Meet our panel for the Arts Education discussion at the State of the Arts Summit 2019!

Arts for LA exists to connect you as individuals and organizations around key issues that contribute to the creative vibrancy of Los Angeles. Learn more about our upcoming events and growth!

Hello Arts for LA Family,

First and foremost, Happy National Arts in Education Week Los Angeles!

Arts for LA exists to connect you as individuals and organizations around key issues that contribute to the creative vibrancy of Los Angeles.

In this spirit, we invite you to two upcoming events to connect with one another: in less than 8 days we will host a Pop Up Art Show 2019 on September 21st at Art Share LA.  On November 1st, we will host our inaugural State of the Arts Summit, scroll down to learn more. Arts for LA organizational members receive free tickets to the State of the Arts Summit. If your organization has not done so already, become an organizational member today!

We are also pleased to introduce our new team member, Cordelia Istel. Cordelia will serve as our community’s Director of Organizing. Learn more about her below.

Lastly, the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs is hosting their Public Art Triennial CURRENT:LA, with this year’s focus on food. You don’t want to miss it. More information below!

Onward,

Gustavo Herrera
Executive Director, Arts for LA

INTRODUCING: YOUR NEXT FAVORITE ARTIST!

What: 3rd Annual Pop Up Art ShowWhen: September 21 6pm-10pm (5pm with VIP Admission)

Where: Art Share LA 801 E 4th Place, Los Angeles
An extraordinary multi-discipline venue in the heart of LA’s Arts District

How: $10 General Admission Tickets
$100 Early Admission VIP Tickets
All ticket proceeds go directly to Arts for LA

Why: A chance to own exclusive and one-of-a-kind art by some of LA’s most imaginative artists -AND- support Arts for LA.

18 LA-based artists who spend their days designing and inventing the worlds we all have grown to love – Disneyland, Disneyworld, Universal Studios, Warner Brothers – are sharing and selling their personal art.

This is your chance to own sculpture, photography, paintings, sketches and more from some of the world’s most creative minds! In previous years, more than 70% of these unique pieces were sold, and this year, there are over 120 works you can make your own. Each artist is donating at least one piece, and the proceeds of the sale of those pieces comes back to Arts for LA.

For the best chance to bring your favorite piece home, join the VIP Experience. You’ll have an exclusive first look at the art work for sale (from 5pm-6pm), along with free parking, drinks, food, and the musical stylings of LA’s latest rising star: Eva B. Ross, whose first album will be released on October 25th!

So, stop by Art Share LA on September 21st to meet great people, find your next favorite artist, and help Arts for LA keep fighting to make LA a better place for all.

CLICK HERE TO BUY TICKETS

STATE OF THE ARTS SUMMIT
How do I play a part in shaping Arts for LA’s public policy agenda for 2020?

Join Arts for LA at the Los Angeles Theater Center on November 1st and be among the first of a growing community working to reimagine solutions to the field’s most pressing issues.

Come and enjoy great conversation, be a part of thinking through solutions, and discover how your voice can shape a proactive collective agenda for the arts in Los Angeles. Organizational members receive free tickets to this event, become a member today!

Click the image below if you are interested in attending this event and would like to receive more information.

 

JOIN OUR MOVEMENT TODAY!
Arts for LA is your only cross-discipline, cross-sector advocacy organization with a mission to give the arts a voice at the decision making tables of Los Angeles. 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 continue to thrive.

Our members are vested partners in shaping what we advocate for in the arts. Arts for LA is an agent for change. Become a member today and be a part of that change.

 

MEET: CORDELIA ISTEL
Arts for LA is pleased to introduce our newest team member, Cordelia Istel! Joining us as our Director of Organizing, Cordelia is an organizer, educator, and administrator with over a decade of experience working at the intersection of cultural programming and social justice.

Before joining the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) as an External Organizer, she served as Director of Programs for White Bird Productions, Manager of the New York Metropolitan Opera’s Education Department, and helped create the United States Department of Arts & Culture – a national network of activists using arts-based strategies to address urgent issues facing their communities.

