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.
Civic Art Special Projects
Download free video conference backgrounds and wallpapers featuring artworks from the LA County Civic Art Collection.
The Creative Graffiti Abatement Project was implemented by the Department of Arts and Culture from 2013 to 2017 in four neighborhoods in south LA County. Civic artworks at two parks and two libraries in these neighborhoods were intended to increase community pride and ownership of public assets and ultimately lead to the reduction of graffiti vandalism at county properties.
The Civic Art Division (Civic Art) of the Department of Arts and Culture works with established and emerging artists to commission new artworks, community engagement activities, temporary art installations, and event-based programming for new and renovated
Los Angeles County celebrates 100 years since the ratification and adoption of the 19th Amendment in August 1920. Despite its passage, many women of color were barred from voting for decades through racial discrimination and intimidation. To honor this centennial and the ongoing work toward achieving equity, the Department of Arts and Culture collaborated with the LA County Women and Girls Initiative to commission six artists to create commemorative artworks.
In July 2020, the Department of Arts and Culture put out a call for for artists, in collaboration with the Los Angeles City/County Native American Indian Commission, to create a temporary artwork or program in response to the November 2018 removal of the Columbus Statue at Grand Park, downtown Los Angeles. Two projects were selected: a virtual engagement program by the Puvungna Collective and temporary art installation by Mercedes Dorame.
Part of the Solution: YES to ADU stems from the Department of Arts and Culture's Civic Art Program’s work in partnership with the Homeless Initiative on the Second Dwelling Units Pilot Program to support the development of granny flats, also called Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) as one of the solutions for affordable housing.
As directed by the Civic Art Policy, the Department of Arts and Culture maintains a Prequalified Civic Artists List. In 2014, the juried list was refreshed with 49 established and emerging Los Angeles County civic artists representing permanent art, temporary art, and social practice.
Arts and Culture's Civic Art program announces an Artist Roster of artists who are pre-approved for the upcoming RCV projects.