Sybil Brand Institute, a women’s prison, was built in 1963 and closed its doors in 1997. The Institute will undergo a $115 million renovation to house 1,000 female inmates, many of whom have special mental health needs.

Accomplished public artist Michael Davis has been included on the schematic design team to influence the architecture, interior finishes and landscaping, which will be developed to about a 30% level of completion before being bid out to a Design/Building Contractor. In addition, Davis will research current County inmate prison programs as well as successful prison art programs nationwide to recommend future investment of civic art funds in arts programming. Davis will also interface with the adjacent community of City Terrace and issue a final report, recommending the best opportunities for future civic art investment.

About the Artist: Michael Davis is a San Pedro-based artist who has completed numerous solo and collaborative public art projects in southern California and beyond. His credits include the Justice Center in Seattle, the Sunset/Vermont Metro Red Line Station in Los Angeles, Mission Trails in San Antonio, Arrowhead Arena in Anaheim, Heritage Park in Santa Fe Springs, and the North Hollywood Police Station. Davis holds an MFA from California State University, Fullerton.