Venice Arts

VENICE ARTS' MISSION IS TO IGNITE, EXPAND, AND TRANSFORM THE LIVES OF LOS ANGELES' LOW-INCOME YOUTH THROUGH PHOTOGRAPHY AND FILM EDUCATION, AND TO USE OUR PARTICIPATORY STORYTELLING PRACTICES TO AMPLIFY THE VOICES OF UNDERREPRESENTED COMMUNITIES AROUND THE WORLD. WE DO THIS BY BUILDING CREATIVE EQUITY FOR LOW-INCOME YOUTH THROUGH MEDIA ARTS EDUCATION, COLLEGE SUCCESS, AND CREATIVE CAREER PATHWAY PROGRAMS WHERE WE PUT CREATIVITY AT THE CENTER OF YOUTH DEVELOPMENT. OUR PROGRAMS BUILD SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE, AND SELF-EFFICACY, WHILE MAXIMIZING OUR PARTICIPANTS' ABILITY TO FIND THE RESILIENCY NECESSARY TO THRIVE, EVEN IN THE FACE OF RACISM, CLASS MARGINALIZATION, AND/OR IMMIGRATION STATUS.

ART MENTORING AND EDUCATION: IN 2022, 280 NEW AND CONTINUING YOUTH ENROLLED IN PHOTOGRAPHY, FILM, AND COMICS WORKSHOPS, AND AN ADDITIONAL 40 STUDENTS FROM CULVER CITY HIGH PARTICIPATED IN PORTFOLIO BUILDING WORKSHOPS. WHILE OUTREACH EFFORTS EXPANDED, ENROLLMENT WAS STEADY, THOUGH STILL NOT TO PRE-PANDEMIC LEVELS. WE MAINTAINED OUR PROGRAM OF 1:1 MENTORING FOR MANY OF OUR YOUNG ARTISTS, SUPPORTING THEIR SUBMISSIONS FOR NATIONAL AWARDS AND COMPETITIONS, COLLEGE APPLICATIONS, ADVANCED LEARNING, AND RELATED OPPORTUNITIES. HIGHLIGHTS OF SOME OF THEIR 2022 ACCOMPLISHMENTS INCLUDE: 1. 3 IDYLLWILD ARTS ACADEMY SCHOLARSHIPS 2. CALIFORNIA STATE SUMMER SCHOOL FOR THE ARTS SCHOLARSHIPS 3. OTIS SUMMER OF ART SCHOLARSHIP IN MAY, WE HOSTED OUR FIRST IN-PERSON STUDENT CULMINATING EXHIBITION SINCE 2019. THIS EVENT SHOWCASED THE BEST OF OUR STUDENTS' CREATIVE WORK, AND GAVE OUR FAMILIES AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS THE OPPORTUNITY TO RECONNECT WITH THE ORGANIZATION. IT WAS A LIVELY CELEBRATION OF OUR YOUTHS' ACHIEVEMENTS AND A WELCOME RETURN TO NEW NORMAL. OUR PARTICIPANTS WERE RACIALLY/ETHNICALLY DIVERSE (86% YOUTH OF COLOR), AND 94% WERE LOW-INCOME, WITH 53% OF FAMILIES LIVING IN POVERTY. FIFTY-FOUR PERCENT (54%) LIVED IN NEIGHBORHOODS WITH HIGH POCKETS OF POVERTY ON LOS ANGELES' WESTSIDE AND 46% CAME FROM THROUGHOUT LOS ANGELES, WITH MOST RESIDING IN SOUTH L.A., INGLEWOOD, AND MID-CITY, AND SOME TRAVELING FROM AS FAR AS NORWALK, THE ANTELOPE VALLEY, AND THE SAN FERNANDO VALLEY TO PARTICIPATE. 94% OF LOW-INCOME YOUTH ATTENDED VENICE ARTS COMPLETELY FREE- OF-CHARGE.

PARTICIPATORY DOCUMENTARY PROGRAMS: IN 2022, VENICE ARTS' PARTICIPATORY DOCUMENTARY PROGRAMS, LARGELY COMPRISED OF CONSULTING AND TRAINING SERVICES TO OTHER NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, FOUNDATIONS, AND COMMUNITY GROUPS REMAINED ON HIATUS, CONTINUING TO BE CURTAILED BY THE GLOBAL COVID-19 PANDEMIC.

CREATIVE PATHWAYS: CENTER FOR CREATIVE WORKFORCE EQUITY: AFTER SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETING THE FIRST YEAR OF OUR FILM & DIGITAL MEDIA CAREER PATHWAYS PILOT PROGRAM, IN LATE 2021 WE LAUNCHED OUR NEW CENTER FOR CREATIVE WORKFORCE EQUITY (CCWE) TO SUPPORT A GROWING ROSTER OF CREATIVE CAREER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE, INCLUDING ART MENTORING & EDUCATION ALUMNI. THE PROGRAMS RANGE FROM EXPOSURE TO CAREER PATHWAYS TO EDUCATION AND TRAINING IN VISUAL STORYTELLING INCLUDING, PAID INTERNSHIP PLACEMENTS AND, IN FALL 2022, THE COUNTY'S FIRST-EVER FEDERAL- AND STATE- REGISTERED PRE-APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM IN DIGITAL VIDEO EDITING. THESE PROGRAMS TARGET LOW-INCOME, CREATIVE YOUNG PEOPLE AGES 16-24, WITH PRIORITY GIVEN TO FORMER OR CURRENT FOSTER, HOMELESS, JUSTICE INVOLVED, AND/OR LGBTQ YOUTH. IN A RADICAL RETHINKING OF HOW TO BUILD EQUITY AND OPPORTUNITY IN THE ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT, YOUNG PEOPLE ARE SUPPORTED TO FULLY COMMIT TO THEIR EDUCATION BY BEING COMPENSATED WHILE THEY LEARN. SINCE ITS LAUNCH IN EARLY 2020, 664 YOUNG PEOPLE ENROLLED IN OUR CREATIVE CONVERSATIONS; 61 GRADUATED FROM OUR SMALL-CLASS CERTIFICATE PROGRAMS AND PARTICIPANTS HAVE BEEN PLACED IN 37 INTERNSHIPS THROUGH 2022.

GALLERY & PUBLIC PROGRAMS: IN 2022, VENICE ARTS' EXHIBITIONS AND PUBLIC PROGRAMS REMAINED LARGELY DORMANT DUE TO THE GLOBAL COVID-19 PANDEMIC.