City: Glendora
Position Seeking: City Council

Question 1: Please share a meaningful experience you had with art (visual, dance, drama, music, media arts) while growing up and its impact on you.

During my elementary school and junior high school years, my family lived on the west side of Los Angeles. I was fortunate enough to be able to walk literally across the street to the Los Angeles Museum of Art. My friends and I took advantage of this opportunity on a regular basis, as it was free admission at that time. In addition, my family would attend plays in Century City occasionally, and that gave me the chance to see yet another art form. All of these encounters gave me an appreciation for the arts at a young age, and an understanding of the diversity of expression and form that exists in art.

Question 2: What do you believe the role of City Council should be in developing and supporting the region’s arts and cultural infrastructure?

In the City of Glendora, we have tried to encourage public art in new development projects that have come into our city, as well as incorporating art into our future Gold Line station. I believe that the role of the City Council is to encourage art to be considered as a way to “brand” a city, as well as a means to tell the “story” and history of a community. In terms of regional art, I believe that we can encourage our residents to become familiar with programs and locations in our region that they can visit, and encourage them to utilize convenient public transportation to get to some of those locations. It is our role to support art and cultural programs that we host in our own community, some of which have a regional flavor or background.

Question 3: What’s your vision for the city? What role, if any, does art and culture play in advancing that vision?

My vision for the City of Glendora is for it to become a thriving, cohesive community that has a high quality of life both now and for future generations. Art and culture play a role in helping to bring identity, education, enrichment and entertainment to the community. By doing so, it creates a holistic approach and helps to maintain a high quality of life.

Questions 4: A recent report by the Otis College of Design found that 1 in every 6 jobs in LA County supports the creative sector and economy in Los Angeles County. If elected, how will you aim to ensure the continued vitality and growth of the creative economy and the artistic community that it supports?

If I am re-elected to the City council, I will continue to support programs and policies that support and enhance the business community, especially the small business sector. I believe that by encouraging public art, and encouraging artists to have their studios in Glendora, that we can help with he growth of the creative economy. During my regular employment, the church that I am a Pastor at, has a Fine Arts Academy, which employs art instructors who in turn offer a variety of classes to children and adults. Programs such as this are one way to ensure the continued growth of the creative economy. As City officials, we can work with the Chamber of Commerce and the community to make Glendora an attractive home for other artists and art programs.