ARTS FOR LA’S FEBRUARY ENEWS UPDATES AND EXCITING UPCOMING EVENTS.

As Black History Month comes to an end, we honor the Black artists and activists who have shaped the LA region and continue to fight for every Angeleno’s right to creativity and culture. Arts for LA is grateful for this community of inspiring leaders working tirelessly to build a more just society.

At Arts for LA we are hard at work fighting to make our 2021 Advocacy Agenda a reality. Executive Director Gustavo Herrera represented the LA region at the release of the annual Otis Report on the Creative Economy – watch the event and download the report here. Our statewide advocacy partners at Californians for the Arts shared the results of their survey of nearly 1,000 arts workers and over 600 organizations across California. Read their findings here.

We were excited to read the joint announcement from Governor Gavin Newsom, Senate President pro Tempore Toni G. Atkins, and Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon about a package of immediate actions that will direct relief to those experiencing significant economic hardship due to COVID-19 – including $50 million in grants for nonprofit cultural institutions.

There are many ways to get involved over the coming months, including our second monthly meeting of the Community Action Network, the winter Regional Conversation with Californians for the Arts, and more.

Onward!

Arts for LA

COMMUNITY ACTION NETWORK

Arts for LA is hosting a monthly meetings of our Community Action Network – open to all arts advocates across LA County. This is a chance to come together and get organized for action in support of artists, arts workers, and cultural organizations. The first meeting was this month on February 10, and we were pleased to welcome over 70 participants.

Join us for our March Community Action Network meeting on Wednesday, March 10 at 6:00 PM.

LA WINTER REGIONAL CONVERSATION

Join us and Californians for the Arts on Thursday, March 4 at 1:00 pm for our Winter Regional Conversations. These conversations will include updates on state and federal advocacy with Californians for the Arts Executive Director, Julie Baker, and also special guests, Danielle Brazell, General Manager of the LA City Department of Cultural Affairs, and Kristin Sakoda, Director of the LA County Department of Arts and Culture.

You will have a chance to share ideas, questions and concerns with the Californians for the Arts team – and most importantly, each other – as the situation continues to evolve.

Join us for this important conversation, and share your own experiences!

ADVOCATING FOR STUDENT HEALTH AND THE ARTS

As students process the trauma of the pandemic, the arts are not a luxury; they are an essential tool for recovery. Arts education not only decreases feelings of anxiety, depression, and isolation but also positively impacts all-around academic performance. Now is the time to communicate with your school district leadership about the need to include the arts in your Local Control & Accountability Plan. Join Arts for LA, Create CA and the California Alliance for Arts Education for a webinar that will:

Provide a brief overview of the LCAP process and document
Present the compelling argument for including the arts in the LCAP as a key strategy to support student health
Share the experience of a district administrator who successfully worked to include the arts education in the LCAP to support social emotional learning
Advocates will walk away from this interactive session with concrete tools and next steps to increase arts education offerings in their school district.

UPCOMING EVENTS

The Emerging Voices Fellowship is now open for applications!

The Fellowship provides a five-month immersive mentorship program for early-career writers from communities that are traditionally underrepresented in the publishing world. The program is committed to cultivating the careers of Black writers, and serves writers who identify as Indigenous, persons of color, LGBTQIA+, immigrants, writers with disabilities, and those living outside of urban centers.

Through curated one-on-one mentorship and introductions to editors, agents, and publishers, in addition to workshops on editing, marketing, and creating a platform, the five-month fellowship nurtures creative community, provides a professional skill-set, and demystifies the path to publication—with the ultimate goal of diversifying the publishing and media industries.

Applications are due March 17!

Deadline Extended! Submit to the Student Voices Campaign by March 1.

The Student Voices Campaign is an annual statewide creative arts competition for young people to make their voices heard in their school district. Students in grades 7-12 create short original art pieces that show why the arts matter.

Submit to the Student Voices Campaign by March 1 for an opportunity at up to $500 in cash, Adobe software, and change in your community! We’re proud of the continued support of Adobe and we can’t wait to honor outstanding submissions at our event on April 16!
BRIC Foundation Summit

The 2021 BRIC (Break, Reinvent, Impact and Change) Virtual Summit will be happening March 5th and 6th. The Summit’s goal is to bring a community of thought provokers together from different facets of the entertainment, media, and tech industries to collectively solve how we support and nurture up-and-coming talent – as it pertains to women and underrepresented groups who have an interest in being creative leaders.

This free Summit aims to create a space where actionable solutions are created and in turn, can be presented to our respective organizations and can either be implemented – or at the very least shared to spark ideas on how to make long-term effective impactful change.

Arts for LA is funded by:

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

ARTS FOR LA’S JANUARY ENEWS UPDATES AND 2021 POLICY & AGENDA RELEASE

Happy New Year Arts Advocates!

This week, we released our 2021 Policy and Advocacy Agenda, outlining our vision for a Just Recovery for the LA Region’s Creative Sector. Thank you to everyone who joined our release party. This is a pivotal moment for the artists, arts workers, and arts organizations of Los Angeles to acknowledge the long-standing racial and economic inequities inherent in our cultural infrastructure, and fight for a better, more just Los Angeles. Click here to download the agenda and learn how you can get involved.

