Monday, January 25, 1999
Increased county funding has artists dancing for joy
THEATER: Groups receive nearly $1.3 million; Los Angeles fixes
categories to better allocate cash
By Stephanie Sheh
Daily Bruin Senior Staff
The long, sad song has wailed for years: "My government gave me
no money for the arts and left me singing the arts-funding blues."
But among this melancholy tune of national sentiment is an
inspirational reality.
Los Angeles County is whistling a different tune. This past year
the Los Angeles County Arts Commission, an advisory group to the
county board of supervisors, awarded a record $1,269,000 to 115
arts organizations. This amount is a significant increase over the
$730,000 given out during the previous grant cycle.
"I think everyone focuses in on the National Endowment for the
Arts, which is our national arts organization," said Andrew
Campbell, L.A. County Arts Commission’s grants manager. "While
their funding has decreased, it hasn’t necessarily also reflected
in other government funding sources. "
In fact, funding for both the state and county increased this
year. Each year non-profit arts organizations residing in L.A.
County are eligible to apply for funding from the Arts Commission.
Depending on the size of the organization, the money can go toward
a specific project or sustaining the organization. The commission
receives money to allot from county revenue.
In previous years, applicants were divided into two categories –
those with budgets above $200,000 and those with budgets below that
amount. However, for the 1998-1999 fiscal year, the county launched
the creation of a new category – the mid-size organization, with
budgets between $100,000 and $800,000.
One of the reasons for the mid-sized group is because of Los
Angeles County’s burgeoning arts community. Unlike the national
trend, the county has not neglected the arts. Commission executive
director Laura Zucker said that the Commission took a cutback in
1992-1993, along with the other county departments but has remained
stable up to this recent increase.
Campbell believes that one of the reasons for the arts’
financial stability is that the county has one of the largest
populations of artists in the country, if not the world.
"I think that we also understand that the arts is an economic
engine," Campbell explains. "It attracts people to our county,
which helps increase revenue all across the board. Also, we have
such a wonderfully, culturally diverse population here. There’s a
real excitement and enthusiasm about learning about other cultures
and the best ways of doing that is through their art."
Artistic director Tim Dang of the Pan-Asian theater group East
West Players also celebrates the county’s diversity in the arts.
This past cycle, the mid-size organization received $18,800 from
the Arts Commission to produce the Asian American civil rights play
"Carry the Tiger to the Mountain." The grant money will alleviate
the play’s estimated $70,000 budget.
The mid-size category creation comes as a relief to East West
Players, since the organization expanded a few years ago. With the
expansion came bigger sets and bigger expenses.
"It gives us validation and an increased perception of
visibility by being a mid-sized organization," Dang explains.
"People pay attention to you more. Because there are so many small
theaters or small arts organizations, a lot of the organizations
have to compete for (press coverage)."
Dang said that he is grateful for the Arts Commission and
understands that oftentimes fighting for county dollars becomes a
political battle. Many people see arts as frivolous, but Dang
believes it enriches people’s lives.
"The arts tend to reflect what’s happening in our community,"
Dang said. "That’s one way of educating people, so they will
understand and be more tolerant.
"If we have the ability to produce this play, we invite the
community to come see it. Then they get an understanding of who we
really are," he continues. "So when they see other Asian Pacifics
in normal life, they begin to understand where we’re coming from,
as opposed to some stereotypical kind of person that you see on
TV."
The arts not only reflect a community – they can also serve as a
bridge between different communities. And the county is dedicated
to this particular mission.
"East West Players is doing a production of ‘Yohen’ that we have
with Danny Glover," Dang provides as an example. "It is actually a
co-production with an African American theater company called the
Robie Theater company. And bridging is so important because what
happens is that when you see the audience, you see African
Americans and Asians with each other, coming together to see a
specific experience and interracial experience."
But the county’s interest is not limited to interracial
experiences. Projects can also bring together theater and museum
communities or provide community outreach.
For example, the $139,000 grant given to the Los Angeles
Philharmonic goes toward making the this large-budget organization
more accessible.
L.A. Philharmonic public affairs director Leni Boorstin said
these include providing for things such as their community and
education programs, youth concerts and neighborhood concerts.
"The metaphor that I always choose is that a lot of people give
money to, say, cancer, AIDS, diabetes and all that, which is very
vital and important," Dang explains. "They save lives. But I
believe that art also saves lives in a different way. We don’t
necessarily cure the body. We can cure the soul."
So while others may sing the blues over arts funding, Boorstin
reminds, "The picture’s all not grim."Gayanne Fietinghoff
Nobu McCarth (left) and Danny Glover (right) star in a scene
from the play "Yohen." "Yohen" was co-produced by East West
Players, one of the groups that benefited from an L.A. Arts
Commission grant.
Comments, feedback, problems?
© 1998 ASUCLA Communications Board[Home]