Introduction


What evolves and what goes extinct? What will the next generation cherish or regret? How will our future get better or worse? Decisions we make everyday as individuals, families, cities, and countries impact the present but are also harbingers of the future.

Lately we have been resigned to a historical perspective - incremental losses swell frustration until a new revolution of thinking takes control. Are we ready to live life differently - environmentally differently? Sure. Does our future include a high-regard for pleasurable music, dance, design, movies, and festivals? Absolutely.

Arts, recreation, and spiritual experiences are the best ways for society to feel whole (even when the glass is half empty). "Why should public monies be used to support artists?" For the same reason that a family in hard times enjoys a birthday party. Health and safety are not our only concerns. Happiness is something greater than basic needs.

"But artists?" "Yes!" Art is not the abandonment of responsibility, but a strategic fulfillment of our human condition. Besides, public investments in creative outlets, cultural enjoyment, and artistic entrepreneurship are really quite small.

The City of Los Angeles transforms monies from taxes paid by visitors to our hotels, 1% of the Tourist Occupancy Tax, into awards for public benefit that help support art exhibitions, performing arts presentations, workshops, and local festivals, among other programs and activities that make our city vibrant. Created in 1981, the Department of Cultural Affairs grants program supports Los Angeles artists and arts organizations as a modest, yet important part of the cultural landscape of our great City. The granting process is community driven. Our staff selects diverse sets of local art experts, educators, and other stakeholders to serve as peer panelists for review of applications.

The City of Los Angeles (C.O.L.A.) Individual Artist Fellowship Program, one of the most popular grants initiatives offered by DCA, proudly highlights Angeleno ingenuity and promise. City grants for master artists demonstrate our LA pride and allow all of us to understand what creative leaders want to accomplish when free (for a brief period) from the eventual need to sell their objects and/or experiences in the marketplace.

The direct results of the C.O.L.A. Fellowships are wonderful new projects on view through a free exhibition, performance showcase, and online catalog. The indirect benefits include: inter-generational exchange, community involvement, and the continuation of Los Angeles as a world-class City for innovative ideas.

On behalf of the City, we salute the 2011 C.O.L.A. Fellows for their exemplary past and new work. We are happy to name them as some of the most dedicated and brilliantly innovative workers in our creative community.

Olga Garay
Executive Director
Department of Cultural Affairs
City of Los Angeles

Joe Smoke
Grants Administration Division Director
Department of Cultural Affairs
City of Los Angeles