Cordelia is a graduate of Yale University (degrees in Political Science and Theater Studies) as well as the California Institute of the Arts (School of Theater). She is thrilled to join the Arts for LA team, and will start on September 30.

UPCOMING EVENTS
Department of Cultural Affairs CURRENT:LA Food

LA’s Public Art Triennial

CURRENT:LA democratizes the way people access art. The initiative shifts away from the museum environment and places temporary public art projects and public programs in the neighborhoods of Los Angeles where residents and visitors live, work, and play. CURRENT:LA uses contemporary art as a way to deepen connections on issues affecting Los Angeles and other global cities to inspire civic discourse on those particular issues. Artists and public programmers will highlight the advances – as well as the challenges – we face as producers and consumers throughout 15 LA sites ranging from the San Fernando Valley to Watts.

CURRENT:LA is funded by the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs.

For updates about CURRENT:LA FOOD, follow CURRENT:LA on Facebook, Instagram @current_la, and Twitter @current_la.

#currentLA

MEET OUR NEW BOARD MEMBERS!
We would like to formally introduce you to our three new board members: Rochelle Mills, Felicia Rosenfeld, and Cliff Warner

Growth and expansion! If you’ve been keeping up with us you already know we’re in the hiring process. There are two vacancies, Director of Organizing and a Director of Public Policy, so if you or anyone you know might be a good fit, visit our Job Opportunity page! Our team is getting bigger which means we are more equipped to serve our mission.

Our current board is full of dynamic individuals who embody and push forward the mission of Arts for LA. We are coming in with, not one, not two, but THREE new board members this summer, if we weren’t already a force to be reckoned with, we are now! Please welcome Rochelle Mills, Felicia Rosenfeld, and Cliff Warner as they join our remarkable team. We are so excited to have aboard these stellar individuals. Read more about them and their journey below.

Rochelle Mills is President and CEO of Innovative Housing Opportunities (IHO) where she is responsible for implementing the organization’s vision and growing its portfolio of high-quality affordable housing. Prior to joining IHO, she and her husband founded Mills Studio. Their high-end designs were featured on FineLiving, Homes Across America and other television and print publications. Mills also founded Architours, a boutique art and architecture tour and symposia company. Her diverse background includes UCLA and Otis extension instructor, editor of LA Architect, community planning, construction administrator, and lecturer and writer on art, design, and culture. Mills was appointed to two terms on the South Los Angeles Area Planning Commission and the Crenshaw Community Design Review Board. She has served on the California Cultural Tourism and LA Metro Expo Art advisory committees, as well as the boards of the SoCal Chapter of the National Organization of Minority Architects, Association of Women in Architecture (now AWA+D), Southern California Association of NonProfit Housing (SCANPH), and Fellows of Contemporary Art. She presently serves on the boards of Kennedy Commission and the California Association of Local Housing Finance Agencies.

Felicia Rosenfeld, through FARconnector, serves as thought partner, organizational catalyst, infrastructure architect and creative strategist, working with artists and creative organizations to define and attain success. Rosenfeld has been involved in the not-for-profit world for most of her working life. After graduating with honors from Swarthmore College, she worked at Pentacle (in New York) and also for David Gordon Pick Up Company. Receiving a J.D. from Fordham Law School, Felicia practiced for five years, concentrating in entertainment, copyright and trademark law. Rosenfeld returned to Pentacle as Director of Educational Programming in 2002, then became Director of Programming, and ultimately Co-Director. Rosenfeld served as Executive Director of Dance Resource Center, the service organization for dance in the Greater Los Angeles Area from 2015-2018, professionalizing a 30 year-old all-volunteer organization and making it a leading example of arts service. Since relocating to Los Angeles in 2006, she also has worked and consulted with many arts individuals/organizations and social service organizations. Rosenfled also sits on the Boards of Directors of Dance Resource Center and Koreatown Youth & Community Center. She is a member of the Ford Theatre Connector Council, Americans for the Arts and Californians for the Arts. Rosenfeld was a member of the Dance/USA Board of Trustees for six years; the Co-Chair of Dance/USA 2018 Conference Host Committee; and served on Pentacle’s Board of Directors; the Advisory Board of Show Box LA, as a Trustee of New Roads School, and on the Wilshire Boulevard Temple Karsh Social Service Center Steering Committee.

