BlackNLA - African American Los Angeles

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact:
Will Caperton y Montoya
213.202.5538
will.caperton@lacity.org

City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA) Announces
Engagement of Cultural Master Plan Consultants

The City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA) is working with cultural consulting firms MeaningMatters and Helicon Collaborative to create the City’s new Cultural Master Plan and articulate a shared vision for arts and culture in Los Angeles. Through engaging with the public, city officials, the arts community, and other stakeholders, DCA and the consultants will explore what inspires people about arts and culture in Los Angeles, what is missing, and what residents and visitors collectively imagine for the city’s cultural future.

"Today Angelenos begin to map out a new arts landscape in LA that unifies our efforts and dreams into one clear vision," Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said. "In the growing cultural capital of the world, this Cultural Master Plan is the fundamental step to weave together the strengths of our diverse communities and incorporate the arts into every part of our lives."

Olga Garay, DCA’s Executive Director, said, “The goal of the Cultural Master Plan is to create public consensus around a vision for how culture and creativity in all its diversity can contribute to community and quality of life in Los Angeles.”

Simultaneously, the consulting team will look at innovative ways that other cities
worldwide have stimulated and supported creativity and culture. The result will be a plan that celebrates and enhances the diverse artistic and cultural life of the city, now and for the future. There are many opportunities for Los Angeles residents and visitors to participate in the planning process and strengthen the Los Angeles arts and cultural ecosystem. Public feedback is crucial to this process. To be notified by email of updates and upcoming participation
opportunities, visit the cultural plan website at www.culturalplan.lacity.org.

For the public:

Tell us the what, when, how, and where of your arts and cultural activities in an online survey (August);

Come to a public forum to share your views and shape the vision or Comment on the emerging vision and ideas for action in an online survey (November); and

Visit the Cultural Plan website at www.culturalplan.lacity.org for regular updates, information, and to comment on emerging issues.

For the arts and cultural community:

In addition to the ways listed above, tell us about yourself as an artist or arts organization in an online survey (August/September);

About DCA
The Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA) serves as a leader to generate and support high quality arts and cultural experiences for Los Angeles residents and visitors. DCA advances the social and economic impact of the arts and assures access to arts and cultural experiences through grant making, marketing, public and community arts programming, arts education, and creating partnerships with artists and arts and cultural organizations in every community in the City of Los Angeles.

DCA grants $3.4 million annually to over 300 artists and nonprofit arts organizations and awards the Artist-in-Residence (A.I.R.) and City of Los Angeles (C.O.L.A.) Individual Artist Fellowships. The Department provides arts and cultural programming in its numerous Neighborhood Arts and Cultural Centers and Theaters, and creates several arts and education programs for young people. It directs public art projects and manages the City’s Arts Development Fee, Art Collection, and Murals Program. DCA markets the City’s cultural events through development and collaboration with strategic partners, design and production of
creative promotional materials, and management of the www.culturela.org
website.

About MeaningMatters
The consulting team for this project is a partnership between MeaningMatters, based in Port Hueneme, and Helicon Collaborative, based in Brooklyn and Marin County.

The principals are Jerry Yoshitomi, Holly Sidford, Marcy Hinand Cady, and Alexis Frasz. Team members have experience working for state and regional arts agencies, national foundations, national artist services organizations, and major consulting firms, as well as have experience serving on the Boards of State Arts Agencies, Performing Arts Centers, and National Service Organizations.

Consulting project clients include the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance, the James Irvine Foundation, New York State Council on the Arts, the Ontario (Canada) Arts Council, the New Zealand Ministry of Culture and Heritage, the National Endowment for Science, Technology, and the Arts (United Kingdom), the California Community Foundation, the Marin Community Foundation, and the Santa Monica Department of Cultural Affairs.

For more information about the planning process and for more extensive bios on the consulting team, please go to www.culturalplan.lacity.org.

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			Press Release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contact: Will Caperton y Montoya 213.202.5538 will.caperton@lacity.org City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA) Announces Engagement of Cultural Master Plan Consultants The City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA) is working with cultural consulting firms MeaningMatters and Helicon Collaborative to create the City’s new Cultural Master Plan and articulate a shared vision for arts and culture in Los Angeles. Through engaging with the public, city officials, the arts community, and other stakeholders, DCA and the consultants will explore what inspires people about arts and culture in Los Angeles, what is missing, and what residents and visitors collectively imagine for the city’s cultural future. "Today Angelenos begin to map out a new arts landscape in LA that unifies our efforts and dreams into one clear vision," Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said. "In the growing cultural capital of the world, this Cultural Master Plan is the fundamental step to weave together the strengths of our diverse communities and incorporate the arts into every part of our lives." Olga Garay, DCA’s Executive Director, said, “The goal of the Cultural Master Plan is to create public consensus around a vision for how culture and creativity in all its diversity can contribute to community and quality of life in Los Angeles.” Simultaneously, the consulting team will look at innovative ways that other cities worldwide have stimulated and supported creativity and culture. The result will be a plan that celebrates and enhances the diverse artistic and cultural life of the city, now and for the future. There are many opportunities for Los Angeles residents and visitors to participate in the planning process and strengthen the Los Angeles arts and cultural ecosystem. Public feedback is crucial to this process. To be notified by email of updates and upcoming participation opportunities, visit the cultural plan website at www.culturalplan.lacity.org. For the public: Tell us the what, when, how, and where of your arts and cultural activities in an online survey (August); Come to a public forum to share your views and shape the vision or Comment on the emerging vision and ideas for action in an online survey (November); and Visit the Cultural Plan website at www.culturalplan.lacity.org for regular updates, information, and to comment on emerging issues. For the arts and cultural community: In addition to the ways listed above, tell us about yourself as an artist or arts organization in an online survey (August/September); About DCA The Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA) serves as a leader to generate and support high quality arts and cultural experiences for Los Angeles residents and visitors. DCA advances the social and economic impact of the arts and assures access to arts and cultural experiences through grant making, marketing, public and community arts programming, arts education, and creating partnerships with artists and arts and cultural organizations in every community in the City of Los Angeles. DCA grants $3.4 million annually to over 300 artists and nonprofit arts organizations and awards the Artist-in-Residence (A.I.R.) and City of Los Angeles (C.O.L.A.) Individual Artist Fellowships. The Department provides arts and cultural programming in its numerous Neighborhood Arts and Cultural Centers and Theaters, and creates several arts and education programs for young people. It directs public art projects and manages the City’s Arts Development Fee, Art Collection, and Murals Program. DCA markets the City’s cultural events through development and collaboration with strategic partners, design and production of creative promotional materials, and management of the www.culturela.org website. About MeaningMatters The consulting team for this project is a partnership between MeaningMatters, based in Port Hueneme, and Helicon Collaborative, based in Brooklyn and Marin County. The principals are Jerry Yoshitomi, Holly Sidford, Marcy Hinand Cady, and Alexis Frasz. Team members have experience working for state and regional arts agencies, national foundations, national artist services organizations, and major consulting firms, as well as have experience serving on the Boards of State Arts Agencies, Performing Arts Centers, and National Service Organizations. Consulting project clients include the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance, the James Irvine Foundation, New York State Council on the Arts, the Ontario (Canada) Arts Council, the New Zealand Ministry of Culture and Heritage, the National Endowment for Science, Technology, and the Arts (United Kingdom), the California Community Foundation, the Marin Community Foundation, and the Santa Monica Department of Cultural Affairs. For more information about the planning process and for more extensive bios on the consulting team, please go to www.culturalplan.lacity.org. ###