Spring 2014 Los Angeles County Third Supervisorial District Candidate Surveys
Candidate order: Sheila Kuehl, Bobby Shriver
As part of its work to connect voters and candidates, Arts for LA presents these Culture & Creativity Candidate Surveys to promote dialogue around issues related to arts, culture, creativity and their benefits.
Survey responses provided by each candidate are for voter information purposes only. Arts for LA does not endorse candidates seeking office. We are committed to fostering respectful, nonpartisan dialogue about issues relating to arts and culture. For more information, please read about our mission and values or our FAQ.
All eligible candidates were contacted to participate in the survey. If you would like to submit new or revise existing responses, please contact Charlie Jensen at [email protected] or 213-225-7580.
The Actors Fund, KCET Artbound, LA2050, and the Social & Public Art Resource Center (SPARC) served as Regional Partners by promoting Arts & Culture Candidate Surveys throughout Los Angeles County.
Voting for Los Angeles County's Board of Supervisors Third District will be held on Tuesday, November 4.
1 seat is available in this election. Elections are by district, meaning only residents of Los Angeles County's Third District may vote in this race.
For more information on where to vote, visit the Los Angeles County Clerk/Registrar-Recorder’s Office website.
Question 1. Arts Education and Workforce Development
Americans know that innovation is crucial to competitive workforce development and believe that the arts are the way to teach innovation. A 2013 Americans for the Arts study found 72% of business leaders say creativity is the number on skill they seek when hiring. A study conducted by Lake Research Partners found 69% of American voters believe America is not doing enough to promote innovation and, further, 88% of respondents believe that an education in and through the arts is essential to cultivating imagination. (Richard Deasy, Arts Education Partnership) The Los Angeles County Arts Commission, through its regional blueprint for Art Education (Arts for All) has for more than ten years pursued successful strategies to reintroduce comprehensive arts education to LA County school districts. Leadership from the Board of Supervisors, particularly through relationships with school superintendents, school districts, and community stakeholders has played a key roll in their resurgence. As Supervisor, what would you do to increase the number of students in public schools receiving quality arts education?
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Thanks to the efforts of collaboratives like Arts for LA, many of the 81 school districts in Los Angeles County are adopting arts and culture in their basic education programs. This recognition of the central place that arts and culture education plays in a student’s overall learning is critical. As Supervisor, I would: • Visibly advocate for arts and culture in education, including making the arts a part of the core curriculum in every school district. • Expand the use of neighborhood teams to define arts and cultural learning opportunities in each neighborhood. • Expand the Arts For All initiative to all school districts in the County. • Expand the County paid internship program for college students offered through the LA County Arts Commission. • Strongly support the continued expansion of public transit so that more students have access to arts and culture venues outside their own neighborhoods. • Provide free transportation and admission passes for students to arts and culture venues. • Preserve a dedicated funding stream for the Los Angeles County Department of Cultural Affairs. • Convene an arts day program for the County similar to the one now in place for the City of LA.
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My wife, Malissa Feruzzi Shriver, is former chairman of the California Arts Council, co-chairs the state Arts Education Task Force, and serves on four regional and national arts boards. Arts education is a core subject, just like Math and English. As Supervisor, I will promote this view by pointing out what students gain from quality arts education: · Analytic and critical thinking skills · Communication skills · Empathy, persistence, creative risk-taking · A lower dropout rate · Higher test scores in other subjects. Research shows low socio-economic students who have arts education gain 100 points on SAT scores. · Preparation for good jobs. The Otis Report on Creative Economy shows that 726,300 jobs (one out of seven) in our region are in the creative industries. Disadvantaged students benefit the most, but currently have the least access to arts education. All these facts will inform my budget decisions as well as any appointments the Supervisors make, such as the County Superintendent and LACOE board members. I will support the Arts for All County Initiative and will see that the LA County Office of Education works in partnership with the LA County Arts Commission. I am pleased to have current LACAC Commissioner Hope Warshaw’s endorsement.
This candidate has not yet responded.
Question 2. Access and Cultural Understanding
The Los Angeles County Arts Commission currently provides grant support to over 300 nonprofit arts organizations. Grant funding is key to providing access for all residents to a full spectrum of non-commercial cultural activities. Although County grant funds were increased substantially in 2006, further increases remain the largest single priority for the cultural community. If elected Supervisor, how would you increase LA County's investment in the non-profit cultural sector?
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The non-profit network in LA County provides a great way for the County to provide access to a wide variety of arts and cultural experiences for our ten million residents and millions of visitors. As Supervisor, I would: • Increase funds available through grants to increase non-commercial cultural activities. A large amount of state and federal funds are left on the table each year and I would devote staff to finding and securing these funds. • Actively work to leverage support from the private sector, especially from donor-advised funds, which account for millions of available dollars • Develop and fund a grants budget to support organizations and groups whose primary mission may not be arts-based, but who include quality arts-based programs in their services, Hundreds of thousands of residents participate in these programs, especially in suburban and rural areas, and the County can help them continue and thrive. These include nonprofit organizations and for-profit businesses, cities and local arts agencies, jails and juvenile camps, libraries, colleges and universities, social services agencies, ad hoc groups and collectives.
