Site-specific public programs focused on water-related topics to be presented in conjunction with installations during month-long CURRENT:LA Water public art biennial.
LOS ANGELES – The City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA) today announced the twelve organizations / artist teams selected to receive funding for public programs to be presented at the fifteen public art sites throughout Los Angeles as part of the inaugural, citywide art biennial, CURRENT:LA Water, taking place from July 16 to August 14, 2016. The biennial is supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies Public Art Challenge.
In June 2015, the City of Los Angeles was selected as one of four cities to receive up to $1 million as part of the Bloomberg Philanthropies Public Art Challenge, a new program aimed at supporting temporary public art projects that celebrate creativity, enhance urban identity, encourage public-private partnerships, and drive economic development. L.A.’s winning project, CURRENT:LA Water, will establish the first Public Art Biennial for the City of Los Angeles. The exhibition is also supported with a match from DCA’s Arts Development Fee (ADF) Program and a $50,000 grant from The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation.
“CURRENT:LA is a temporary public art initiative that aims to establish a new paradigm for public art in Los Angeles, one that is transformative and contributes to the creation of social capital and public discourse locally, nationally, and globally. We are excited about the collaboration with our selected public program providers to enrich and maximize the potential for public art to create dialogue and help change how we understand and respond to important issues like water,” said Danielle Brazell, DCA’s General Manager.
Nonprofit organizations, artists, and artist teams were invited to submit concepts for public programs that would allow for attendees to fully experience CURRENT exhibitions through free interactive programming focused on the topic of water, the theme for the biennial’s first edition, to examine this critical resource from many perspectives. The selected presentations will accompany the temporary public art installations as presented by the CURRENT:LA artists.
The following CURRENT:LA Water public program providers were selected by the CURRENT:LA curatorial team from submissions received in response to a Request for Qualifications:
• Barcid Foundation Native Current Multimedia Workshop
• Bob Dornberger, Misa Lund, Emily Han, Pascal Baduar, and Erica Wohldmann
• Clockshop
• Community Services Unlimited
• Devon Tsuno
• Friends of the Los Angeles River (FOLAR)
• KCHUNG
• Los Angeles Urban Rangers
• Self Help Graphics and Art
• Teatro Jornalero Sin Fronteras
• UCLA Art Sci
• Women’s Center for Creative Work
“The Department of Cultural Affairs selected the twelve CURRENT:LA Water public program providers to enhance engagement with the audiences visiting the biennial’s installations. Their programming will broaden the discussion about water with interesting and educational tools like mobile museums, drought tolerant landscaping workshops, and unique audio-visual performances,” said Felicia Filer, DCA’s Public Art Division Director.
In addition to the commissioned public programming, the Department of Cultural Affairs is encouraging community arts organizations, collaboratives, and groups focused on water or sustainability to submit supplemental conCURRENT events and activities to the currentla.org website that include water as a theme, topic, or location. Events must be based in Los Angeles, self-organized, and self-funded. Suggested categories can include: art, film, music, performance, literary, workshops, family-friendly, and mobile.
Events are accepted on a rolling basis to be considered for inclusion on the website’s Calendar of Events and must be submitted no later than July 1, 2016. Please visit the CURRENT:LA website for eligibility requirements and how to submit ideas for consideration: http://www.currentla.org/participate.
About CURRENT:LA Water
The artists and artist teams selected to participate in this inaugural biennial from among 130 considered include: Refik Anadol + Peggy Weil (team); Edgar Arceneaux; Josh Callaghan + Daveed Kapoor (team); Mel Chin; Chris Kallmyer; Candice Lin; Lucky Dragons (Luke Fischbeck + Sarah Rara); Teresa Margolles; Kori Newkirk; Michael Parker; Gala Porras-Kim; Rirkrit Tiravanija; and Kerry Tribe.
Initial curatorial oversight and selection of the artists was provided by artist and curatorial advisor, Marc Pally and a committee of esteemed LA-based curators with experience in issue-based public art and biennial presentations. Ongoing curatorial support is provided by the following curators: Ruth Estévez (REDCAT, Roy and Edna Disney / CalArts Theater), Rita Gonzalez (LACMA), Karen Moss (Otis College of Art and Design and USC Roski School of Fine Arts and Design),
and Irene Tsatsos (Armory Center for the Arts).
CURRENT:LA Water public art sites will be installed at the following fifteen locations for the biennial’s temporary installations: Bowtie Project (Council District 1); South Weddington Park (Council District 2); Origin of the LA River (Council District 3); Sunnynook River Park (Council District 4); Cheviot Hills Recreation Center (Council District 5); Sepulveda Basin Recreation Area (Council District 6); Hansen Dam (Council District 7); Norman O. Houston Park (Council District 8); South Los Angeles Wetland Park (Council District 9); Westside Neighborhood Park (Council District 10); Del Rey Lagoon (Council District 11); Bee Canyon (Council District 12); Echo Park Lake (Council District 13); 1st Street Bridge (Council District 14); and Point Fermin Park (Council District 15).
The DCA initiative was also made possible by support from agencies in the local communities surrounding the sites, and from government agencies at the federal, state, county, and city levels including: the United States Army Corps of Engineers – Los Angeles District, Los Angeles County Flood Control District, the multi-jurisdictional LA River Cooperation Committee, and the following City of Los Angeles agencies: the Bureau of Engineering; the Department of Recreation and Parks; the Department of Transportation; the Department of Water and Power; LARiverWorks, Mayor Eric Garcetti’s specialized interdepartmental team to accomplish revitalization of the Los Angeles River; and the 13th Council District Office (Councilmember Mitch O’Farrell, Chair of the Council’s Arts, Parks, and Los Angeles River Committee).
For more information about CURRENT:LA, please visit currentla.org or follow CURRENT:LA on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
About the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA)
As a leading, progressive arts and cultural agency, DCA empowers Los Angeles’ vibrant communities by supporting and providing access to quality visual, literary, musical, performing, and educational arts programming; managing vital cultural centers; preserving historic sites; creating public art; and funding services provided by arts organizations and individual artists.
Formed in 1925, DCA promotes arts and culture as a way to ignite a powerful dialogue, engage LA’s residents and visitors, and ensure LA’s varied cultures are recognized, acknowledged, and experienced. DCA’s mission is to strengthen the quality of life in Los Angeles by stimulating and supporting arts and cultural activities, ensuring public access to the arts for residents and visitors alike.
DCA advances the social and economic impact of arts and culture through grant making, public art, community arts, and strategic marketing and development. DCA creates and supports arts programming, maximizing relationships with other city agencies, artists, and arts and cultural nonprofit organizations to provide excellent service in neighborhoods throughout Los Angeles.
For more information about DCA, please visit culturela.org or follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/culturela; Instagram @culture_la; and Twitter @culture_la.
About Bloomberg Philanthropies
Bloomberg Philanthropies works in over 120 countries around the world to ensure better, longer lives for the greatest number of people. The organization focuses on five key areas for creating lasting change: Arts, Education, Environment, Government Innovation, and Public Health. Bloomberg Philanthropies encompasses all of Michael R. Bloomberg’s charitable activities, including his foundation and his personal giving. In 2015, Bloomberg Philanthropies distributed over half a billion dollars.
For more information about Bloomberg Philanthropies, please visit bloomberg.org or follow us on: Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat: Bloombergdotorg, and Twitter @BloombergDotOrg.
CONTACTS:
Aunny Bathe, aunny@radixcollective.com, 310.367.9543
Rebecca Carriero, rebeccac@bloomberg.org, 212.205.0182