This month, we are excited to introduce you to the 2021 ACTIVATE Delegates Cohort (scroll down to meet them).We were also proud to host a convening for LA County school board members featuring former school board member and now CA State Senator Ben Allen.

This February, we will launch an updated Job and Artist Opportunities board on our website. We will also begin to host monthly community meetings to connect and organize our advocacy in pursuit of a just recovery for the LA region’s creative sector. RSVP to join us by clicking the button below and registering for our first meeting on Wednesday February 10.

As we move into 2021, we need your advocacy more than ever. There are many ways to show up – all of them vital to the movement for cultural equity. Your participation, your financial support, your insight and your experiences are indispensable to building a healthy, equitable LA region – we are honored to fight alongside you!

Onward!

Gustavo Herrera
Executive Director

ACTIVATE 2021

2021 ACTIVATE DELEGATES COHORT
We are excited to introduce you to our 2021 ACTIVATE Delegates cohort. We were overwhelmed by the number of qualified and impressive applicants and so grateful to everyone who expressed interest. Learn more about these incredible arts leaders here!

ACTIVATE: INNOVATORS 2021
Applications for our 2021 ACTIVATE Innovators program are open now!

ACTIVATE Innovators is a project incubator designed to support arts leaders as they grow an idea into a fully-planned project. The program offers changemakers the opportunity to learn from field leaders, connect with other cross-sector colleagues, and lead the development of a project or program addressing one of Arts for LA’s four issue areas.

This year, Arts for LA is seeking nominations for the 2021 ACTIVATE Innovators cohort from organizations interested in focusing on creative sector jobs.

ARTS FOR LA’S 2021 POLICY AGENDA

After a months-long community listening and strategizing process, Arts for LA is pleased to share with you our 2021 Policy and Advocacy Agenda: A Just Recovery for the LA Region’s Creative Sector.Developed in collaboration with you and hundreds of community members, this agenda outlines concrete ways to take collective action to build a healthy, equitable creative sector and greater LA region.

Our advocacy priorities fall under four main issue-areas impacting the creative sector: affordable housing, equitable education, funding and capital, and creative sector jobs. Our policy agenda identifies actionable steps to RESPOND, RECOVER, and REBUILD the Los Angeles arts and culture sector.

Download the 2021 Policy Agenda

MONTHLY COMMUNITY MEETINGS

Arts for LA has released an ambitious 2021 Policy and Advocacy Agenda outlining concrete goals and actions to rebuild LA’s creative sector. In order to meet the goals highlighted in our agenda, we need the support of our active and passionate arts and culture community.

Arts for LA will be hosting monthly community meetings on the second Wednesday of each month. These meetings will be an opportunity for our members to come together and network with one another, and learn about any upcoming advocacy efforts you can participate in.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Tune In and Speak Up!
Californians for the Arts

WHAT: Assembly Arts, Entertainment, Sports, Tourism + Internet Media
WHEN: February 2, 10AM – NOON
TOPIC: Restarting the Arts: Best Practices for Safely Reopening

TUNE IN
Californians for the Arts is pleased to announce that the CA Assembly committee on the Arts will be holding an Informational Hearing and Executive Director Julie Baker and board members Marie Acosta and Keasha Dumas Heath will be among the speakers. See the agenda here. All are encouraged to watch the hearing from its live stream on the Assembly’s website.

SPEAK UP! Live during meeting or written comment.
Public Comment: Due to the ongoing concern for public safety posed by COVID-19 and guidance on physical distancing, the public is strongly encouraged to participate via the web portal or phone.

The public may also provide written testimony before the hearing. Please send your written testimony to: ArtsCommittee@asm.ca.gov. Please note that any written testimony sent to that email address is considered public comment and may be read into the record or reprinted.

The Art of Everything Leadership Conversations
CreateCA

The Art of Everything Leadership Conversations is intended for both aspiring, emerging, and experienced leaders to come together in conversation and community around the key leadership concepts in the book. We encourage you to join us in this interactive, five-part series focused on key elements of artful leadership.

Explore with the author, guest presenters, leaders, and arts educators key concepts of artistry, equity, empathic design, strategy, and humility as important elements equitable and creative leadership that can impact positive change.

It’s not too late to register for this 5 part Leadership Series, co-hosted by CCSESA and Create CA. Registration will close after Session 2 on February 19th. (If you missed the first session you will receive the recording).

KCET Black History Month Lineup
PBS SoCal and KCET

PBS SoCal and KCET have announced their content lineup in celebration of Black History Month. These programs will include KCET Original episodes of ARTBOUND and LOST LA focused on the diverse history of Southern California, as well as HOLLYWOOD’S ARCHITECT: The Paul R. Williams Story from PBS SoCal. PBS is airing award-winning content to stations across the country including episodes of ANTIQUES ROADSHOW, AMERICAN MASTERS, FINDING YOUR ROOTS, AMERICAN EXPERIENCE, GREAT PERFORMANCES, MASTERPIECE and more. In particular, THE BLACK CHURCH “This Is Our Story, This Is Our Song” hosted by Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. will be the focus of a series of virtual events – both locally and nationally.

