the 1965 Watts Rebellion and socially engaged art in Los Angeles. Committed to social change, he worked at Watts Towers Art Center and California Arts Council before creating a 10-acre Outdoor Desert Art Museum of junk sculptures in Joshua Tree during his last 15 years. In 2015, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) staged the first monographic exhibition dedicated to Noah Purifoy since his passing in 2004.<br /><br />The California Arts Council is posthumously honoring Noah Purifoy with a special memorial tribute at their 50th Anniversary Celebration event on April 20, 2026, in Sacramento — recognizing him as one of the original 1976 appointees alongside figures like Ruth Asawa. <br /><br />The Noah Purifoy Foundation aims to preserve Purifoy's heritage. In this video we speak with Joseph S. Lewis III, President of the Foundation and Professor of Art, Claire Trevor School of the Arts, University of California, Irvine, about Noah Purifoy's influence and legacy, how the Noah Purifoy Foundation came about, and the foundation's mission and future plans. <br /><br />Noah Purifoy Foundation / Interview with President Joseph S. Lewis III. Los Angeles, March 7, 2026.
