The Civic Art Division 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 County facilities. Completed projects and artworks are accessioned into the Civic Art Collection (Collection). Since 2004, the Collection has accessioned over 600 historic and contemporary artworks from over 300 artists, which include new civic art commissions, donations, and art purchases.
The Department of Arts and Culture envisions LA County as a region in which arts, culture, and creativity are integral to every aspect of civic life for all people and communities, with a goal of cultural equity and inclusion in all its programs. Over the last two years, the Department of Arts and Culture completed its first-ever Civic Art Demographics Study, a comprehensive analysis of artworks and artists in the Collection. It is one part of a broader initiative to review our Civic Art policies, procedures, commissions, and support for artists. The project was a collaboration between Arts and Culture’s Research and Evaluation and Civic Art divisions. Research consultant Special Service for Groups, Inc. (SSG) who administered the survey on behalf of Arts and Culture prepared the summary report.
The study was conducted in four phases:
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1) Civic Art Collection Data Review
- Data was compiled from artworks accessioned into the Collection and artists commissioned by Civic Art from 2004-2021. This data did not include existing historical artworks, donations, and purchases before the 2004 Board adoption of the Civic Art Policy and Program.
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2) Civic Artist Engagement
- Ten artists who are represented in the Collection or who are currently working on a Civic Art commission were invited to participate in two focus groups to capture their ideas and perspectives on the goals of the survey and the survey design. Their recommendations were embedded into the solicitation and final design of the survey.
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3) Civic Artist Demographics Survey
- A survey was administered to 179 artists who have artworks accessioned in the Collection. A total of 106 artists responded. The survey gathered information on artist practice and demographic representation. It also included an opportunity for artists to provide recommendations on how the Civic Art Division could improve their practices.
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4) Final Report
- SSG analyzed the data from the Collection Data Review and Demographic Survey, and created a final report that summarizes key findings.
The Civic Art Division is working on new programs and projects to improve the representation of the Collection, foster relationships with the community, and support artists throughout LA County. The need for these programs is supported by the Civic Art Demographics Study which provides a comprehensive analysis of artworks and artists in the Collection, including data on artist backgrounds, project funding, and artwork types. This report helps us better understand who is part of the Civic Art Collection, and more importantly, who is missing.
We envision a Collection that reflects diverse artists, approaches, mediums, cultures, and perspectives, and that provides opportunities for artists and narratives that have been historically underrepresented in public art. The data in the report creates a benchmark against which we will track and measure diversity and representation as we continue our work.
Current activities and new programs in development are based on direct feedback from Civic Artists through the Demographic Study, informed by Civic Art staff, and aligned with the Countywide Cultural Policy and Cultural Policy Strategic Plan. They include:
- Updating and improving long-standing Civic Art Policies and Practices to support equity
- Enhancing supports to commissioned artists throughout the commissioning process
- Expanding professional development opportunities for LA County artists and public art field
- Creating opportunities for artists beyond a traditional commissioning model
- Continue to collect demographic data of all professional development participants across the Department’s programs and expand opportunities to collect and track data in Civic Art
The Department of Arts and Culture, and its Civic Art Division, look forward to continuing to address the report findings, and continue to bring forth equitable programs and develop initiatives with the goal of creating and stewarding a Collection that includes all communities of LA County.