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A Message From Our Director
The Spirit is Like the Wind by Norman Grochowski at the Topanga Library. LA County Civic Art Collection. |
Dear Colleagues,
April is Arts Month in Los Angeles County, and we are deeply grateful to Supervisor Hilda L. Solis for authoring the motion that made it so. Her designation also marked a significant milestone: ten years of the Cultural Equity and Inclusion Initiative (CEII), which Supervisor Solis established in 2015 to expand access to arts and culture and advance equity across our county's cultural ecosystem. Ten years later, CEII continues to guide our work. May is also Mental Health Awareness Month. You'll find information about Nurturing Wellbeing Through Arts and Culture, an event that explores how creative practice and cross-sector partnership support youth wellness.
The members of our second PAiD Artist Council brought their visions and values to life with eight temporary artwork installations and performances now on view throughout the county. We are also thrilled to launch the Bloomberg Arts Internship (BAI) program — a new partnership with Bloomberg Philanthropies that will place 48 rising public high school seniors in paid internships at arts and cultural organizations this summer. It's an extension of recommendations brought forth in the aforementioned CEII, whose work-based learning recommendations for college students laid the groundwork for programs like this one. And speaking of college students, the 2026 Arts Internship Program is also now open, with paid positions at host organizations posted on a rolling basis.
We celebrated the second cohort of the Media Career Pathways Prototype and the short, very personal films created by 12 youth participants. We also welcomed new Arts Commission President Rogerio Carvalheiro, and are looking ahead to the fifth annual LA County Arts and Health Week Summit on June 12 at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. We hope you'll join us there!
There is so much happening, and all of it reflects the extraordinary community of artists, educators, partners, and County colleagues who make this work possible. Thank you for being part of it.
Onward!
Kristin Sakoda |
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Public Artists In Development (PAiD)
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Professional Development Workshops
We are back with another set of Professional Development workshops specially crafted for artists!
In this next series, The PAiD Program is excited to take artists through a deep dive into fabrication related topics and skills specific to public art. In this FREE online workshop series hosted by Dyson & Womack, we’ll cover conservation needs, working with structural engineers, navigating conversations with fabricators to translate your artistic vision, and more.
Visit our website for more information about these sessions, complete schedule, and how to register. You can also watch recordings of previous sessions in the series. |
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2026 Arts Internship Program
Interns attend the 2025 Art Summit event. Photo by Yoko Morimoto. |
Positions Now Open!
We are happy to announce that the first round of positions for the 2026 Arts Internship Program are now available on our website! These internships are for 400 hours of work at $18.47 an hour. Students apply directly to the host organizations via the information found on our website and should come to interviews prepared to discuss their school schedule and other commitments. Positions will be posted on our website on a rolling basis at the beginning of each month through June 2027. |
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Announcing High School Internship Program at Local Cultural Organizations
Photo courtesy of Homeboy Art Academy. |
Paid Internship Program Supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies
This month, we announced a transformative new collaboration with Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Bloomberg Arts Internship (BAI) program. Beginning this summer, 48 rising public high school seniors will receive paid summer internships at 22 local arts and cultural institutions, gaining hands-on work-based learning and professional experience, as well as college preparation training.
The expansion to Los Angeles represents a milestone moment—bringing BAI’s proven model of workforce development, mentorship, and college readiness to the West Coast and to LA County. It expands our Creative Career Pathways for Youth work, which emerged out of the Cultural Equity and Inclusion Initiative, and complements our longtime LA County Arts Internship Program for college students. |
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CELEBRATING YOUNG FILMMAKERS!