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Important civic functions are accomplished through government support of the arts, not routinely through corporate or philanthropic investment. I will support increased funding for the LA County Arts Commission, as an investment in our future, our quality of life, and the success of our students. The Arts Commission cannot adequately serve our ten million residents with its current budget. The LACAC supports schools through professional development in arts education and internships. Both areas should be expanded. LA County should increase funding to nonprofit arts organizations, which would provide more concerts and other cultural events for students, families, and the elderly—particularly in underserved communities—as well as attract valuable cultural tourists. This additional investment will also reap economic rewards. The Getty Center’s 'Pacific Standard Time: Art in LA, 1945-1980' underscored the fact that arts organizations are economic drivers. The exhibition attracted participation from 60 arts institutions, 70 galleries, and 1.8 million visitors while generating $280.5 million and 2,490 jobs. That is a tremendous economic return as well as a boost to LA’s image and a boon for the tourism industry. At just $4.3 million in 2013-2014, the LACAC’s grants program is currently a missed opportunity to energize LA’s creative economy.
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Question 3. Civic Art
In 2005, the County adopted a policy that allocates 1% of County capital projects for the inclusion of civic art. The policy provides opportunities for community members and artists to collaborate with County staff to increase the value of capital investments. However, the policy does not cover many important infrastructure projects, including roads, airports, or private development. Given successful models in many local communities, from LA METRO's art in transit to recent policies that establish a higher percentage allocation (2%), how would you champion modifications or expansion of the County’s current policy?
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Civic art projects provide another crucial way for the public to see, appreciate, and participate in, the arts by layering our everyday experiences with arts and culture. As Supervisor, I would: • Expand the current civic arts policy to include more and different venues, such as airports, roads and waterways, which are now exempted from the 1% policy. • Lift the ceiling on currently eligible projects, which are now capped at one million dollars. •Explore and advocate for increasing the 1% capitol project allocation for public art to 2%. • Propose a fee on large commercial and multi-family residential developments with building valuations over $250,000 in the unincorporated areas to include cultural and arts considerations, as is now the case for parks, libraries and schools. These funds could also be used for cultural activities in the areas surrounding the developments. Thirty-one cities of the County’s 88 already assess this sort of fee or require the payment of an in lieu fee. All cities with public arts requirements also require the same for private developments.
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I applaud the Board for enacting the 1% for civic art policy, which contributes to our region's quality of life and is emerging as one of the largest civic art programs in the country. I supported a similar program in Santa Monica when I served on the City Council. There is more the County can do: At least 200 cities around the US have similar or more extensive civic arts policies. Austin, Texas, for example, has a 2%-of-capital-improvements policy. Dozens of other cities require private developments above a certain size to include 1% for civic art or an in-lieu fee. I am open to exploring all options for increasing the funding for civic art. I will see to it that the civic art special fund is well managed, including consultation with knowledgeable members of the arts community and greater community. Civic arts projects can be an opportunity for input from our outstanding cultural institutions as well as the County Arts Commission. Investment in civic art is also an economic driver: it returns valuable tourism dollars. Images of our public art, such as Disney Hall, are branding our region and should be promoted at LAX and elsewhere.
This candidate has not yet responded.
Question 4. Cultural Facilities
The County owns and has taken full fiscal responsibility for many of the region's cultural crown jewels, from LACMA and the Natural History Museum to the Music Center and the Hollywood Bowl. In addition, the County ensures broad access through accessible ticket prices and transportation subsidies. What do you believe the role of the County Board of Supervisors should be in the development and support of the region’s cultural infrastructure?
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LA County, unlike any other county in the country, has assumed fiscal responsibility for many of the County’s most vibrant arts, cultural and performance venues: the Music Center, LACMA, the Bowl, La Plaza de Cultura y Artes, the Ford Amphitheater, Grand Park and the Natural History Museum, which includes the Paige, at the Tar Pits. As Supervisor, I would: • Continue to actively engage with all these venues to ensure accessible ticket prices and regional access. • Propose a funding program to implement the completion of the master plan for the Ford Amphitheatre, including new parking garages, a 299 seat theater, a restaurant and hiking trail. Funding must also include ongoing maintenance. • Make certain the Arts Commission is fully funded to operate the new theater in Hacienda Heights. • Using County facilities, now underutilized, to give arts and culture organizations space to bring new experiences to neighborhoods and underserved areas, for free or at a rental price of $1 a year. • Create a revolving loan fund for capital improvements.
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The Supervisor for the Third District has traditionally led in building and maintaining our cultural infrastructure; I will continue that tradition. I will work to ensure that our cultural venues have the highest caliber of management. I will maintain and expand the large philanthropic and corporate investments, which are vital. The foresight and initiative of past Supervisors have bequeathed invaluable cultural institutions to LA County. LACMA has undergone a renaissance; it has become a gathering place for free concerts and other events. It provides mobile museum tours for students, as well as curricula for teachers and classes for children and adults. It draws cultural tourists from all over the world. The Natural History Museum also provides mobile museums and curricula, free events, and the successful 'First Fridays' program. Both museums offer affordable admissions tickets and are benefitting from rising attendance. Time Warner underwrites the NHM’s education programs; I will foster more public/private partnerships like this, as well as community outreach. Many venues are undergoing large-scale capital improvements. I will monitor these projects closely to make sure they come in on-budget and on-time. The Hollywood Bowl continues to offer budget-priced seats for all performances; I will make sure that doesn’t change.
