{[Name]}

City: Saugus Union
Position Seeking: Board Member

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 was in my high school speech class and one and another student told me that I have a great voice and I should consider singing in Glee Club. I thought it sounded fun so I tried out and made it and fell in love with you music and to this day love vocal performances.

Question 2: How can arts education support student outcomes such as English language development, reducing the achievement gap, and preparing youth for college and/or meaningful careers?

The arts allow for educators to reach students in non-traditional ways and can be used effectively to stimulate tactile, visual and auditory learners. By incorporating music and drama to supplement reading it brings the stories to life.

Question 3: What do you think the role of the School Board should be in ensuring that students have continued access to a broad range of study subjects, including the arts (broadly defined)?

One of my top goals is to work toward equity in programs at all our schools. Currently, the arts are supported largely by parent groups and can vary from site to site. We need to embrace a district-wide plan to use community groups and foundations to spread the benefit.

Question 4: Do you see a role for arts education in the development of district Local Control Accountability Plans (LCAPs)? If so, how would you hope to use arts education to advance the eight priority areas identified in the LCAP template?

Through our LCAP we identified the need to increase student achievement growing their understanding, appreciation and participation in the Arts. We identified the need to Increase the number of teachers trained to provide arts- integrated instruction. Additionally, we have instituted a Arts teacher on special assignment to help guide the process. I support these efforts and current LCAP.

{[Name]}

City: Acton-Aguar Dulce Unified
Position Seeking: Board Member

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.

Question 2: How can arts education support student outcomes such as English language development, reducing the achievement gap, and preparing youth for college and/or meaningful careers?

Question 3: What do you think the role of the School Board should be in ensuring that students have continued access to a broad range of study subjects, including the arts (broadly defined)?

Question 4: Do you see a role for arts education in the development of district Local Control Accountability Plans (LCAPs)? If so, how would you hope to use arts education to advance the eight priority areas identified in the LCAP template?

{[Name]}

City: Acton-Aguar Dulce Unified
Position Seeking: Board Member

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.

Question 2: How can arts education support student outcomes such as English language development, reducing the achievement gap, and preparing youth for college and/or meaningful careers?

Question 3: What do you think the role of the School Board should be in ensuring that students have continued access to a broad range of study subjects, including the arts (broadly defined)?

Question 4: Do you see a role for arts education in the development of district Local Control Accountability Plans (LCAPs)? If so, how would you hope to use arts education to advance the eight priority areas identified in the LCAP template?

{[Name]}

City: Acton-Aguar Dulce Unified
Position Seeking: Board Member

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.

Question 2: How can arts education support student outcomes such as English language development, reducing the achievement gap, and preparing youth for college and/or meaningful careers?

Question 3: What do you think the role of the School Board should be in ensuring that students have continued access to a broad range of study subjects, including the arts (broadly defined)?

Question 4: Do you see a role for arts education in the development of district Local Control Accountability Plans (LCAPs)? If so, how would you hope to use arts education to advance the eight priority areas identified in the LCAP template?

{[Name]}

City: Alhambra Unified
Position Seeking: Board Member

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.

Question 2: How can arts education support student outcomes such as English language development, reducing the achievement gap, and preparing youth for college and/or meaningful careers?

Question 3: What do you think the role of the School Board should be in ensuring that students have continued access to a broad range of study subjects, including the arts (broadly defined)?

Question 4: Do you see a role for arts education in the development of district Local Control Accountability Plans (LCAPs)? If so, how would you hope to use arts education to advance the eight priority areas identified in the LCAP template?

{[Name]}

City: Alhambra Unified
Position Seeking: Board Member

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.

Question 2: How can arts education support student outcomes such as English language development, reducing the achievement gap, and preparing youth for college and/or meaningful careers?

Question 3: What do you think the role of the School Board should be in ensuring that students have continued access to a broad range of study subjects, including the arts (broadly defined)?

Question 4: Do you see a role for arts education in the development of district Local Control Accountability Plans (LCAPs)? If so, how would you hope to use arts education to advance the eight priority areas identified in the LCAP template?

{[Name]}

City: Saugus Union
Position Seeking: Board Member

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.

Question 2: How can arts education support student outcomes such as English language development, reducing the achievement gap, and preparing youth for college and/or meaningful careers?

Question 3: What do you think the role of the School Board should be in ensuring that students have continued access to a broad range of study subjects, including the arts (broadly defined)?

Question 4: Do you see a role for arts education in the development of district Local Control Accountability Plans (LCAPs)? If so, how would you hope to use arts education to advance the eight priority areas identified in the LCAP template?

Marcus G. Tiggs

City: Culver City
Position Seeking: Councilmember

Question 1: Please share the most meaningful arts and cultural experience you had growing up.

Early it was my older sister. She regularly would expose me the concerts at t he Los Angeles Music Center, various silent movies and cultural arts events. My sister was patient with this as she has a masters in fine arts. From age 10 through 18 I was a competitive figure skater exposing me to other creative disciplines (e.g. ballet, classical music, etc.).

Question 2: What do you think should be the role of City Council in the development and support of the region’s arts and cultural infrastructure?

The role of the city in my view is to encourage the cultivation of existing cultural and art programs.. In addition, it is prudent for City Council to look to public-private partnerships to expand our cities arts and cultural infrastructure. This planned public-private partnerships will facilitate additional cultural programs that would be supportive not only to Culver City but the region.

