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We Aren't Having Live Arts Events Right Now — Here's Where The Money Might Go
Lula Washington dancer performs onstage at the 5th Annual Celebration of Dance Gala at Club Nokia on Aug. 1, 2015. Angela Weiss/Getty Images for Dizzy Feet Foundation
Councilman David Ryu announced plans Monday to introduce a motion to do something different with his council district's Arts Development Fund. The money had been earmarked for 294 different projects — buuuut only 25 out of the 294 projects weren't special events or arts festivals that are either getting cancelled or being postponed thanks to coronavirus.
Ryu's solution: redirect that money to provide small grants to artists and arts nonprofits, specifically to create online content that we can all enjoy at this time. There are $1.2 million in the district's Arts Development Fund, and both Ryu and more than a hundred local arts organizations are encouraging other councilmembers to redirect their own Arts Development Funds in the same way.
A number of local arts organizations are in trouble and could permanently close thanks to the impact of COVID-19, Arts For L.A.'s Aubrey Farkas Harris told LAist.
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