For May, we want to first recognize the contributions of our Asian American and Pacific Islander communities, artists, cultural organizations, and partners for AAPI Heritage Month…

Jacob Pratt (Dakota and Ojibway from Cote First Nation) is one of those artists who wears many hats: he is a filmmaker, producer (Disney Channel’s Use Your Voice campaign), pow wow and hoop dancer, musician, voiceover artist (Louis Says), and TV co-host (Canadian TV series Wild Archeology). He wore many of these hats during his residency as a Creative Strategist with the Los Angeles City/County Native American Indian Commission (LANAIC). 

As always, we are proud to support LA County’s dynamic arts field and have lots of news to share.

As part of its ongoing relief and recovery initiatives, the LA County Department of Arts and Culture launches the LA County Performing Arts Recovery Grant this week, designed to support the region’s performing arts sector. With it, the department will deliver $1.2 million in one-time funding to artists,

This week, the Board of Supervisors passed a motion that declares April 2023 as Arts Month in Los Angeles County, and praises the contributions of artists, arts administrators, arts organizations, culture bearers, and arts educators throughout the County.

This Spring is filled with renewal and regeneration! Our programs are in full swing: the Arts Internship Program launches soon, and we are busy planning the return of the Arts Datathon.

April is Arts Month! Los Angeles County’s creative ecosystem is one of the most vibrant in the world—with arts nonprofits, businesses, artists, and creative workers collaborating in performing arts, design, film and screen industries, and literary arts.

Sandra Hahn grew up in East LA and in Whittier, artistically inclined from the start. She had challenges to navigate—including not speaking English when she first started school, needing glasses, and dealing with then-undiagnosed dyslexia. But she always drew, and won many art contests at school and at fairs. As she got a little older, Sandra became interested in photography, film, and murals through after-school programs. She also got into trouble a lot, and because her parents didn’t see or understand the vast opportunities in the field of arts for a young girl, they pushed her toward beauty college.

Jacqueline Pimentel was a shy kid from Covina, but at home, she loved to sing and perform. Her mom always nudged her towards their community’s musical theater scene—Jackie was a Lost Kid in Peter Pan first, and then appeared in Beauty and the Beast and Oliver! "I needed a creative outlet," she said. "My mom always encouraged me to get out of my shell." Jackie joined the chamber choir during high school, where she became a classically trained vocalist, grew to love music in various languages and genres, and had the opportunity to be a member in a successful ensemble that traveled to New York to sing at Carnegie Hall and Seattle for their annual Performing Arts Heritage Festival.

Constance Jolcuvar’s life is full of layers. She’s proud of her background—she’s a half-Hispanic and half-Greek first-generation California native with roots in both San Marino and Frogtown. She acknowledges the privilege in the life she has built, but she’s also often been on the receiving end of nasty, hurtful prejudice. “Most would never guess that to look at me,” she said, “so I’ve always been about striving for fairness and equal opportunity for all, and I’m a constant and strong supporter of public schools.”