(Clockwise from Upper Left: THE BLACK CHURCH “This Is Our Story, This Is Our Song,” LOST LA “Shindana Toy Company,” and “HOLLYWOOD’S ARCHITECT: The Paul R. Williams Story.” Images courtesy of PBS, KCET and PBS SoCal respectively).

Arts for LA is funded by:

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

Happy holiday season to our Arts for LA family!

This month, we are excited to officially release the 2020 Laura Zucker Research Fellowship Report. Click here to read the full report. Our 2020 fellow Nahal Jalali’s research considers the case for integrating artists and the arts into municipal governments – beyond arts and culture departments – to spur innovation. Click here to learn moreand read on to download the full report.

Even in the midst of a worsening global pandemic, the creative sector continues to look towards the future. The LA County Department of Arts and Culture has released a slate of reopening guidelines produced in partnership with the LA County Department of Public Health. Click here for more information about this essential topic.

We are also excited to announce some upcoming events and opportunities, including Arts for LA’s new partnership with Bank of America.

This week, we will launch our end-of-year fundraising drive. With your help, we can meet a $10,000 matching grant generously offered by the Herb Alpert Foundation. Stay tuned to learn how you can help us meet our goals.

Onward!

Gustavo Herrera
Executive Director

SPOTLIGHT: BANK OF AMERICA
Arts for LA is excited to announce a new collaboration with Bank of America. Together, we will work to advance our mutual commitment to building dynamic, thriving communities in Los Angeles County.

With the support of Bank of America, Arts for LA will continue to build the technical leadership skills in our community’s workforce and we will continue advocating for our sector as we recover from the economic, social, and health crises to ensure our communities have the support, tools and resources they need to rebuild a vibrant and healthy LA.

We are so grateful to Bank of America for their investment in our mission, and we are very excited to develop this strategic partnership to ensure our communities have the tools they need to thrive.

THE WORK AHEAD

During the 2020 election cycle, nearly 4.3 million LA County residents voted in this November’s election, with so many of you working tirelessly to achieve a remarkable 75% turnout rate. Across California, and the nation, we saw record numbers of voters under the age of 30. We are grateful for your participation in our 2020 Voting for the Arts Series, advocacy, and dedication to building a more equitable, creative LA region.

Arts for LA endorsed California State Propositions 15 and 16 because we understood these measures as crucial steps towards a fully funded, inclusive creative sector. The failure of both propositions to be approved by a majority of Californians is a clear call to action: now is the time for the arts + culture sector to think critically about its role in the movement for California’s schools, local governments, and the fight for racial equity.

Arts for LA will be leading a series of community gatherings beginning in early 2021 to advance a policy and advocacy agenda that unapologetically centers racial and economic equity, as well as increased public investment in the resources so essential to a vibrant, diverse arts + culture sector. Stay tuned for more info about how you can join these monthly meetings.

We are also closely tracking the implementation process of Measure J (see pg. 19 of this explainer for more info), which was approved by a majority of LA County voters earlier this month. We will continue to advocate for the role of arts + culture in this revisioning process and update our community as the implementation phase continues.

2020 LAURA ZUCKER REPORT

ART AS INNOVATION: EMBEDDING ARTISTS AND CREATIVITY ACROSS LOCAL GOVERNMENTS IN LA COUNTY
The arts — and artists in particular — are increasingly brought into non-arts organizations to offer fresh perspectives and incubate creative solutions to cross-sector challenges. While the value these creative roles bring is increasingly recognized, the 2020 Laura Zucker Report focuses on deepening the impact of the arts in the civic sphere – specifically, local municipalities across LA County.

The report provides a baseline understanding of:

The extent to which the arts, or artists, are currently present and valued
by non-arts departments across the County and a handful of cities in
the region.
The appetite of non-arts department leaders to hire artists or integrate
the arts in a strategic capacity on their teams.
The report also highlights the benefits to strategically embedding the arts, artists, and creative skills across non-arts departments, as well as perceived challenges and obstacles to that integration. The report concludes with potential models for embedding artists as innovators and provides tactical recommendations to artists and municipal leaders championing an expanded role for the arts.

CELEBRATING WOMEN COMPOSERS
Presented by The Hildegards, Arts for LA, LA Opera Connects and the Women’s Opera Network of OPERA America, we are pleased to invite you to: Celebrating Women Composers, An intimate conversation with composers Laura Karpman, Gabriela Lena Frank, Juhi Bansal & Nia Imani Franklin on December 3rd at 5:00pm.

Strengthen your ties with your colleagues in Los Angeles – and beyond – and help set the course for a more vibrant, inclusive future. The Hildegards, in partnership with the Women’s Opera Network of OPERA America, LA Opera Connects and Arts for LA, invite you to join us for an intimate conversation with four composers (Laura Karpman, Gabriela Lena Frank, Juhi Bansal and Nia Imani Franklin) making their mark on the classical and film music scenes.

