Art Walk Non-Profit Adds Board Members, Looking for Director
Photo Illustration by Ed Fuentes
DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — Want to run the Downtown Art Walk? The position of Executive Director for the non-profit that runs the event is currently vacant, and this morning the board posted application requirements for anyone interested in applying to fill the role.
Tasks in the wide-ranging job description run from accounting and logistics to public speaking and social media.
The position became available last month after the board split with its former Executive Director, Jay Lopez. Lopez issued an announcement on Friday, September 24, saying that the event was being shut down for the rest of 2010 and that it would return as a quarterly weekend affair in 2011. That statement was finally contradicted by the non-profit board two days later.
The calamity set in a motion of discussion about the event's future and resulted in the announcement that property owners would contribute $200,000 annually to the event's management. Some of that funding will go to making the formerly unpaid director position a paying gig.
As part of the funding plan, property owners asked that the board of the Los Angeles Downtown Art Walk non-profit be expanded, and the board also today announced four new additions to its ranks. Artist Qathryn Brehm, Downtown L.A. Neighborhood Council President Patti Berman, property owner Pecklar Pilavjian and LaTanya Spann of Gilmore Associates will join David Hernand, Pamela Huntoon, Marc Loge, Andre Miripolsky, Bonnie Tseng and Adam “Wicks” Walker on the board.
Guest on October 21, 2010, at 11:02AM – #1
Nice to have the downtown galleries so well represented. :-(
Obviously this event in NOT about art.
Guest on October 21, 2010, at 04:23PM – #2
OMG the artwalk is doomed!
Guest on October 21, 2010, at 04:33PM – #3
Meaning the politicians are now in complete control of the artwalk. Not one single one of these people on the board has ever produced anything in the art community at all. With the possible exception of Andre Miripolsky, but he is an artist, so no I dont think he has ever produced any events ever. Qathryn Brehm is from the arts district she has no real stake in this community- But is embraced by the politicians because of her well status? Patti Berman is a politician that sings to the tunes Russell Brown wants her to. Well Gilmore and friends of course you need representation. This is bad people really bad. The worst part is that these people do not know how to organize.
Looks like we will have lots of bad rock music - a dysfunctional political maze of organization - and a total disconnection from the real players the artists and gallerists and museums in the area. This is bad people really bad. :(
Guest on October 21, 2010, at 05:13PM – #4
I agree completely with guests 1 and 2. Just change the name to downtown LA monthly party, which would be fine. But give up on making it about art with these people running it.
People, SUPPORT the galleries and artists in downtown by visiting all the time, don't rely on this event because it's not going to happen for the artists.
Guest on October 21, 2010, at 06:25PM – #5
Bert Green wrote this is his blog (listed in Downtown Blogs at the bottom of this page):
"It comes down to this. The Board is bankrupt, and the Second Thursday event costs upwards of $100,000 per year. The same property owners who now claim to have saved it with pledges of $200,000 have all refused to pay the bills in the past, so what has really changed? That there is now a pledge to contribute? All of this bluster is based on a pledge? From people who could have had the same result months ago for 1/4 the cost? Doubtful that it will happen.
No checks have been written. There is no budget, there is no plan. If you have a worthless Board and Corporation, why give it any money? If it has proven unable to operate until now, how will that change?
In any case, the Second Thursday event has so little to do with art anymore that it now works against the galleries to keep calling it an "Art Walk." It should be changed to "Downtown Night Out" or "Downtown Pub Crawl" or whatever else, but trying to pretend it is about art is actually destructive to the reputation of the art venues of Downtown Los Angeles."
Guest on October 21, 2010, at 08:06PM – #6
Bert always ready was a positive word and positive cooperation. Not.
Guest on October 22, 2010, at 12:16AM – #7
I wish the Art Walk board would hire me.
Howie
Guest on October 22, 2010, at 12:18AM – #8
"Downtown Night Out" has a nice ring to it and does not pretend to do anything but offer a night out.
