Forest Lawn Celebrates Black History Month
GLENDALE, CA—Forest Lawn will celebrate Black History Month with a free, one-night-only event on Saturday, January 31, 2026, from 4:00-7:30 PM. Forest Lawn, in partnership with producer Charles Lane, will bring African American experiences and culture to life with moving music, dance, and poetry performed by a troupe of singers and dancers and a five-piece band, as well as a keynote speech by Steven Lewis, an award-winning architect and social justice advocate, and an inspiring talk by Zach Andrews, Diversity Apprenticeship Program Director at The Broad. Michael Ellington will narrate the evening’s festivities. A community resource and networking fair with local education, health, housing, and volunteer organizations, along with complimentary refreshments and beverages, will precede the performance.
“Forest Lawn looks forward to our annual Black History Month performance and event each year,” said Rodolfo Saenz, Forest Lawn’s Senior Vice President, Marketing. “The performance brings our community together to celebrate and honor the African American experience through a variety of artistic mediums and forms of expression. The resource fair introduces people to organizations working in our communities, further broadening networks and creating connections.”
Forest Lawn’s Black History Month event takes place on Saturday, January 31, 2026, from 4:00-7:30 PM, inside the Hall of Crucifixion-Resurrection at Forest Lawn–Glendale, 1712 S. Glendale Avenue, Glendale, CA 91205. Doors open at 4:00 PM for the resource fair and pre-show reception with refreshments, music, and prizes, and continues with a 6:00 PM curtain for the performance. Seating is available on a first come, first served basis; standing room only is anticipated. Admission and parking are FREE. Visit forestlawn.com/events for more information.
Forest Lawn Museum’s exhibition “In Bloom: Flowers in Contemporary Art” will also be on view in the neighboring Forest Lawn Museum until 5:00 PM. The exhibition explores contemporary approaches to the timeless floral theme. The media and artworks in the exhibition vary dramatically, with paintings, sculptures, installation, and video that range from naturalistic to abstract, and from playful to contemplative. “In Bloom” features the work of David Flores, DABSMYLA, Francesca Gabbiani and Eddie Ruscha, Simonette David Jackson, Jasmyn Marie, Analia Saban, Kim Schoen, and Tiffanie Turner, with new works by most artists. The exhibition is on view through February 15, 2026. Find additional information at https://museum.forestlawn.com/blogs/forest-lawn-museum-exhibitions/in-bloom-flowers-in-contemporary-art.
Image credits (left to right): Camel Pugh dances during Forest Lawn’s Black History Month event. Courtesy of Forest Lawn; Joyce Guy sings in the spotlight at Forest Lawn’s Black History Month event. Courtesy of Forest Lawn.
For additional information and media inquiries about the Black History Month event or Forest Lawn Memorial–Parks & Mortuaries, please contact Tom Smith at 323.340.4742 or tsmith@forestlawn.com.
About Forest Lawn Memorial–Parks & Mortuaries
For more than a century, Forest Lawn has been an integral part of Southern California. Since its founding, Forest Lawn has committed itself to providing outstanding service and beautiful environments for family outings, remembering loved ones and commemorating holidays. Forest Lawn’s locations in the Los Angeles, Orange and Riverside counties serve all faiths and cultures, and offer a wide range of celebrations and special events with competitively priced cremation and traditional funeral services throughout Southern California. Glendale – FD 656
About the Hall of Crucifixion-Resurrection
Located next to Forest Lawn Museum, the Hall of Crucifixion-Resurrection showcases the Crucifixion (195 ft. x 45 ft.), which is the largest painting in the Western United States. It was painted by Polish artist Jan Styka in the 1890s. The building also houses the Resurrection (70 ft. x 51 ft.), which was painted by American artist Robert Clark in 1965. Visitors can view the newly revamped 18-minute, documentary-style audiovisual program, which includes a new video and narration that tell the history of two colossal paintings and the unique building that Forest Lawn created to house them. The audiovisual program runs Tuesday–Sunday on the hour (10 AM-4 PM, closed at 1 PM for lunch). Closed occasionally for special events. For more details about the Hall of Crucifixion-Resurrection, visit https://museum.forestlawn.com/pages/hall-of-crucifixion-resurrection.
Great Mausoleum visiting hours: Daily from 9:30 AM–4:15 PM
Admission and parking to Forest Lawn Museum, the Hall of Crucifixion-Resurrection, and the Great Mausoleum are FREE.
For more information or to schedule a free group tour, please call 323.340.4782, email museum@forestlawn.com, or visit https://museum.forestlawn.com/.
The Hall of Crucifixion-Resurrection is located at Forest Lawn—Glendale, 1712 S. Glendale Blvd., Glendale, CA 91205. Please note, the Hall of Crucifixion-Resurrection is located at the top of the hill within Forest Lawn-Glendale. Please follow event signage.
About Forest Lawn Museum
Forest Lawn Museum first opened in 1952 and is now comprised of three galleries and a gift shop. The renowned permanent collection of sculpture, stained glass windows, mosaics, and architecture is spread across Forest Lawn’s six Southern California locations. Forest Lawn’s founder, Dr. Hubert Eaton, wrote in his Builder’s Creed that our park should be “a place where artists study and sketch; where school teachers bring happy children to see the things they read of in books.” In that spirit, selections of Forest Lawn Museum’s permanent collection of photographs, paintings, and bronze and marble sculptures are on display in the museum’s front gallery. Forest Lawn Museum typically dedicates two galleries to world-class rotating exhibits, which focus on topics ranging from aerial photography to puppetry to stained glass.
Forest Lawn Museum is located adjacent to the Hall of Crucifixion-Resurrection, which houses the Crucifixion, a 195-foot wide by 45-foot-high painting by Polish artist Jan Styka. Other notable pieces in Forest Lawn’s collection can be found in the Great Mausoleum, including the Last Supper stained glass window by artist Rosa Caselli-Moretti, the Poets’ Windows, and marble replicas of Michelangelo’s Moses and Pietà.
