Arts for LA has published the results of its semiannual Arts & Culture Candidate Surveys for races in Los Angeles, Burbank, and Pasadena.

Forty-seven candidates filed responses with Arts for LA as of February 7, representing thirteen different races in the three cities.  LAUSD's race reaches beyond the borders of the city of Los Angeles to include eight full municipalities and twenty-three other municipalities whose lands are partially included in the district.  All eligible candidates inreceived an invitation to complete the survey.

While Arts for LA cannot and does not endorse specific candidates for election, we strive to ensure arts and culture are included as part of the election dialogues.  At a recent Los Angeles Mayoral Candidate Forum, held at the Empowerment Congress Summit in January, the first question asked candidates to discuss the role of public funding for the arts.  Los Angeles currently has one of the lowest per-capita arts funding streams for peer cities of its size, whose granting budgets can outnumber our own by a factor of ten or more.  The candidate survey prepares candidates to answer questions about their perspective on the roles arts and culture can play in building stronger municipalities and school districts.

Burbank surveys were completed in partnership with Burbank Arts for All Foundation, an independent nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering arts education opportunities in Burbank Unified School District's schools. The colalboration between Burbank Arts for All Foundation and Arts for LA resulted in a 100% response rate from candidates in the Burbank City Council race and the Burbank Board of Education race.

For more information or to read additional surveys, visit the Campaigns section of our website.

Photo credit: "Surveys to compile" by The Bees, on Flickr