Cliff Warner has garnered a reputation for being one of the top producers of award-winning experiences including Universal Studios’ WaterWorld Stunt Show, FiestaAventura’s Templo Del Fuego, Bollywood Park and Motiongate including the THEA Award-winning DreamWorks Animation Zone. Having earned his MFA at the Yale School of Drama, Warner has collaborated with some of the most creative people in the entertainment industry (notably as producer on Tokyo DisneySea and DisneyFest Asia). Warner was one of the original founders of Thinkwell Group for which he served as CEO and Chairman for over a decade. Warner produced notable projects including Warner Bros. Studio Tour: The Making of Harry Potter; Sesame Presents: The Body touring exhibit and many more projects for Universal Studios, Walt Disney Entertainment, Harrah’s Entertainment and MGM Studios. In 2011, Warner founded the entertainment development company Mycotoo, Inc., which was designated a top media company by Inc. 500 in 2017. As chairman, Warner has continued to build on his reputation of delivering compelling experiences. Mycotoo’s design collaborations have resulted in the opening of two theme parks (Motiongate and Bollywood Parks) for which Warner oversaw the production development, strategic planning and team staffing. He built the award-winning creative team and served as liaison to facilitate master planning, production design, engineering and management of the specialty groups involved with both parks. Warner has been an invited speaker on multiple industry panels. His roots in theatre keep him anchored to like-minded organizations. He serves as a board member for the Yale Global Alumni Leadership Exchange (YaleGALE) – an international leadership exchange with China, France, United Kingdom, South Africa and Mexico; and Ojai Valley Playwrights Association – a non-profit group that champions the introduction of new, aspiring playwrights to wider audiences off and on Broadway.

We’re growing, we’re hiring, and we’ve got events! Read on for more!

We hope everyone is having a wonderful summer. To our parents, students, and educators, we trust preparation for a new school year is well on its way! Last month, we introduced a new programmatic direction for Arts for LA. We are excited to share our progress and invite you to our upcoming public programs.

This fall, Arts for LA will present two invigorating arts community events to connect this great community of arts advocates. First, join us for a very special Pop-Up Art Show on September 21 at Art Share LA. All proceeds support Arts for LA and its programs. And, this November 1, arts advocates will come out in force for our inaugural State of the Arts Summit: Pathways and Places!

Arts for LA is expanding! Our new board members bring us a broad breadth of experience from entertainment production, urban development and planning, and arts administration. Also, Arts for LA  hiring a Director of Organizing and a Director of Public Policy and Advocacy.

We thank you for your support of Arts for LA, and we ask that you become a contributing member of Arts for LA today. Our new Membership Program invites individuals and organizations to deepen your investment with Arts for LA and to join our movement to advocate for arts for all.

Lastly, Arts for LA is assessing the affordability of live and workspace for artists in the county. If you are an artist who has lived in LA within the last two years, we invite you to fill out this survey and share your input. Your responses to this brief survey will help inform Arts for LA’s 2020 policy agenda.

Onward,

Gustavo Herrera
Executive Director, Arts for LA

UPDATE: PRIVATE PERCENT FOR ART
Last month Arts for LA and some of our stellar Arts Advocates emailed county representatives and convened at the Board of County Supervisors Meeting to provide testimony in support of the 1% for Art Los Angeles County Ordinance.

The ordinance proposes a 1% fee on new, privately developed commercial, industrial, and residential projects valued at a minimum of $750,000 to fund civic art. The city of Los Angeles has had a similar fee since 1991, and this ordinance would apply to the unincorporated areas of LA County.