This candidate has not yet responded.
Question 5. Cultural Tourism
The economic importance of cultural tourism has been extensively documented. 2012's regional initiative Pacific Standard Time generated considerable economic activity in the Southern California region, adding $280.5 million in economic output and supporting 2,490 jobs with total labor income of $101.3 million. Interest in attending cultural activities is the second highest reason for visitors coming to LA, yet there is no cohesive marketing strategy for the 88 municipalities in Los Angeles County. As Supervisor, what would you do to support the development of regional approach to cultural tourism?
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The key here is coordination and collaboration. Currently more than 15 different convention bureaus, visitor bureaus and tourism offices operate in their own spheres, without much communication or shared resources. Cultural tourism also provides significant opportunities in economic output and jobs. As Supervisor, I would: • Bring these entities together to develop a cohesive marketing strategy for all the cultural assets across the County, including an extensive and comprehensive calendar. The County used to play a key role in these activities, but let it slip away in the last half of eh 20th Century. It’s time to pick up this leadership again. • Increase grants from the MTA to support the new mobile platform that provides information on real time cultural opportunities linked to transportation information. • Establish an ongoing line item in the budget for cultural tourism. • There is also a great opportunity to expand the economic health and diversity in the County by targeting the new creative economy, which, in open studios, workshops and creative campuses, also provides an opportunity to enhance cultural tourism.
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My vision is to establish Los Angeles as a world-class arts destination, equal to New York and Paris. LA County has made tremendous strides in the last decade, and the world is taking notice of this emergence as a premier cultural destination. We are attracting artists from other states and many countries. Our rich cultural diversity only enhances our artistic output. Determined, creative leadership is necessary to build upon this momentum. The LA County Arts Commission has an important role to play in collaborating with the county's numerous arts institutions, nonprofit organizations, and foundations to create and promote events that will attract cultural tourists. The Pacific Standard Time exhibition was a good example, but it could have been promoted in more places--specifically at LAX. I will use my experience with branding and marketing in the private sector to find innovative ways to promote this region as a creative destination unlike any other. I look forward to making this case to LA county's corporate and philanthropic leaders, as a high-yield investment that is central to the County’s creative and tourist economies and will generate significant social benefits as well.
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Question 6. Integrated Cultural Solutions
The arts are a remarkable tool for addressing intractable social problems and enhancing the quality of life for residents in such areas as gang prevention, homelessness, senior services, and civic engagement. The County Arts Commission has pioneered a number of programs with other County Departments such as Social Services, Libraries, and Parks and Recreation. However, more consistent programmatic integration could reach a broader array of residents. As Supervisor, what would you do to initiate or support an integrated approach to interdepartmental solutions?
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The arts are part of the solution to seemingly intractable social issues. As Supervisor, I would: • Integrate arts organizations into ongoing collaborative strategies for finding permanent supportive housing for our homeless populations. Among the many possible projects—use of arts therapies, including writing and theater, art in housing, inclusion of arts and cultural work in training programs. • Continue free access for CalWORKS recipients to arts venues such as the Ford Amphitheater and museums and gardens. • Explore incorporating arts programs in ongoing gang prevention, graffiti abatement, and senior services programs. These can include employing artists and at-risk youth to create projects in their own neighborhoods for graffiti abatement, such as the program at Dockweiler Beach funded though the County’s Regional Park and Open Space District funds. • Support the identification and mapping of each community’s cultural assets. The Willowbrook community is transforming itself into a living arts venue. •Support and expand partnerships with Parks and Rec, Libraries, Beaches and Harbors and other County departments to provide free concerts and other programs to enhance the quality of life, especially in our unincorporated areas. • Collaborate beyond the 'usual partners' and look to Fire, Sheriff and Regional Planning departments to increase the integration of programming
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I support expanding the reach of the arts within County government. LA County should lead in implementing collective impact strategies to address social issues facing our region. There are many opportunities for effective and cost-effective collaboration. The arts · Have been a powerful strategy to reduce recidivism, decrease violence, and improve the culture of jails and prisons · Promote physical health and expedite medical recovery, enhancing patient resilience and coping skills, resulting in fewer doctor visits and less medication · In health care facilities reduce the length of hospital stays and decrease health-care-related infection rates and the need for pain medication—as well as improving the environment for medical workers · Contribute to healthy aging by improving symptoms of dementia and cognitive decline · Have been used effectively to treat soldiers, combat veterans, and survivors of physical and emotional trauma · Allow for expression, engagement, and other key elements of recovery · Can reduce feelings of depression and anxiety I will be a creative leader who considers how the arts can be productively integrated into the mission of other county departments. As Supervisor, I will insist that department heads be open to innovative partnerships and do not obstruct collaborations with the LA County Arts Commission.
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