Five years ago, Los Angeles County Supervisors Hilda L. Solis and Mark Ridley-Thomas introduced a motion, unanimously adopted by the Board of Supervisors, that set the then Arts Commission on a journey to create a framework for advancing cultural equity among the region's arts and culture sector. The Cultural Equity and Inclusion Initiative and its 13 recommendations - six of which have now been adopted - is the result. Now, as a Department, fostering cultural equity and inclusion is part of our very founding. As we continue to strive for cultural equity in all that we do, it is increasingly clear that the advancements we seek cannot be achieved without racial equity. We applaud Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas for introducing today's motion Establishing an Antiracist Los Angeles County Policy Agenda, the Board of Supervisors for unanimously approving the motion, and the County CEO and department heads for their leadership and vision in supporting it.
The mission of the Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture is to advance arts, culture, and creativity throughout LA County. We fulfill our mission by providing services and support in areas including grants and technical assistance for nonprofit organizations; professional development opportunities; commissioning civic artworks and managing the County’s civic art collection; implementing countywide arts education initiatives; research and evaluation; career pathways in the creative economy; free community programs; and cross sector creative strategies that address civic issues. This work is framed by the County’s Cultural Equity and Inclusion Initiative and a longstanding commitment to fostering access to the arts.