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted its intent to impose a 1 percent civic art fee on non-residential developments in unincorporated areas, but postponed a decision on whether to do the same for residential projects. This vote also directed staff to report back on how credits would be implemented for projects that include some affordable units and to present a full list of fees that the county assesses on residential development for further consideration.

The next hearing for this ordinance is on September 23, 2019, and we will continue to update you on this effort in our September Newsletter.

LEARN MORE

NEW MEMBERSHIP PROGRAM!
Have seen our social media campaign launching our new membership program? You may still be asking yourself, Why should I (or my organization) become a member of Arts for LA?

Arts for LA is the only organization that advocates for arts and culture across disciplines and across sectors, 24/7. We are building a movement – a network of individuals and organizations united for advocating for access to the arts, arts equity, and arts funding – of which our members are the key benefactors.

Membership support is critical for Arts for LA to deepen this movement and its impact, ensuring arts and culture are perceived as vital for a healthy and rich Los Angeles County. Still not a member? Why not? Join today!

 

ARTS FOR LA IS HIRING
Arts for LA is hiring two brand new positions: a Director of Public Policy and Advocacy, and a Director of Organizing. Both are full time positions and are a part of Arts for LA’s vision for an organization focused on advocacy and connecting our networks of artists and arts organizations. Click below for more information.

LEARN MORE
KEEP ARTISTS IN LOS ANGELES

Our 2019 Laura Zucker Fellow, Allison Agsten, has been hard at work researching affordable spaces and policy solutions for LA County, and now she needs your help. Are you an artist who has lived in LA within the last two years? A study is underway to assess the affordability of live and workspace for artists in the county.

We invite you to fill out this survey and share your input, it will only take a few minutes to complete. Your responses to this brief survey will help inform Arts for LA’s 2020 policy agenda.

Complete Survey Here!

UPCOMING EVENTS
SAVE THE DATE

State of the Arts Summit: Pathways and Places

This fall, Arts for LA presents our inaugural State of the Arts Summit: Pathways and Places. Previously known as LA Convergence, this event is the annual opportunity for artists, arts organizations, and  the community to connect and learn from one another. Our Laura Zucker fellow, Allison Agsten, will be presenting her research and policy proposal for affordable arts spaces throughout Los Angeles, and our speakers will be addressing issues of creative career pathways, equitable arts education, funding and much more.

This Summit will be held on Friday, November 1st at the Los Angeles Theatre Center! We hope you will save the date and plan to join us.

Theme Park Artists Pop-Up Art Show: September 21

Arts for LA, in partnership with Art Share LA and Mycotoo is hosting an exclusive, one night only, Pop-Up Art Show to celebrate the passion and talent of the different artistic disciplines of the themed entertainment industry!

What: Art Show featuring art, designs, and other works created by the brilliant minds behind some of your favorite theme park attractions and experiences including: Meow Wolf, Warner Brothers, Disney, Evermore Park, and Universal Studios.

When: Saturday, September 21 from 6pm-10pm.

Where: Art Share LA 801 E 4th Place, Los Angeles, CA 90013

General Admission: $10

VIP: $100
The VIP experience includes parking and one hour early admission into the event an hour before to join the artists for hors d’oeuvres, wine, and entertainment.

If you are a member of Arts for LA at a level that receives discounts on event tickets, email us at info@artsforla.org to receive your code.
All of the funds raised from this event will go directly to Arts for LA.
Click the button below to purchase your tickets today, see you there!

Buy Tickets Here

The Other Art Fair – Free Admission!

Our Arts for LA community is invited to The Other Art Fair, September 5-8 at Barker Hangar in Santa Monica. Presented by Saatchi Art in partnership with BOMBAY SAPPHIRE®️. Saatchi Art has generously offered free tickets to those interested, see more info below!