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

My vision for the city surrounds balancing residential with that of commercial. 75% of the city general revenue comes from business related taxes i.e sales business license etc. While I feel we have to encourage smart developments to economically sustain Culver City I feel strongly the city is only as good as its residents. Arts and culture is part of the creative economy which also benefits/enhance the quality of life in Culver City. In conclusion art and cultural plays a critical role in achieving my vision.

Questions 4: A recent report by the Otis College of Design found that 1 in every 7 jobs in LA County is supports the creative sector and economy in Los Angeles County. What strategies, if any, would you pursue to enhance the region’s creative economy (i.e. cultural tourism, indirect and direct jobs, nonprofit and for profit organizations)?

With Culver City being a point of destination and next-door to silicon beach, Culver City is in the perfect space to leverage this. Culver City has taken a first step with funding the citywide fiber network. Attracting creative economy businesses to Culver City does not happen automatically. I would champion the city using the services of a professional marketing firm to market the heck out of the city as it being a place for creative businesses (for and not for profit). This creative sector is something we cannot miss.

Jeannine Pearce

City: Long Beach City
Position Seeking: Councilmember

Question 1: Please share the most meaningful arts and cultural experience you had growing up.

We were extremely poor growing up. Therefor, I cherished my Nikon SLR camera. Viewing the world through my camera lens and in the images produced in a darkroom gave me the confidence to be and do more than even my mother thought possible. I was 16 when I moved out of my mother’s home, on the very day my stepfather destroyed all my camera equipment. The next week I started my first job as a photography assistant. I went to community college and continued photography. I know firsthand the power of the arts to build confidence, community, and engagement.

Question 2: What do you think should be the role of City Council in the development and support of the region’s arts and cultural infrastructure?

Government is the best advocate for the arts, as it can be an unbiased source of continuing revenue free from the pressures of the market. Government also has the most to gain from supporting the arts, as the arts helps to build community and break down the barriers.
It is critical that we allocate funds to support our Arts Council, artist development, public art, and education.The arts creates jobs, community engagement, revitalizes neighborhoods , and builds a more expansive creative local economy. The arts also cultivates young people, creates new opportunities and facilitates academic achievement, while helping to revitalize neighborhoods.

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

Locally I see the arts as playing a key role in revitalizing neighborhoods working with our at risk youth and bringing innovation and creativity into our local economy. We can do a better job of educating residents young and old through the arts as well as a better job of connecting local artist to economic and educational opportunities. We can also use the arts to connect people to their local government in new ways with the goal of ensuring everyone has a voice in solving our everyday problems.

Questions 4: A recent report by the Otis College of Design found that 1 in every 7 jobs in LA County is supports the creative sector and economy in Los Angeles County. What strategies, if any, would you pursue to enhance the region’s creative economy (i.e. cultural tourism, indirect and direct jobs, nonprofit and for profit organizations)?

I support bringing back the 1% for the Arts and ensuring that revenue is spent on local artists. This new dedicated funding source would help to enrich the local arts community and build a new opportunities for creative sector development. I will work to link our art’s community with the many tourist assets we have in Long Beach, like the Queen Mary, our museums, and our coastline. I also want to invest in the Creative Intern Program, which connects LB City College and local artists into our K-12 classrooms.

Thomas Aujero Small

City: Culver City
Position Seeking: Councilmember

Question 1: Please share the most meaningful arts and cultural experience you had growing up.

As a small child I clearly remember going with my family to the theater and the winter-season Charles Dickens Faire in San Francisco… and our extended sojourns with my mother’s family in the Philippines, being immersed in that unique and vastly foreign culture (both South East Asian and Catholic), the food, the tropical childhood entertainments… In high school I began singing and then studied Comparative Literature at Yale University, singing and touring Europe with the Yale Russian Chorus, and then studying art in Italy before graduate school in France at the University of Paris.

Question 2: What do you think should be the role of City Council in the development and support of the region’s arts and cultural infrastructure?

I am running for City Council as Commissioner of Cultural Affairs, a highly unusual candidacy focused on arts and culture. As a Councilmember I would advocate for the region’s arts and cultural infrastructure with more vigor than any previous member of the council. First, I would promote additional support and resources for the Cultural Affairs Commission, and then further improvements and renovation of the Veterans Auditorium complex, as well as additional facilities for arts of every kind. As Commissioner, I have overseen the Public Art program, Performing Arts Grants, our first International Film Festival, and our new Artist/Poet Laureate program.

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

I envision Culver City as an exemplary, diverse model small city at the heart of a major international metropolis. Art and culture play a major, central, and crucial role in achieving this level of excellence, (including an extremely high quality of life and vigorous creative economy). We need to nurture our burgeoning arts district, our museums and theaters, and grow our civic cultural and artistic offerings, particularly those that serve our youth, our seniors, and the less affluent who have less easy access to the world class performances, museums, and cultural diversity available throughout greater Los Angeles.

Questions 4: A recent report by the Otis College of Design found that 1 in every 7 jobs in LA County is supports the creative sector and economy in Los Angeles County. What strategies, if any, would you pursue to enhance the region’s creative economy (i.e. cultural tourism, indirect and direct jobs, nonprofit and for profit organizations)?

As Commissioner of Cultural Affairs, I commissioned Culver City’s first Report on the Creative Economy based on the Otis Report on Los Angeles, which is now being drafted. I believe that nurturing our creative economy is critical to the successful future of Culver City. All of these aspects of this market sector: cultural tourism, indirect and direct creative jobs, nonprofit and for profit arts and cultural organizations, work together to support our vigorous economy. Our vital, growing, and essential high-tech, media, and design-oriented businesses particularly interact and depend on these other aspects of our creative economy.