OPEN OFFICE HOURS

The Los Angeles County Arts Commission's Civic Art Program welcomes you to the next Open Office Hours on Monday, January 23 from 5 to 7 p.m.

Having a portfolio of completed public projects is often a requirement before an artist will be considered for a public art commission.  For artists who are new to the field, this Open Office Hours will explore the concept of artist initiated projects and will address the “catch-22” of the application process. What are the funding sources that are available to you? What are the practical and logistical challenges of realizing your vision? How do you transition your work into a public commission?

Speakers include: Freya Bardell and Brian Howe, Artists, Greenmeme; Janet Owen Driggs, Writer, Artist and Curator, Performing in Public Space and Metabolic Studio; and Erin Harkey, Civic Art Project Manager, Los Angeles County Arts Commission.

The Los Angeles County Arts Commission’s Open Office Hours are quarterly discussions that provide information to artists who are interested in developing a public practice.  Topical discussions include presentations by relevant experts, an overview of the County’s Civic Art Program, and provide an opportunity for dialogue in an informal setting.

Attendance is on a first-come first-serve basis. Please RSVP in advance to http://civicartopenofficejan23.eventbrite.com.

SPEAKERS:

A writer, artist and curator, Janet Owen Driggs has exhibited internationally, including in the United States, Europe, Scandinavia and Brazil. She has organized exhibitions, screening programs and public projects in the United Kingdom, United States, People's Republic of China and Mexico. Previously the Founding Director of the AIM international festival of time-based media, Janet is currently a member of the Metabolic Studio team and a partner in the collective identity “Owen Driggs” (with Matthew Driggs), which operates Performing Public Space (PPS). After debuting at Tijuana’s Casa del Tunel in February 2010, PPS was responsible most recently for the construction and performance of Octupy, a giant puppet created with and for the Occupy movement. 

Started in 2005, Greenmeme is the continuing vision of artists Freya Bardell and Brian Howe, where a collaborative group of artists, ecologists, architects, scientists and builders come together to create sustainable, ecologically focused work which varies in scale, materiality and context. Through these experimental partnerships, their strategies of representation are in a constant state of research and design. From living walls to interactive installations, their work provides multi-layered experiences of unique urban and natural ecosystems, integrating living, playful sculptures into informative environments.  For more information visit, http://greenmeme.com

 Erin Harkey is a Civic Art Project Manager at the Los Angeles County Arts Commission. Prior to joining the Arts Commission, Ms. Harkey was the Associate Director of Public Art & Design at the Arts Council for Long Beach where she managed temporary and permanent public art projects and exhibitions on behalf of the Long Beach Redevelopment Agency and Long Beach Transportation Authority. This included a series of award winning, temporary programs for vacant lots called the Urban Lab and the A Lot Series. Ms. Harkey has also worked for several notable cultural institutions including: the District of Columbia Arts Center, Washington, DC; the Japanese American National Museum, Los Angeles, CA; the Music Center of Los Angeles County; and the Los Angeles Community Redevelopment Agency.

We look forward to having a dialogue with you!