This event is open to all. Program is free, but reservations are required.

Seminar is provided safely via Zoom invitation. You can join via computer or telephone.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Angel City Chorale invites you to haul out the holly, dust off the dreidel, and celebrate the holidays with us at It’s Not the Holidays ’til the Angels Sing, our first-ever, free virtual concert available worldwide on December 12th at 6:00pm PST!

RSVP above and get a chance to access two very special pre and post concert events! To get a taste of what’s to come, watch the concert promo video!

With just a few days left until the election, it is essential that you as arts advocates across the region make your voices heard! Be sure to vote, encourage your friends and family to vote, and research the many local measures and propositions on this year’s ballot. Arts for LA has officially endorsed California Propositions 15 and 16 – read our full statement for information about how voting YES vote on these statewide propositions will benefit the arts + culture sector.

This month, Arts for LA hosted our 2nd Annual State of the Arts Summit (SOTA). Thank you to the 300 advocates who joined us from across the region, state, and world! And another thank you to our nearly 40 speakers/panelists, artists, wellness leader, and funders for your leadership. Stay tuned for updates on Arts for LA’s 2021 policy and advocacy agenda. Please scroll below for a few ACTIVATE Innovator videos and an update on the 2020 Laura Zucker Research Report. Lastly, please take a minute to complete Californians for the Arts’ timely survey survey by scrolling below and clicking the link.

GO VOTE arts advocates, and congratulations to the LA Dodgers and LA Lakers on their championships! #LALeads

Gustavo Herrera
Executive Director

MEET THE CHANGEMAKERS

Dr. Sheila Reamerm, Equity in the Arts Project

 

Maricela Martinez, Las Mariachis Project

 

Justus Jones, Let Art Help Project

 

ACTIVATE Innovators is a project incubator that supports artists, art + culture professionals, and community advocates in addressing the most urgent issues facing their community. This program pairs participants with an expert mentor and connects them with the resources necessary to realize their advocacy work.

During the State of the Arts Summit on October 16, five of our eight brilliant Innovators were given the opportunity to pitch their newly developed advocacy projects. These presentations were engaging, inspiring, and we were so excited to share them with our audience. Click here to learn more about their projects, and for how you can get involved!

Now, we want to share with you three more pitch presentations from our ACTIVATE Innovators. These Innovators were unable to present at SOTA, and so we are sharing their work with you here! Click above to learn more about each of these three Innovators and their incredible plans for change.

We will also share the videos of our ACTIVATE Innovators pitch presentations from the 2020 State of the Arts Summit, soon. Stay tuned!

2020 LAURA ZUCKER RESEARCH REPORT
Each year, the Laura Zucker Fellowship supports an innovative research project, with the aim of informing regional arts + cultural policy development, reform, or implementation across Los Angeles County.

At the State of the Arts Summit on October 16, 2020 Fellow Nahal Jalali presented a preview of her research: Art as Innovation: Embedding Artists and Creativity Across Local Governments in Los Angeles County.

We are so excited to share this report with you, coming in November, stay tuned!

UPCOMING EVENTS
Californians for the Arts

COVID-19 Impact Survey

Californians for the Arts Designed two surveys to gather information about the financial and human impacts of COVID-19’s pandemic-related restrictions and the State of California’s practicing artists, creative workers, culture bearers, educators, and arts and culture organizations.

Please complete today and share with your networks! We need to let policymakers know the impact of COVID-19 on the California arts and creative industries in order to effectively advocate for:

Industry Guidelines to Reopen Arts Safely
Prioritization of Relief Funding
Increase Funding to the California Arts Council, the state arts agency
Survey for Individuals
Survey for Organizations
Understanding AB 2257, Follow Up Legislation to AB 5, and Its Impact on the Arts Sector

On October 7th, Californians for the Arts hosted a webinar Understanding AB 2257, Follow Up Legislation to AB 5, and Its Impact on the Arts Sector. AB 2257, follow up legislation to AB 5, was signed by Governor Newsom on September 4, 2020 and went into effect immediately.

Click Here for the Recorded Webinar
The law includes new exemptions for musicians, performing artists and fine artists. Learn more about these new exemptions in this webinar moderated by Julie Baker, Executive Director, California Arts Advocates/Californians for the Arts; guest speakers Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez, 80th District, Author AB 5 and AB 2257; Assembly Majority Leader Ian C. Calderon, 57th District, Principal Co-author AB 2257; John Acosta, President, AFM Local 47; and Sara B. Boyns, Attorney, Fenton & Keller.

Create CA: Create the Vote

Join us for #CreateTheVote which is a campaign to get out the vote, highlight how civic engagement ties to arts education, and encourage your community to engage in local elections. Make sure to sign the pledge for arts education at createca.org and follow their social media channels to receive up-to-date information on graphics for your community, exciting poster giveaways featuring acclaimed artists, and information on how this election matters to arts education.

BECOME A MEMBER

In the wake of a global crisis, where arts and culture are key to unifying communities and coping with a new reality, Arts for LA is your only cross-discipline, cross-sector advocacy organization working to give the arts a voice during crucial decision making moments.

