Arts in Jeopardy
The arts are in jeopardy! Please read the following message from the Angels Gate Cultural Center Staff:
Dear Friends and Supporters of Angels Gate:
As you may already know, the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs [Click here for link] is being threatened with catastrophic budget and staff cuts. Staff reductions of 24-48% have been proposed as has the total elimination of the $2.2 million in grants that the Department awards annually. This includes grants that have been awarded for the rest of this year that have not been invoiced. In addition, five councilmembers have introduced a motion to remove the city ordinance that guarantees 1% of the “hotel bed tax” for the Department’s budget, a move that would eliminate any obligation to fund the Department at all.
We don’t have to tell you about the valuable programs and organizations that will be adversely affected by this action. The arts in Los Angeles are a 14.8 billion dollar industry. For every dollar spent by the Department of Cultural Affairs, eight dollars are generated directly in jobs for artists and businesses. This doesnt even take into account the value of the arts to society overall.
We need your help and we need it now
Angels Gate, in partnership with the Grand Vision Foundation, hosted a letter writing party, February 1, at the Grand Annex on 6th Street in Downtown San Pedro. They wrote letters to the city council, Council District 15 councilmember Janice Hahn and the Mayor’s office, letting them know how
important the Department of Cultural Affairs and its services are to you and your families. Your words can change things.If you didn’t make our letter writing party, you can write a letter online via Arts for L.A.’s website [Click here for link]. If you don’t live in the City, but enjoy the services provided by the DCA, you should direct your Emails to either council president Eric Garcetti or councilmember Janice Hahn, who represents Council District 15, where the Angels Gate Cultural Center is located.
Write a letter online here: [Click here for link]
You can also contact your councilmember’s office directly, via the City of Los Angeles website [Click here for Council District 15 link].
Thank You,
The Angels Gate Cultural Center Staff:Deborah Lewis, Executive Director
Marshall Astor, Visual Arts Director
Jessica Yang, Education Director
Oscar Garcia, Development Director
Dana Joy Helwick, Program Administrator
You can find out more about this issue on Marshall Astor’s website.
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