What to KnowCelebrating the life and legacy of legendary architect Paul R. WilliamsGetty Research Institute, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and USC Fisher Museum of Art will honor the icon through in-depth displays featuring photographs, plans, memorabilia, and moreRemembered as “one of the most prolific and influential architects of his time,” Mr. Williams was “the first Black member of the American Institute of Architects nationwide”; he designed over 3,000 projects”Paul R. Williams: An Architect Considered” will be on view at the USC Fisher Museum of Art from Aug. 18, 2026 through March 13, 2027Los Angeles Museum of Art will present “Paul R. Williams: Architect for Living” from Nov. 15, 2026 through May 23, 2027″Paul R. Williams: Architecture Across the Color Line” opens at Getty Research Institute Dec. 15, 2026; the exhibition will be open through July 18, 2027

If you’re somewhere in Los Angeles, and a stunning structure is in your vicinity, or a building possessing both gravitas and great innovation, or a place that speaks to a marvelous mid-century outlook, chances are good that Paul R. Williams played a role in its enduring existence.

Mr. Williams was an acclaimed architect with an eye on the future, and a fantastic penchant for making big dreams happen and buildings that mattered a lasting reality. In fact, the busy and in-demand visionary designed thousands of projects during his long career, over 3,000 in all, an incredible contribution to the realm of making buildings born on blueprints wonderfully real.

And his career was indeed long and storied, spanning almost six decades; he passed away in 1980, leaving a multi-faceted legacy that remains a touchstone for civil rights advocates, up-and-coming architects, and artists across all disciplines.

Perhaps you joined one of the dynamic virtual tours led by LA Conservancy in 2021, events that paid homage to Mr. Williams, “the first Black member of the American Institute of Architects nationwide” and one of the principal visual storytellers behind the creation of some of Southern California’s best-known and best-loved destinations, churches, homes, office buildings, and public spaces.

© Della M. Williams Trust© Della M. Williams Trust

First African Methodist Episcopal Church of Los Angeles (exterior rendering), 1965 by Paul R. Williams, (American, 1894-1980), ink on paper. Getty Research Institute & USC School of Architecture, 2020.M.6 © Della M. Williams Trust Dated December 15, 1988

The Beverly Hills Hotel, homes for Frank Sinatra and Lucille Ball, and the Second Baptist Church are among some of the many notable projects designed by the architect; Mr. Williams also collaborated on several works, including the Downtown Civic Center.

And starting August 2026? A trio of art institutions will pay tribute to the life, work, and inspiration of Paul R. Williams.

“Paul R. Williams: An Architect Considered” is the first of the three exhibitions to open and the focus is the architect’s lauded multifamily housing projects. The USC Fisher Museum of Art will present the show from Aug. 18, 2026 through March 13, 2027, with the USC School of Architecture co-presenting.

In mid-November, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art will “Paul R. Williams: Architect for Living,” a show that will celebrate “the impressive breadth of Williams’s contributions, showcasing never-before-exhibited drawings and photographs from his archive.”

The “Architect for Living” exhibit will be on view at the Miracle Mile art museum from Nov. 15, 2026 through May 23, 2027.

The Getty Research Institute’s exhibition, “Paul R. Williams: Architecture Across the Color Line,” opens Dec. 15, 2026.

“Marking the public debut of his archive, this exhibition examines the impact of Williams’s architecture in challenging systems of racialized exclusion, offering an intimate portrait of life, hope, and possibility coursing through the collective construction of the architecture of Black Los Angeles,” shares the team behind the expansive tribute.

The Getty exhibition will remain on view through July 18, 2027.

USC School of Architecture and Getty Research Institute acquired the architect’s archive in 2020; read more about this extensive repository of photographs, documents, blueprints, and important historical items.