When you become a member of Arts for LA, you are joining a movement of artists, arts administrators, arts organizations, and arts advocates united in support of the same goal: ensuring the arts and culture in Los Angeles County are supported, especially in times of crisis.

Become a Member Today!

ARTS FOR LA ENDORSES CA PROPOSITIONS 15+16
Since April 2020, Arts for LA has held monthly Voting for the Arts webinars to ensure our community of arts advocates understand the key state and local ballot measures that will impact the arts and culture field.

We are pleased to announce our endorsement of California Propositions 15 and 16.

Prop 15 will close a corporate property tax loophole and bring an estimated $12 billion per year to California’s schools and communities. Approximately $3.6 billion will be directed towards LA County; 40% of which will be allocated to school districts, and 60% will be allocated to local cities and counties to address the needs of communities – from mental health services to housing to jobs programs. Prop 15 requires certain corporations to pay property taxes based on the property’s market value rather than its purchase price. It excludes farms and small businesses and does not impact residential property taxes at all. We see this proposition as a critical step in funding the schools and vital public services so essential to a healthy, creative sector.

Prop 16 will repeal Proposition 209 and reinstate affirmative action in the state of California. Arts for LA believes this proposition represents an important step in confronting generations of discrimination and structural inequality.

At Arts for LA, we firmly believe the arts and culture community must engage in meaningful self-reflection and hold ourselves and creative institutions accountable to the cultural equity values we seek to manifest. We recognize our systems and structures are informed by centuries of oppression that have institutionalized discrimination and denied access to so many.

Achieving equitable arts education and a truly diverse creative workforce is simply impossible if we do not address California’s massively underfunded education system and the disproportionate impact this has on low-income students and students of color.

We believe Prop 15 and Prop 16 do just that and will help build a more equitable, creative LA region.

Make sure to vote on November 3rd. Vote early if you are able. Together, we will create an LA County where everyone is able to thrive.

Thank you to the hundreds of arts advocates who turned out to our four Community Strategy Sessions! Yesterday’s conversation on Equitable Arts Funding concluded our series of community listening sessions, each of which brought the challenges and opportunities facing our sector into clearer focus. Over 275 of you participated in this process, making your voices heard and helping Arts for LA envision a more equitable healthy and creative Los Angeles region.

OUR WORK CONTINUES! Join us for our State of the Arts Summit on October 16 to help drive our agenda forward. This virtual, conference-style event is an opportunity to hear report-backs from each of the Community Strategy Sessions, get the latest updates on affordable space, arts education, creative jobs, and funding, get a sneak preview at the 2020 Laura Zucker Report, and so much more. Click here to purchase your tickets,and read on for more information.

Our advocacy is made possible by our network of outstanding, cross-sector member organizations. If your organization is not yet a member of Arts for LA, click here and join today. Organizational members receive one free ticket to the State of the Arts Summit.

Onward!

Gustavo Herrera
Executive Director

STATE OF THE ARTS SUMMIT 2020

Arts for LA’s State of the Arts Summit 2020 is coming October 16th!

Join us from 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM and have a unique opportunity to:

Hear field updates from cross-sector leaders,
Network with arts + culture practitioners from across the region,
Think together about where our field is headed in the coming year,
Watch performances from inspiring LA-based Artivists!
Along with a slate of incredible speakers, panelists, and artists, we will report back on key findings from the Community Strategy Sessions, and the potential strategies we’ve identified with our Policy Working Groups.

Our 2020 Laura Zucker Fellow Nahal Jalali, will share a preview of her report researching the question:

How can we generate support for, and create new opportunities to employ artists as innovators within local government, beyond traditionally “cultural” departments and agencies?

Don’t miss this day of essential conversations, inspiring performances, and networking opportunities.

Member organizations receive one complimentary ticket to the State of the Arts Summit.

Email us at events@artsforla.org to verify your membership and receive your complimentary ticket link! If your organization is not currently a member, click here to join today.

LA COUNTY COVID-19 ARTS RELIEF FUND

The LA County COVID-19 Arts Relief Fund is administered by the LA County Department of Arts and Culture, and the purpose of this funding is to provide economic relief to arts nonprofits suffering from business interruptions due to COVID-19-related closures from March 1 – December 30, 2020.

Eligible organizations are current grantees of Los Angeles County and/or one of the seven municipal arts funders in the County of Los Angeles. Los Angeles County has allocated $10,000,000 in CARES Act funding to the Arts Relief Fund. Grant awards will be based on eligibility and demonstrated need. Awards will range based on the number of applications received, organizational budget size, and demonstrated losses and expenditures due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

All applications must be submitted online by September 27, 2020 | 11:59PM

UPCOMING EVENTS
The California Alliance for Arts Education

Creative Action Planning: Mapping a Response in Light of Current Challenges

In a changing world, educational leaders are facing a new reality that may include distance learning, budget challenges and dramatic shifts in expectations. Join Peggy Burt and Kimberleigh Aarn in this interactive two-day session that will introduce highly effective ways of collaborating to address trends and engage in meaningful dialogue that leads to concrete actions and priorities.