140 emerging artists, #FindYourCanvas creativity workshops with BOMBAY SAPPHIRE®, internationally renowned UK artist duo The Connor Brothers, curator-led tours led by Saatchi Art, Chulita Vinyl Club DJ sets, free haikus by the Haiku Guys, BOMBAY SAPPHIRE® gin cocktails, hand-poked tattooing by Moon Tattoo and more.

Click the button below, use code ARTS4LA and select the day you’d like to visit!

Register Here!

WELCOME NEW BOARD MEMBERS
Arts for LA is growing! We are excited to welcome our three newest members to our Board of Directors: Rochelle Mills, Felicia Rosenfeld, and Cliff Warner.

Rochelle Mills is President and CEO of Innovative Housing Opportunities (IHO) where she is responsible for implementing the organization’s vision and growing its portfolio of high-quality affordable housing. Prior to joining IHO, she and her husband founded mills studio. Their high-end designs were featured on FineLiving, Homes Across American and other television and publications. Ms. Mills also founded Architours, a boutique art and architecture tour and symposia company. She presently serves on the boards of Kennedy Commission and the California Association of Local Housing Finance Agencies.

 

 

 

 

Felicia Rosenfeld has been involved in not-for-profit performing arts world for most of her working life. Through FARconnector, she serves as thought partner, organizational catalyst, infrastructure architect and creative strategist, working with artists and arts organizations to define and attain success. Felicia sits on Dance Resource Center’s and Koreatown Youth & Community Center’s Boards; and on The Ford Theatre Connector Council. It’s in Felicia’s DNA to integrate arts into all aspects of community and to build collaborations between the arts and other sectors.

 

 

 

 

Cliff Warner has garnered a reputation for being one of the top producers of award-winning experiences including Universal Studios’ WaterWorld Stunt Show, FiestaAventura’s Templo Del Fuego, Bollywood Park and Motiongate including the THEA Award-winning DreamWorks Animation Zone. In 2011, Cliff founded the entertainment development company Mycotoo, Inc., which was designated a top media company by Inc. 500 in 2017. As chairman, Cliff has continued to build on his reputation of delivering compelling experiences. Mycotoo’s design collaborations have resulted in the opening of two theme parks (Motiongate and Bollywood Parks) for which Cliff oversaw the production development, strategic planning and team staffing.

 

 

AU REVOIR INTERNS
At the end of the month, we bid our amazing interns farewell. Roshni Patel, our Development Intern and Cynthia Cuellar our Public Policy Intern have been invaluable in their support of Arts for LA this summer. Their work has helped us tremendously in building our membership program, our 2020 Public Policy Agenda, our partnership opportunities with local organizations, and so much more.

They are both heading back to universities and then on to successful and fulfilling careers. We wish them all the best and recognize both of their wonderful energies. Arts for LA thanks them profusely for their time and work this summer. Good luck ladies!

 

 

Arts for LA is making some changes – we are headed in a new programmatic direction, and we are hiring!

July marks the beginning of a new fiscal year for Arts for LA and we want to update you on some of our key efforts. Over the past two months, we have been assessing our programs and thinking deeply about focusing our programs, and as a result we have a newly board adopted Programmatic Vision for 2020.

Our core competencies as an organization is to serve you as: researchers, trusted policy experts, arts and culture conveners, and community advocates. This fiscal year, we will fulfill our arts advocacy mission via these 4 core and interconnected programs:

the Laura Zucker Research Fellowship (Summer 2019),
the State of the Arts Summit Convening, formerly known as CONVERGENCE (Fall 2019),
ACTIVATE: Advocacy Training & Advocacy Project Incubator (Winter/Fall 2020),
ArtsMonth: month-long advocacy convenings (Spring of 2020).
Currently, our team is working diligently to outline a 2020 Public Policy Agenda Framework which we will share with you in the coming months. The formation of this agenda will include community listening. Simultaneously, we are also developing a series of fun, public programs that will let us connect often throughout the year.

