Dear Friends and Supporters of Angels Gate Cultural Center:
We want to take this opportunity to sincerely thank all of you for attending our letter-writing campaign, for flooding councilmember email boxes with your letters and for making those important phone calls in support for the Department of Cultural Affairs.
The Campaign to retain funding for the Department of Cultural Affairs was a success: WE LIVE TO FIGHT ANOTHER DAY!
Over 5,000 letters were generated to City Council members from their stakeholders. A number of arts organizations around the city stepped up and mobilized existing networks that created a groundswell of advocacy that hasn’t been seen before. An additional 100 advocates attended Wednesday’s city council meeting, including our very own Executive Director, Deborah Lewis and an impassioned speech from our Visual Arts Director, Marshall Astor.
The motion to remove alloted monies from the Department of Cultural Affairs (via the Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT)) was put into file. We have been told that means it is a polite way of saying it will quietly go away. For how long is a question we are still trying to get answered. This great news is tempered by the fact that we have a long road ahead of us and the City is faced with very difficult decisions.
So what does this mean for Angels Gate Cultural Center?
It means that the grants we were awareded for 2010 will be upheld and we will be able to continue to host inspiring exhibitions in our galleries and to promote other arts programs for our community.
What else can you do to show your support?
Write another letter! To thank your city councilmember for their decision to support the arts and for taking the proposal to eliminate the Department of Cultural Affairs’ sole dedicated funding source, the TOT allocation, off the table. Please see below for a complete list of councilmembers and/or send your thank you letter electronically via the Arts for LA website.
For more details about the events surrounding this campaign you can visit the Arts for LA website and their “anatomy of a campaign” story.
Also, please see this recent article in the LA Times.
Thank you again for all of your efforts and continued support,
The Angels Gate Cultural Center Staff:
Deborah Lewis, Executive Director
Marshall Astor, Visual Arts Director
Jessica Yang, Education Director
Oscar Garcia, Development Director
Dana Joy Helwick, Program Administrator
COMPLETE LIST OF COUNCILMEMBER OFFICES AND FAX NUMBERS:
District 15: Janice Hahn
Los Angeles City Council
200 N. Spring Street, Rm 435
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Fax:(213)-626-5431
District 14: José Huizar
Los Angeles City Council
200 N. Spring Street, Rm 465
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Fax:(213) 847-0680
District 13: Eric Garcetti
Los Angeles City Council
200 N. Spring Street, Rm 470
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Fax:(213) 613 0819
District 12: Greig Smith
Los Angeles City Council
200 N. Spring Street, Rm 405
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Fax:(213) 473-6925
District 11: Bill Rosendahl
Los Angeles City Council
200 N. Spring Street, Rm 415
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Fax:(213) 473-6926
District 10: Herb Wesson
Los Angeles City Council
200 N. Spring Street, Rm 430
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Fax:(213) 485-9829
District 9: Jan Perry
Los Angeles City Council
City Hall, 200 N. Spring Street Room 420
City of Los Angeles, CA 90012
Fax:(213) 473-5946
District 8:Bernard Parks
Los Angeles City Council
200 N. Spring Street, Rm 460
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Fax:(213) 485-7683
District 7: Richard Alarcón
Los Angeles City Council
200 N. Spring Street, Rm 425
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Fax:(213) 847-0707
District 6: Tony Cardenas
Los Angeles City Council
200 N. Spring Street, Rm 455
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Fax:(213) 847-0549
District 5: Paul Koretz
Los Angeles City Council
200 North Spring Street Room 440
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Fax:(213) 978-2250
District 4: Tom LaBonge
Los Angeles City Council
200 N. Spring Street, Rm 480
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Fax:(213) 624-7810
District 3: Dennis Zine
Los Angeles City Council
200 N. Spring Street, Rm 450
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Fax:(213) 485-8988
District 2: Paul Krekorian
Los Angeles City Council
200 N. Spring St., Room 425
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Fax:(213) 978-3092
District 1: Ed Reyes
Los Angeles City Council
200 N. Spring Street, Rm 410
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Fax:(213) 485-8907