Student Role in Participation and Advocacy

Led by ACLU’s Arts Fellow, GenUp, and poet and activist from RYSE, this webinar will provide attendees tools and strategies to involve and collaborate with students.

BECOME A MEMBER

In the wake of a global crisis, where arts and culture are key to unifying communities and coping with a new reality, Arts for LA is your only cross-discipline, cross-sector advocacy organization working to give the arts a voice during crucial decision making moments.

When you become a member of Arts for LA, you are joining a movement of artists, arts administrators, arts organizations, and arts advocates united in support of the same goal: ensuring the arts and culture in Los Angeles County are supported, especially in times of crisis.

Become a Member Today!

Things are heating up in LA and we don’t mean the temperature! The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved a $10 million allocation of CARES Act funding to the County Department of Arts and Culture. County Supervisors also approved two motions outlining key steps to restore funding to the Organizational Grant Program (OGP) and Arts Internship Program. We thank you for your advocacy for these crucial programs.

Arts for LA’s City-focused advocacy continues. Be on the lookout for our Action Alerts for opportunities to advocate for the arts in the City of LA.

In just a few days, we’ll be launching Arts for LA’s 2020 State of the Arts Summit. This year will be comprised of five virtual convenings, designed to engage our community around thinking through solutions to our field’s most pressing challenges.

Join us for our four FREE Community Strategy Sessions in September to share your vision for change within affordable space, arts education, creative careers, and arts funding.

Then in October, we will be sharing the major outcomes of these sessions, releasing our 2020 Laura Zucker report, showcasing our Arts Innovators, and more. Tickets for this event will go on sale soon. Stay tuned!

Onward!

Gustavo Herrera
Executive Director

STATE OF THE ARTS: COMMUNITY STRATEGY SESSIONS
Join us for the State of the Arts Summit 2020! This year, the Summit will be made up of five total events. Throughout the month of September, we will be leading weekly Community Strategy Sessions, each discussing a different, specific, policy area vital to the arts + culture field that Arts for LA is dedicated to addressing in 2021.

Registration for our four issue-specific Community Strategy Sessions is now open.

Make your voice heard in this critical moment.

Our first Community Strategy Session is less than a week away! Join us at 10:00 AM on September 3rd to discuss the issue of affordable spaces for artists and arts organizations. Emma Howard, Director of Planning for LA City Council District 4 will provide us with a brief overview of the current context and landscape of the issue of affordable space to help frame our conversations.

Our second Community Strategy Session will be on September 10th at 10:00 AM, discussing the issues around equitable arts education for students in LA County. To best frame this conversation, we will welcome Amir Whitaker, of the ACLU SoCal, to provide the current landscape of arts education for the County, where his team has been focusing their efforts. Join this important conversation today.

ACTIVATE: INNOVATORS UPDATE
Over the Summer we launched a brand new iteration of our signature ACTIVATE program, ACTIVATE Innovators. This program supports artists, art & culture professionals, and community advocates in the development of an advocacy project designed to address an urgent issue facing the participant’s community.

Our Innovators and their mentors have been hard at work developing these projects in preparation for our State of the Arts Summit. At the main event on October 16th, our ten Innovators will be sharing their project pitches.

Join us for our virtual State of the Arts Summit and be among the first to hear about the cutting edge advocacy programs our Innovators are curating. Click here to read more about our class of Innovators.

UPCOMING EVENTS
The California Alliance for Arts Education is offering a webinar series for Fall 2020, examining different roles and strategies for local arts advocates. The first in the series, Arts Providers and Teaching Artists in a New Paradigm, explores how arts providers and teaching artists have adapted to distance learning and are addressing are addressing challenges that persist. It will be held on September 14 at 3:30 pm PDT.

BECOME A MEMBER

In the wake of a global crisis, where arts and culture are key to unifying communities and coping with a new reality, Arts for LA is your only cross-discipline, cross-sector advocacy organization working to give the arts a voice during crucial decision making moments.

When you become a member of Arts for LA, you are joining a movement of artists, arts administrators, arts organizations, and arts advocates united in support of the same goal: ensuring the arts and culture in Los Angeles County are supported, especially in times of crisis.

Become a Member Today!

Read on for updates on our advocacy campaigns, and upcoming events.

The Arts and Culture sector is facing unprecedented challenges likely to impact our region’s creative ecosystem for generations. As our community navigates this extended crisis, Arts for LA has worked tirelessly to build a coalition of dedicated arts advocates, launching the #CreativityInCrisis campaign, and working with elected officials across the region to make sure the arts are part of reimagining, rebuilding, and reinvesting in a healthy, equitable LA region. With your help, we were able to achieve the following:

In response to an open letter, and its nearly 1,000 signatories, Los Angeles City Council approved Councilmember Ryu’s motion converting festival dollars to an emergency artist relief fund.
We mobilized 700 arts advocates from across the region to take action in support of Arts Education for students in their communities.
As discussions around the LA Countywide Cultural Policy began, Arts for LA solicited nearly 300 public comments from our arts and culture community, resulting in an unanimous adoption of the plan by the Board of Supervisors.
Arts for LA is honored to be the voice of LA’s Arts and Culture Sector. We hope you will continue to join us as we fight for greater investment in our artists, cultural organizations, and communities.

