City: Burbank
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.

I grew up in the 70’s; thus in junior high and high school, we had a daily period of instruction devoted to art, theater, or music. However, in retrospect I now realize the most meaningful artistic experiences of my formative years were in the industrial arts. While perhaps not as inspiring as a painting or a poem, there is nevertheless an inherent beauty in a straight, clean cut made with a torch, or in two pieces of wood being joined with a tight, symmetrical dovetail joint. I recall the satisfaction and pride that came with being able to accomplish such tasks on par with an adult craftsman.

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

The City Council can help maintain cultural infrastructure through its support of libraries and museums, by making public spaces available for exhibiting art, and through cooperation with our schools in developing training opportunities in the creative disciplines.

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

The City’s purpose is to foster a safe, vibrant community in which people can raise their families, pursue their livelihoods, and engage with their fellow citizens. Art and culture promote this purpose by enhancing the quality of life within the city.

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?

The City of Burbank should work to create training partnerships between our schools and local media production companies. Not only would this equip the students with skills leading to good jobs, but also would encourage more media production to locate in Burbank, so as to take advantage of the ever-expanding supply of skilled labor.