The Media Career Pathways Prototype celebration and film screening at the Watts Labor Community Action Committee (WLCAC). Photo by Rahzizi Ishakarah. |
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Earlier this month, we joined program partners Watts Labor Community Action Committee (WLCAC), The Alliance for Media Arts + Culture, and Heart of Los Angeles (HOLA) to celebrate the 12 youth participants for completing the second cohort of the Media Career Pathways Prototype (MCPP). Following the screening of the 3 and 5-minute short films, the instructors, Tony Chennault and Logan Jackson led a Q&A with the filmmakers. MCPP is designed to fill a critical role in building pathways for LA County youth who experience barriers to participation to high-wage creative careers. Over the two years of the prototype, 20 transitional age youth (TAY), ages 18-24, have participated in 24 weeks of industry-aligned, hard skills training in Media Arts, multimedia production, and general career soft skills training in a community setting. Participants have had access to state-of-the-art technology and software, including equipment donated by Sony Pictures Entertainment, and received a paid stipend, ensuring they have had the resources and support they need to succeed. |
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Rogerio Carvalheiro Installed as Arts Commission President
Photo caption: Supervisor Lindsey Horvath and new Arts Commission President, Rogerio Carvalheiro. Photo by Bryan Chan. |
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The County has citizen advisory commissions to bring expertise and community insight into its work, and the Arts Commission includes three members from each supervisorial district. Rogerio Carvalheiro was installed as President of our Arts Commission this month, appointed by Supervisor Lindsey Horvath. He's the Principal of RCDF Studio, a longtime Planning Commissioner for the City of West Hollywood, and a board member of the One Institute. Rogerio holds an active voice in the design community, teaches in UCLA's Extension's Interior Architecture program, and leads graduate studios at Cal Poly Pomona. We thank outgoing President Randi Tahara, longtime champion for Supervisorial District 2, for her leadership over the past year! |
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Save the Date and Register!
Following a performance of West Side Story, LA Opera Connects hosted a special panel on Arts and Community Wellness with (L-R) Director of the Department of Arts and Culture Kristin Sakoda, soprano Gabriela Reyes, soprano and LA Opera's Advisor for Special Projects Renée Fleming, and Director of Community Benefits for L.A. Care Health Plan Shavonda Webber-Christmas. Photo courtesy of LA Opera Connects. |
LA County Arts and Health Week Summit is June 12
at Dorothy Chandler Pavilion
On Friday, June 12, you're invited to a free day of explore creative practices, build new wellness habits, and find simple ways the arts can support your everyday life at the fifth annual LA County Arts and Health Week Summit. You're invited to explore creative practices, build new wellness habits, and find simple ways the arts can support your everyday life. The summit features artists, healthcare innovators, County leaders, and LA Opera's Advisor for Special Projects Renée Fleming in hands-on experiences that spark creativity, deepen impact, and inspire new approaches to health and wellbeing. Presented in collaboration with LA County Supervisor Hilda L. Solis, First District; the LA County Department of Arts and Culture; and the Jameel Arts & Health Lab. |
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Nurturing Wellbeing Through Arts and Culture:
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Digital Tools and Creative Practices for Youth Wellness
Monday, May 4, 2026 | 2PM - 3:30PM (PT)
Virtual Program Via Zoom
The Department of Arts and Culture and the Arts Ed Collective invite you to a virtual program to recognize May as Mental Health Month.
This event will highlight the essential role that arts, culture, and cross-sector partnership play in supporting individual and community wellbeing. Participants will learn about current mental health resources available to youth and the adults who support them, Soluna—a free, state-supported digital behavioral health platform available at no cost for young people ages 13–25 across California. Soluna is a core component of the Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative (CYBHI) and was launched in partnership with the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS). The platform is fully funded by the State of California to support prevention, early intervention, and access to behavioral health resources for youth and young adults statewide. The program will also feature a healing arts experience through Creative Wellbeing and a curated selection of healing arts resources. |
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Arts Month Backgrounds for your Digital Meetings
"The Crow's Nest" by Sergio Teran, located at the Office of the Public Defender. LA County Civic Art Collection. |
Supervisor Hilda L. Solis and the Board of Supervisors declared April 2026 as Arts Month—a time to remember the celebrate the power of the arts! This month also marks 10 years of the Cultural Equity and Inclusion Initiative, which Supervisor Solis launched to expand access to arts funding and advance equity across the cultural sector.
To celebrate this time, we've created a number of free backgrounds, featuring artworks from the LA County Civic Art Collection. We invite you to check them out, download, and use them in your next digital meeting. |
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