Newsroom

Read on for exciting updates, including an announcement for our 2021 State of the Arts Summit!

We hope you are enjoying your summer. On Tuesday, July 27, the LA County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to approve a spending plan that includes over $22 MILLION for arts and culture. Thank you to this network of advocates who have worked tirelessly to make this happen. Take a look at some of our 2021 ACTIVATE Delegates advocating for American Rescue Plan (ARP) funding to be allocated to arts and culture in a meeting with Supervisor Holly Mitchell. We thank all LA County Supervisors for unanimously voting in support of the ARP spending plan.

We are also elated to announce the dates of the 2021 State of the Arts Summit! This year’s summit is a series of events that will kick-off with four virtual Community Strategy Sessions (August 24, 31, and September 8, 14) – each focused on one of our four policy areas. We will also host an in-person networking event on Saturday, October 9, public health guidelines permitting.

These community events will culminate in our annual State of the Arts Summit on Thursday, October 14. Join us for a digital gathering featuring a line-up of incredible artists, civic leaders, and community members. More information and registration coming soon!

Finally, we are thrilled to announce an exciting new initiative in LA County. Over the past two years, Arts for LA’s Development and Operations Manager, KC Buller, has been serving on the advisory board of TeenTix LA, working to support the launch of the LA chapter of the Seattle-based organization. TeenTix works to remove barriers preventing youth from accessing cultural opportunities by providing free and affordable tickets to any teen who wants them.

Read on for more info about this partnership, as well as for details about the 2021 State of the Arts Summit!

Onward!

Gustavo Herrera
Chief Executive Officer

CONNECT.

Arts for LA is thrilled to announce the dates for our 2021 State of the Arts Summit!

Join us for a series of six events, both virtual and in-person. As we reflect on all we were able to accomplish this year with your community leadership, we also look forward to the work we have ahead. We will again host our Community Strategy Sessions, inviting you, our arts advocates in the community, to share with us your most pressing concerns.

Community Strategy Sessions (Virtual – Free!)

Aug 24, 2021 | 10:30am – Affordable Space
Aug 31, 2021 | 10:30am – Arts Education
Sept 8, 2021 | 10:30am – Creative Jobs
Sept 14, 2021 | 10:30am – Resources and Capital
In LA County and beyond, artists have emerged as critical leaders in the fight for a more just society. The 2021 State of the Arts Summit explores how the LA region’s creative sector – individual stakeholders, cultural organizations, and funders alike – can best support and accelerate the work of creative changemakers. Join us to explore how we can collectively build a local arts and culture ecosystem that unapologetically centers equity and the well-being of artists-leaders and arts workers serving LA’s communities.

State of the Arts Summit (Tickets Required)

Oct 9, 2021- In-person networking event
Oct 14, 2021- Virtual conference
We are pleased to share that we have added an in-person networking event to the slate of State of the Arts programming. We know that one of the most popular aspects of the Summit is the chance to connect with arts and culture professionals from across the region, and we didn’t want to miss out on that this year.

Save the dates above, and stay connected to our social media, registration opens soon!

LEARN.

Thursday, August 12 | 9 AM – 12 PM.

The LA County Arts Datathon brings people together to explore how we can use data to improve access to arts and culture for everyone. The theme in 2021 is STORYTELLING, and will focus on ways to use data from the LA County Arts Ed Profile and other sources to talk about how we experience, value, and utilize arts education. There will be three breakout sessions to choose from, for K-12 educators, advocates, and youth.

Who should attend? Data geeks and the data curious, artists, and anyone who cares about arts education, including teachers and administrators, teaching artists, parents, advocates, school board members, and youth.

Make or Break: Race and Ethnicity in Entry-Level Compensation for Arts Administrators in Los Angeles County

In May, the LA County Department of Arts and Culture in partnership with Claremont Graduate University’s Center for Business and Management of the Arts, published a groundbreaking study: Make or Break: Race and Ethnicity in Entry-Level Compensation for Arts Administrators in Los Angeles County.

Authored by 2020 ACTIVATE Innovator Cobi Krieger and Bronwyn Mauldin, this study looks at earnings, debt, and other forms of financial support for entry-level arts administrators, finding troubling differences between BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) arts administrators and their White counterparts.

Building on the quantitative findings, this study dug deeper, conducting interviews to understand how those earnings and differences are experienced in the daily lives of the people who, despite the challenges they face, pursue a career in the arts.

We include some key findings in the graphics above, and click the button below to download the full report to review the other staggering findings, and recommendations for change.

Full Report >

LEAD.

LA County Board of Supervisors Allocates $22 Million to Arts and Culture

On Tuesday July 27, the LA County Board of Supervisors (BOS) voted unanimously to approve a plan that includes over $22 MILLION for arts and culture. This network of advocates has been working tirelessly to make this happen – thank you to the almost 1,000 of you who submitted public comment in support of this investment over the past few months!

This vote provides:

$12M for Arts Relief and Recovery Grants to Nonprofits and Individuals.
$5M for Creative Works Jobs for Artists.
$1.9M for a Reopening Culture, Tourism, and Marketing Initiative.
$1.6M for Creative Career Pathways for Youth.
$1.5M for Arts for Justice Involved Youth.
$750K for an Arts Education Program for Vulnerable LA County Schools.
Read the American Rescue Plan Spending Plan Summary here.

Introducing TeenTix Los Angeles

Seattle nonprofit organization TeenTix is excited to announce a new partnership with Los Angeles arts leaders, increasing arts and culture accessibility for teens along the West Coast. For the past 17 years, TeenTix has led the way on furthering regional arts and culture accessibility, youth leadership and arts coverage for teens in the Greater Puget Sound area. Now, TeenTix announces the launch of TeenTix LA, a partnership intended to decrease barriers preventing youth in L.A. County from accessing the rich cultural opportunities available to them by providing any teen, regardless of where they live, a personalized TeenTix Pass to purchase a $5 ticket to any event held by any TeenTix Partner in Seattle or Los Angeles.

In partnership with more than 70 regional arts organizations, TeenTix ensures equitable arts access for all young people and empowers young people to engage in civic life through the arts. TeenTix exists to break down the barriers that prevent teens from accessing art in our community, such as ticket or admission cost, not knowing where to look for events, navigating transportation around the city or feeling insecure about arts-going.

TeenTix LA recently brought on program director Allison Whorton, who will lead the charge in building vital partnerships with arts and community-based organizations in Los Angeles.

“I am thrilled to be joining the TeenTix team and to be a part of such an important initiative that will create equitable access to the arts for the teenagers of Los Angeles County,” says Whorton. “As arts spaces continue to make plans for reopening, I am excited to forge relationships with organizations that will help young people experience the incredible arts and culture opportunities in Los Angeles.”

To learn more about how to get involved with TeenTix LA, visit la.teentix.org.

ARTS FOR LA IS FUNDED BY:

and the generous support of Organizational and Individual Members like you.