Fundamentally, this new programmatic vision is about putting you–our membership, our ACTIVATE Alumni, our community of passionate, arts advocates — at the center of this work.

As we embark in this new direction, we are hiring two new members to our growing team! Arts for LA seeks a Director of Organizing and a Director of Public Policy and Advocacy. Click each job title for more information on the position as well as application instructions.

Onward!

Gustavo Herrera
Executive Director, Arts for LA

Chairwoman of Arts for LA authored “The Arts and the Power of the Passionate Banker: An article for Bankers, Artists and those who invest in Arts Organizations.”

This paper explores the role that banks can play in supporting arts and cultural investments in low-income communities. Based on a series of interviews with CRA bankers, it provides examples of how banks are involved in the arts and explores the ways in which banks may receive CRA consideration for investments in community arts organizations. The paper also provides helpful conversation starters to support emerging partnerships between banks and arts organizations.

Read the full paper here.

Please join us in welcoming Gustavo Herrera as our Executive Director, effective December 2018. Welcome Gustavo!

For Immediate Release:

GUSTAVO HERRERA TAKES THE HELM OF NATIONALLY REGARDED ARTS ADVOCACY NON-PROFIT

LOS ANGELES, CA. (NOV. 13, 2018) The Board of Directors of Arts for LA announced today Gustavo Herrera has been named Executive Director. Herrera will build and lead a diverse constituency in engaging and mobilizing individuals and organizations to advocate for access to the arts across all communities in Greater LA.

Herrera, a Los Angeles County resident with a decade of experience in arts management and advocacy, most recently served as Western Regional Director of Young Invincibles, a national organization who advocates for expanding economic opportunity and political participation for young adults ages 18-34. As Western Regional Director, he piloted the organization’s first regional fundraising board, launched an inaugural State of California Millennials Summit that brought together 100+ supporters and funders to introduce issues to statewide political leadership, and developed earned revenues for the nonprofit through a social venture model.

“Gustavo brings a fresh perspective, creative ideas, and a wealth of experience to Arts for LA” said Arts for LA Board Chair Winifred Neisser, “He expresses a deep belief in the power of the arts and we are confident that he will expand our advocacy work here in the city and county of Los Angeles and beyond.  This is the beginning of an exciting new phase for Arts for LA.”

Herrera’s hiring comes as Arts for LA begins its 13th year.  He will build on previous executive directors Danielle Brazell and Sofia Klatzker efforts to grow networks of civically engaged advocates; build deep relationships with elected officials; and work in partnership across sectors to prioritize the arts in making LA a vibrant, prosperous, creative, and healthy society.

As Arts for LA has grown this past decade it has also refined its efforts to ensure diverse and underrepresented voices are included in the creation of arts policy.

George Davis, Executive Director of the California African American Museum and Chair of the Search Committee said, “After an extensive search, the board of Arts for LA is very excited to appoint Gustavo as our new leader.  The visual and performing arts scene in Los Angeles has changed dramatically and our Executive Director must embody that change.  We feel Gustavo brings the vision, strategy and execution skills to expand the reach and impact of our organization.”

“I am thrilled to join the Arts for LA team and I look forward to working with the staff, our esteemed Board of Directors and Chairwoman Winifred Neisser. This is such an exciting time to be an Angeleno. LA is the creative capital of the world. One in six Angelenos identify as creative industry workers and the arts generate 1.6 million jobs for California. The arts and artists are drivers of innovation and a strong economy. I look forward to partnering with Angelenos and across the sectors to continue to advocate for access, investment and diversity and inclusion to the arts in Los Angeles,” Herrera said.

Gustavo Herrera brings extensive management and fundraising experience from previous leadership roles as Chief Operating Officer of LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes, a Los Angeles County cultural institution, and as Development and Programs Director of the Maestro Foundation in Santa Monica. He holds a M.B.A from American Jewish University in Bel Air, CA and a B.A. in Global Studies & Art History from the University of California in Santa Barbara.