The Arts, Culture, and LA28
Mar 30, 2024Last Fall, Arts for LA welcomed Erikk Aldridge (Vice President of Impact at LA28) to our annual State of the Arts Summit to participate in a fireside chat about the Cultural Olympiad and LA28’s local efforts to include the arts and culture in their planning. Arts for LA has heard from arts organizations, arts workers, and advocates over the last year about the importance of equity, exposure, and lasting legacy leading up to, during and following the Olympic Games. In response, we wrote a letter with community partners to LA City Councilwoman Traci Park, Chair of the Ad Hoc Committee on the 2028 Olympics and Paralympic Games, to not only share an overview of the Cultural Olympiad, but to also share the results from a survey distributed to our organizational members. It highlights the following needs and priorities:
- Increased awareness around the Cultural Olympiad
- Timely information and updates
- Access to opportunities and funding
- Amplifying the cultural heritage and legacy of Los Angeles
Additionally, our conversation with Erikk was featured as a top story in DTLA news just last week. Jimmy Magahern’s article “The ‘Cultural Olympiad’: DTLA arts community is thinking 4 years ahead,” highlights our Creative Jobs Collective Impact Initiative and connects our cross-sectoral efforts to the Cultural Olympiad, the Olympic Games, and broader advocacy efforts across the region. We are proud to be a member of the LA28 Local Hiring Work Group and will continue to advocate for meaningful participation from arts and culture organizations in the Olympiad planning process.