Guest on October 22, 2010, at 06:01AM – #9
That works guest 7.
David Klappholz on October 22, 2010, at 06:25AM – #10
For as long as I've known the Art Walk -- 2-3 years -- it has been a wonderful "night out" event, rather than an "art walk," though some galleries have been open.
This monthly night out has spurred interest in DTLA and has helped support numerous businesses.
Let's not condemn, or even deprecate, an activity that is doing wonders for a part of LA that we love.
Does it really matter what it's called? Is it really a bad thing that the people who were instrumental in getting $200K in funding have a say in how it's run?
PS...and I'm old enough to be the father of people whose ages are around the average age of attendees...and I don't drink...except coffee and diet sodas...and I'm an academic in a technical field, not a supporter of the idea that business interests should rule the world.
But I love DTLA and I love being around people who are having a good time.
Guest on October 22, 2010, at 06:37AM – #11
Yes David it does matter what it's called.
Guest on October 22, 2010, at 07:56AM – #12
The name of the event definitely matters and I'm all for the suggestion of "Downtown Night Out" as that is what the event encompasses. With the new name, the streets on Main and Spring can be closed off to traffic to give it a pedestrian friendly zeal.
Guest on October 22, 2010, at 09:06AM – #13
Bert Green wrote this is his blog
I'm not sure if he of all people has comments that should be respected since he has expressed a strong desire -- in the selfish tone of "my way or the highway" and community be damned -- that the monthly Art Walk be shut down.
DavidAC on October 22, 2010, at 09:31AM – #14
Some suggestions about what the new board with their new money can do:
Pedestrianize Art Walk. This would be HUGE! Make it a monthly Ciclovia, even if just Main & Spring from 1st to 9th, or whatever. Last Art Walk I watched the cops zip about the streets on their little spacy scooters - why should they have all the fun? "Art Bike"!!
Make it a monthly mini-Burning Man. Its heading that way anyway, so go with it! Tap the deep ethos and embrace the weirdness!
Add a farmers market. Imagine how cool it would be to go out on the town, see art, party AND buy your veggies for the week! That would be cool.
Add a drive-in, or a lawnchair movie somewhere. Maybe project it on the wall across from Winston, or put up a big screen in the LAPD park. If it can happen in Pershing Square then it can happen at Art Walk.
Don't sell it to the corporations as a way to 'reach' their 'markets'. Don't let the ideological 'Art' people take it too seriously. Instead make it a community event, serving the community and led by the community. Art Walk is when DTLA invites all its neighbours over for a beer!
Add some high-brow stuff! Interesting lectures! Poetry readings! 'Birds-of-a-feather' conversation at specific venues. A DTLA 'book swap'! A CD-swap! Cooking demonstrations! Mini-courses ("how to tie knots that won't unravel"!.). Talk to the Zocalo or Aloud people, or to the book fair people about the events they do.
Add a 'swap meet', where you just leave stuff you don't want and others who want it pick it up. No money changing hands, just recycling stuff.
Add stuff for kids! A little fair ground! Donkey rides! Make it Ok and easy for parents to have a night out on Art Walk.
All this stuff and much more can be done relatively easily and relatively inexpensively. Just get the basic insurance, community relations and licencing stuff in place, then start talking to and inviting people who want do this stuff anyway. Its all just attitude, chutspah and can-do spirit!
Oh! I can't wait!!
Guest on October 22, 2010, at 10:03AM – #15
Good ideas, David. Also,
Guest on October 22, 2010, at 10:27AM – #16
Great suggestions David as to why it should be changed to "Downtown Night Out".
Guest 4: The drag performance has already taken place at the Exchange 5th Street; that was like two "ArtWalks" ago!
Guest on October 22, 2010, at 10:33AM – #17
"The drag performance has already taken place"
Who sez that once is enough? I want some Chelo Silva and maybe Howie can dust off one of his old Rusty Warren numbers.
