ACTIVE CULTURES

ACTIVE CULTURES IS A PUBLIC ARTS NONPROFIT BASED IN LOS ANGELES THAT EXPLORES THE INTERSECTION OF ART, FOOD, AND ECOLOGIES THROUGH ARTIST-LED PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS. IN 2024, WE FURTHERED OUR MISSION THROUGH SEVERAL KEY INITIATIVES:MAJOR PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS:1. ECOTONES SERIESWE LAUNCHED OUR SIGNATURE ECO-FEMINIST PROGRAM SERIES CO-PRESENTED WITH OUR COMMUNITY PARTNER, THE BRICK. THIS SERIES FEATURED 4 PUBLIC EVENTS REACHING APPROXIMATELY 500 COMMUNITY MEMBERS ACROSS LOS ANGELES. PROGRAMS WERE LED BY ARTISTS PAIGE EMERY, MEECH BOAKYE, LESLIE LABOWITZ-STARUS, AND COLECTIVO AMASIJO. 2. MYCELIAL RESIDENCY AND COALITION BUILDINGWE HOSTED ARTIST YASMINE OSTENDORF-RODRIGUEZ FOR A MICRO-RESIDENCY FOCUSED ON GERMINATING MYCELIAL NETWORKS AMONG ECOLOGICAL ART PRACTICES IN LA AND BEYOND. 3. LANGIT LUPA (HEAVEN AND EARTH) PROJECTAFTER EXTENSIVE DEVELOPMENT, WE WELCOMED ARTISTS ENZO CAMACHO AND AMI LIEN TO LA FOR A THREE-WEEK INTENSIVE THAT BECAME THEIR FIRST MAJOR PROJECT IN LOS ANGELES. THE PROJECT INCLUDED: WRITING AND PUBLISHING INITIATIVES; A NEWLY COMMISSIONED EXPERIMENTAL DOCUMENTARY FILM SCREENING; PAPER-MAKING COMMUNITY WORKSHOPS; AND A SERIES OF PUBLIC PROGRAMS WITH THE ARTIST DUO AND THEIR COLLABORATORS. THE PROGRAMS DREW APPROXIMATELY 300 ADULT PARTICIPANTS AND 20 YOUTH, AS WELL AS ARTISTS AND SCHOLARS. PROGRAMS WERE PRESENTED AT MULTIPLE VENUES INCLUDING 2220 ARTS + ARCHIVES, PORRIDGE + PUFFS, AND LAKE STREET COMMUNITY CENTER, BRINGING TOGETHER AUDIENCES FROM ACROSS THE CITY.4. STRATEGIC PLANNING & ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENTIN 2024, WE COMPLETED OUR FIRST COMPREHENSIVE STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS, RESULTING IN A THREE-YEAR ROADMAP (2024-2027) THAT WILL GUIDE OUR ORGANIZATION'S GROWTH. WITH GUIDANCE FROM FACILITATOR LAURA ZUCKER AND INPUT FROM BOARD MEMBERS, STAFF, FUNDERS, ARTISTIC COLLABORATORS, AND EXTERNAL COLLEAGUES, WE ESTABLISHED FIVE KEY PRIORITIES:CLARIFIED MISSION, VISION, AND CORE VALUES: WE REFINED OUR MISSION STATEMENT AND ARTICULATED A CLEAR VISION FOR "A NOURISHED COMMUNITY AND COLLECTIVE FUTURE," EMPHASIZING FOOD AS AN ESSENTIAL LENS FOR EXAMINING POWER, CULTURAL EXPRESSION, HISTORY, EQUITY, CLIMATE FUTURES, AND OURSELVES.PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT: WE RESTRUCTURED OUR PROGRAMMING INTO THREE CONCENTRIC TIERS: MEMBERSHIP PROGRAMS, ARTIST-LED PROJECTS, AND LARGE-SCALE COMMUNITY EVENTS. THIS STRUCTURE WILL ALLOW US TO REACH BROADER AUDIENCES WHILE MAINTAINING OUR COMMITMENT TO ARTIST COLLABORATIONS AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGY: WE DEVELOPED PLANS TO MAKE ALL COMMUNICATIONS MORE ACCESSIBLE AND APPEALING TO GENERAL AUDIENCES, EXPANDING BEYOND OUR CURRENT REACH TO SERVE MORE DIVERSE PUBLICS AND ESTABLISH ACTIVE CULTURES AS A LEADING PLATFORM FOR THE ART AND FOOD MOVEMENT.ORGANIZATIONAL GROWTH: WE CREATED A STAFFING PLAN TO SUPPORT OUR EXPANDED PROGRAMMING, INCLUDING HIRING A CURATOR, TRANSITIONING OUR ASSISTANT DIRECTOR TO FULL-TIME, AND PLANNING FOR DEVELOPMENT AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT POSITIONS.BOARD DEVELOPMENT: WE BEGAN EVOLVING OUR BOARD FROM A FOUNDING BOARD TO A GENERATIVE GOVERNING BOARD, WITH PLANS TO EXPAND MEMBERSHIP FROM FIVE TO 9-11 MEMBERS WHILE ENSURING REPRESENTATION OF LOS ANGELES' DIVERSE DEMOGRAPHICS.THROUGHOUT 2024, ACTIVE CULTURES HAS DIRECTLY SERVED HUNDREDS OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS, COLLABORATED WITH NUMEROUS ARTISTS, AND FOSTERED NEW PARTNERSHIPS, FURTHERING OUR MISSION TO EXPLORE THE INTERSECTION OF ART, FOOD, AND ECOLOGIES IN WAYS THAT STRENGTHEN COMMUNITY BONDS AND ECOLOGICAL AWARENESS IN LOS ANGELES.