Read on to learn more about the success of our fundraising drive and upcoming programs!

Onward!

Gustavo Herrera
Executive Director

FUNDRAISING ROUND-UP

June marked the end of Arts for LA’s fiscal year and our deadline to raise funds in support of the organization’s ongoing work. We were deeply moved by your generous donations totaling over $10,000 dollars! With our Board Advancement Committee’s matching challenge of $6,500 dollars, our community stepped up to ensure we are able to enter the new fiscal year strong and ready to fight for LA’s creative communities.

We cannot thank you enough for your support. Arts for LA’s work would not be possible without your passion and commitment.

VOTING FOR THE ARTS IS BACK

As school districts across LA County and California propose deep cuts to arts education, this training will equip advocates with talking points, policy models, and strategic approaches to ensure school board members understand the importance of the arts and how they can support district goals in the midst of public health and financial crises.

Presenters include:

Bob Morrison – Founder/CEO, Quadrant Research

The Arts & Social-Emotional Competencies

Jeannine Flores – Arts & STEAM Coordinator, LA County Office of Education

The Arts & Distance Learning

Heather Moses – Arts Coordinator, Culver City Unified School District

The Arts & English Language Learners

Elida Ledesma – Associate Director, Arts for Incarcerated Youth Network

The Arts & Disrupting the School-to-Prison Pipeline

Justus Jones – Youth Engagement Specialist, Arts for Incarcerated Youth Network

The Arts & Disrupting the School-to-Prison Pipeline

Stay Tuned! Arts for LA’s Voting for the Arts will be back again with LA City Controller, Ron Galperin on Wednesday, August 12th, “Public Art & City Finances in the Age of COVID-19.” Follow us on social media to be the first to register!

REGIONAL CONVERSATIONS: THE STATE OF ARTS AND CULTURE IN CA

Californians for the Arts presents Regional Conversations – The State of Arts & Culture in California. Join us for the Los Angeles conversation on Monday, August 3rd.

There is great uncertainty in our field about how and when to reopen safely and effectively and how we as a sector can adapt. Each conversation will include updates on state and federal advocacy with special guests to be announced.

You will have a chance to share ideas, questions and concerns with the Californians for the Arts team, and most importantly each other as the situation continues to evolve. Hearing from one and other is vital as we strategize best practices and the future of our industry in the age of COVID-19.

We hope to “see” you on Monday, August 3rd!

BECOME A MEMBER

In the wake of a global crisis, where arts and culture are key to unifying communities and coping with a new reality, Arts for LA is your only cross-discipline, cross-sector advocacy organization working to give the arts a voice during crucial decision making moments.

When you become a member of Arts for LA, you are joining a movement of artists, arts administrators, arts organizations, and arts advocates united in support of the same goal: ensuring the arts and culture in Los Angeles County are supported, especially in times of crisis.

Become a Member Today!

Read about what Arts for LA has been doing this month.

It has never been more clear that arts and culture have an essential role to play in building an equitable, healthy future for the LA region. Our team is committed to keeping you –our arts advocacy community– informed and ready to take action in support of a city, county, and state that truly serves all of its people.

Last night, members of the Arts for LA community gathered to celebrate the graduation of the 2020 ACTIVATE Delegates cohort. We congratulate this year’s incredible cohort. We are also excited to welcome 10 outstanding ACTIVATE: Arts Innovators to the Arts for LA community! Be sure to read about our special graduation and this exciting new ACTIVATE curriculum track below.

Yesterday, the LA County Board of Supervisors made history and unanimously adopted a Countywide Cultural Policy – the first of its kind in the nation. This policy affirms the County’s value of arts and culture as central to all aspects of civic life. We are very excited to see an explicit commitment to expand equity-focused arts and culture investment to increase support for communitybased organizations and cultural resources, particularly those that represent and serve historically marginalized and low income communities and communities of color. This community came together to submit over 270 letters in support of this policy.

This work simply cannot be done without your support. Arts for LA is trying to close a fiscal-year-end fundraising gap, and our Advancement Committee has generously issued a matching challenge! All gifts received before the June 30th deadline will be matched up to $6,500! Thank you to those who have helped us get to $4,005 – help us meet our goal and donate or become a member today!

Onward!

Gustavo Herrera
Executive Director

STATEMENT OF SOLIDARITY

On June 3rd, Arts for LA released a statement of solidarity in response to the murder of George Floyd and to stand in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement in the fight against racial injustice. We have taken time this month to connect with our staff and board leadership to define concrete steps that we can take to begin to address the deep seeded issues of racism and inequities within our arts and culture sector, the city, county, state and nation. Below are actions that we will take:

Arts for LA has joined the Healthy LA Coalition – a cross-sector network of more than 325 advocacy organizations fighting for racial and economic equity.
As the advocacy around prioritizing investment in public services and into neighborhood programs for low income and communities of color, Arts for LA will continue to make the case that the arts are essential partners to building an equitable society.
We will host community conversations and convene the sector to have cross-discipline discussions to advance the equity work throughout the County.
Lastly, as a board and staff, we will all undergo anti-racism training and we are committed to conducting an annual cultural equity audit that assesses internal and external policies, programs, communications and board and staff diversity.

