Author: Los Angeles County Arts Commission

Publication Year:

Media Type: Report

Summary:

Mandated by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to conduct a constructive city-wide conversation about ways to improve diversity in cultural organizations for the benefit of all LA County residents, this report reflects the learning, research and recommendations of that mandate. The process resulted in 13 actionable recommendations to improve cultural equity and inclusion in the arts. 

Abstract:

"The Arts improve health and well-being, and they improve cognitive skills. Even more, the arts can bring people together across demographic, economic and social lines. They are places where people can both see and express themselves, their communities and their cultures in public performances and exhibitions. The arts also offer important career and leadership opportunities.

In a County as ethnically and culturally diverse as well as geographically sprawling as Los Angeles, what can be done to ensure that all the benefits of, and opportunities provided by, the arts are available and accessible to all residents, no matter who they are or where they live? This includes everything from jobs and serving on boards of directors, to improvements in health and education, to reflective and illuminating content and programming. This question is at the heart of the Cultural Equity and Inclusion Initiative (CEII).

While Los Angeles County has invested in arts and culture for more than a century, there are concerns that all County residents do not have equal and meaningful access to the arts and the benefits they provide.

In November 2015, Los Angeles County Supervisors Hilda Solis and Mark Ridley-Thomas introduced a resolution that was unanimously passed by the Board of Supervisors, directing the Los Angeles County Arts Commission to conduct “a constructive County-wide conversation about ways to improve diversity in cultural organizations” for all LA County residents. The Board specifically directed the Arts Commission to focus on four key target areas: Boards of Directors, Staffing, Audience/Participants, and Programming. To this the Arts Commission added a fifth: Artists/Creators.

In addition to being a national leader in arts and culture, LA County is one of the largest and most diverse counties in the United States. The population of LA County has been majority “people of color” since the late 1980s. According to the U.S. Census Bureau2, 48 percent of residents are Latino or Hispanic, 14 percent are Asian or Pacific Islander, 8 percent are African American, 1 percent are Native American, Alaska Native or Other, and 2 percent are Two or More Races. The remaining 27 percent are White." [p.1-2 Excutive Summary]

Arts & Intersections:

Categories: Local Arts Agencies, Cultural Planning, Cultural Diversity, Community Development, Access and Equity