Saving the Arts in Culver City

Arleen Chikami

NOTE: This is the sixth in a series of Culver City Progress Blog articles highlighting local community groups doing good work in Culver City. Please see the postings on the Culver City Sister City Committee here and here, on the Martin Luther King Planning Committee here, on Shoes for the Homeless here, and on the Culver City Youth Health Center here.

Support for the arts is a tradition in Culver City. With the establishment of the Cultural Affairs Commission in 2001, the adoption of the Community Cultural Plan by the City Council in 2003, and the creation of the Culver City Cultural Affairs Foundation in 2006, Culver City residents recognized the need to develop an arts infrastructure that could support and develop memorable creative programming in the visual and performing arts, as well as historic preservation, for all to enjoy. These efforts resulted in the creation many cultural events like the Culver City Music Festival, Made in Culver City, Music in the Chambers, Rainbow Day, and Speak Easy. Over the years, thousands of residents have enjoyed these free programs, and all were made possible by support from the Culver City Redevelopment Agency, which, unfortunately, was dissolved in February.

In response, the Culver City Cultural Affairs Foundation has recently stepped up efforts to implement a grass roots fundraising plan, now known as the Cultural City Campaign. As money is donated towards the Campaign, it increases the chances that these great programs will survive in some fashion—or better yet, thrive. The Campaign was approved at the Foundation’s last meeting on March 21, 2012, and is being implemented by City staff.

The first goal of the Cultural City Campaign is to raise funds for the programs which have lost funding due to the elimination of the Culver City Redevelopment Agency. They are:

• 2013 Culver City Music Festival - $75,000 for eight performances



• Speak Easy - $20,000 for two spoken word/live music performances



• Made in Culver City - $10,000 for one outdoor film screening



• Rainbow Day - $10,000 for two family-oriented performances



• Music in the Chambers - $10,000 for one classical music concert

Donors may make contributions for a specific program or for general support, and all donations are tax deductible.

Currently, donations are being accepted by check. Individuals and businesses may make checks payable to: Culver City Cultural Affairs Foundation and mail to: Culver City Cultural Affairs Foundation, 9770 Culver Boulevard, Culver City, CA 90232. More information is available by calling 310-253-5716.

A donation webpage is being created at www.culvercity.org/donate which will allow residents to make electronic contributions. A press release will announce the launch of the website, and other fundraising developments.

In addition, the Foundation is applying to more than a dozen private foundations to supplement individual donations. A business contribution plan is also being initiated.

Through these unique events, Culver City residents have been enriched by an amazing roster of world-class artists including members of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, playwright and MacArthur Genius Awardee, Luis Alfaro, jazz musicians Bill Cunliffe, Hubert Laws, and Patrice Rushen, and award-winning dance company Diavolo Dance Theater, to name a few. The calibre of these free programs have not only revitalized our neighborhoods, but they’ve also defined our city as a place that values creativity, quality of life, and community engagement for all of its citizens.

Indeed, the commitment to arts and culture was evident at the most recent Music in the Chambers concert, where audience members donated more than $750 upon learning of the Foundation’s Cultural City Campaign. On behalf of the Cultural Affairs Foundation, I want to thank those donors for their generosity—especially during this time of transition. If you love the arts and want these vibrant programs to continue in our city, please consider making a donation now.

Let’s keep Culver City a Cultural City!

Arleen Chikami is the Chair of the Culver City Cultural Affairs Foundation.