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: INNER-CITY ARTS

The arts are essential – both during multi-pronged crises in our county, and after – and we are proud of the work our members have been doing to support their communities. Artists and the arts community have been among those spearheading creative and innovative ways to practice, perform, and engage with art, for community members and especially for our students.

LAUSD has many dedicated and passionate nonprofit partners; we celebrate them all and their great teamwork with the District. The team at Inner-City Arts is very proud to share the results of their effort since LAUSD’s return from spring break on April 13, 2020. They have collectively inspired over 1,600 individual students, at 37 schoolswith over 450 classes creating over 15,000 student experiences – what a shift in delivery model for them and their community! These 450 classes have all been LIVE and INTERACTIVE on Zoom for “no charge” during the COVID-19 crisis.

Testimonial:

“I would like to, once again, let you know how grateful I feel for your program. Today was the very first time I had 14 students out of 19 show up altogether to a Zoom Meeting. The arts can motivate students and let them be themselves!”

– Ms. Duran, Teacher, Griffin Ave, 1st grade

ACTIVATE 2020

Last night, members of the Arts for LA community gathered to celebrate the 2020 ACTIVATE Delegates cohort. Several graduates shared personal narratives, detailing their introduction to the arts and journey towards advocacy and community organizing. The evening ended with a beautiful performance by Maricela Martinez, Director of Mariachi for the Mariachi Lindas Mexicanas.

We are so grateful to the incredible cohort of ACTIVATE and can’t wait to support their future advocacy efforts!

We are also excited to to introduce the cohort for our second brand new ACTIVATE track, Innovators. This new program offers a platform for experimental action projects that have the potential to re-shape LA’s civic and arts and culture community.

BECOME A MEMBER

In the wake of a global crisis, where arts and culture are key to unifying communities and coping with a new reality, Arts for LA is your only cross-discipline, cross-sector advocacy organization working to give the arts a voice during crucial decision making moments.

When you become a member of Arts for LA, you are joining a movement of artists, arts administrators, arts organizations, and arts advocates united in support of the same goal: ensuring the arts and culture in Los Angeles County are supported, especially in times of crisis.

Arts for LA’s Advancement Board Committee has issued a matching challenge – together, the Committee members will match all donations up to $6,500. Become a member today, and your financial impact will be doubled!

Become a Member Today!

ARTS FOR LA’S STATEMENT OF SOLIDARITY AND LOS ANGELES FOCUSED RESOURCES.

Arts for LA stands in solidarity with protestors organizing and mobilizing in opposition to systemic and state-sanctioned violence by police against black people. We must all work to end institutional racism against communities of color and advance racial equity in this country.

We know that artists and arts institutions must be part of building a more just world – to give voice to what is possible, to what has been ignored, to what continues to be silenced. We pledge to listen to and amplify the voices that have gone unheard for so long and to do what we can to promote the diverse ideas and dreams of positive change.

While we need our creative communities now more than ever to help us make sense of this moment, we also cannot ignore our own contributions to the very problems we seek to redress. We know that to stand in true solidarity, we must engage in meaningful self-reflection and hold ourselves and creative institutions accountable to the values we seek to manifest. We stand ready to work alongside you to dismantle the systems that contribute to racial inequity and violence in our city, our sector, and our world at large.

RESOURCES FOR THE LOS ANGELES REGION

1. Donate to the BLMLA Action Fund
This fund will go toward bail, fees, and medical expenses for activists taking part in protests.

2. The People’s Budget LA
Information about the movement to prioritize funding for public services and end police violence against communities of color.

3. AWARE-LA Saturday Dialogue
Date & Time: Saturday, June 6th, 1:00-3:00pm (12:30 orientation for first timers)
Details: Come together with fellow white antiracist folks to talk about race and racism, whiteness and white privilege, openly and honestly with each other. (For more information about why we host spaces specifically for white folks, please check out this document).
Contact: send questions to awarela@gmail.com

READING & ANTI-RACIST RESOURCES

1. Racial Justice Art & Story Sessions
“Building true cross-racial understanding and a sense of shared destiny amongst and between immigrant and refugee communities requires unlearning the centuries of anti-Black racism in the United States that has been exported across the world through social norms, culture, media, and policy.”

2. The Center for Cultural Power
#NoGoingBack: A COVID-19 Cultural Strategy Activation Guide for Artists and Activists to meet the moment.

3. Anti-Racism for Beginners
Anti-racist resources, readings, and other materials.

4. Racial Equity Curricula
From Racial Equity Tools, for educational contexts.

5. Southern Poverty Law Center’s Teaching Tolerance Curricula
Curricula that address racism, tolerance, and historical oppression.