Guest on October 22, 2010, at 10:49AM – #18
Ed Fuentes . lol
DavidAC on October 22, 2010, at 11:14AM – #19
Sorry. I just can’t stop thinking about this. Some other things:
Tables for the food truck area. Make this into a proper exotic dining experience, with bench tables and more garbage bins and napkins. Renting tables and benches for a night is not too pricy and maybe the food truck people would chip in on the cost. The carpark behind the Barclay is an awesome venue for this!! Advertise sit-down restaurants at the food truck court, so they get action too.
Volunteers. Lots and lots of people want to volunteer for this – so let them! Every ‘event’ or ‘public venue’ should have a few dedicated volunteers who manage it, develop it and keep it cool – even picking up trash! Have a team for the food truck area, one for each half block. Remember – lots of people want to do this and would consider it a privilege to spend an evening a month and a few training sessions to help the neighborhood. Motivate, educate and delegate!
Use the web! Get communicating with the city and with the tens of thousands of Art Walk patrons. What are the events? What is the ‘theme-of-the-month’? Let all the Art Walk patrons, vendors, volunteers, etc communicate with each other! ‘Forward to friends’! ‘Suggestion box’! “Artwalk-all-month” articles, reviews, etc. Get the web site right and then make sure that *every single Art Walker * knows about it. I live at art walk ground zero and I don’t’ even know what the website is. Why is that? Set up some ArtWalk Cams and involve the world! Let the whole planet come to Art Walk and show them that there’s much more to LA than sprawl and beaches.
Use data! I love data! Its pure and good! Ask Art Walkers what they want. Ask residents what they want. Ask vendors what they want. Ask Gallery owners what they want. Find out what the needs and the problems are. Serve the needs and fix the problems. Use the website for reviews. Watch for themes. EVERY Art Walk should have follow-up surveys of some kind, and the data should be treasured and listened to and used.
Get special tours organized! Why can’t City Hall open up for guided tours on Artwalk (even with reservations required?). How about the LAPD building? The LAPD could do a ‘LAPD 101’ lecture every month in their new auditorium. The old theatres on Broadway – even if they’re not fixed up. The Cathedral!
Connect the ‘populist’ culture of Art Walk with the ‘establishment’ culture up on the hill on Grand Avenue! Talk to all the Eli Broad/MOCA/ Opera types about coordinating events! Introduce L.A. to itself.
Have special ‘Satellite’ art walks for surrounding neighborhoods! Mariachi Square in Boyle Heights! Koreatown! USC!
Really, really, really push Art Walkers to use public transit. Nobody wins by bringing a car downtown on Art Walk. Seriously. Arrange special trains or special parking at outlying Metro stations, etc. Educate. Its about Walk, not about Drive.
Enough with the name. ‘Art’ is just a word. Its just a word. The thing is actually called ‘Art Walk’ and it will always be ‘Art Walk’ no matter what it changes into. If some of the art ideologues want to try and copyright the word ‘Art’ and then bring an enforcement action against Art Walk for violation then please have at it. Otherwise – enough with the name.
Guest on October 22, 2010, at 04:22PM – #20
A lot of the suggestions made by DavidAC have happened in past ArtWalks. Richard Schave had a whole 'happening' going on in the Spring Arts arcade; there were hundreds attending the walking tours led by volunteers; there were musicians,poetry readings, and street performance art. Not all art happens in galleries.
I hope all the ideas DavidAC has listed can inspire the current leaders. They're great!
Leading the ArtWalk seems to have been a thankless job since the beginning when the gallerists got it together, then Bert worked to keep it going, then Richard, Kim and Chinta worked hard to transition it to an official non-profit, and now the current board members have worked very hard to keep it going. So for all the good times I've had at ArtWalk, THANKS, ARTWALK LEADERS PAST AND PRESENT.
Guest on October 22, 2010, at 05:48PM – #21
David although you have great ideas. They are for naught. The politicians control the artwalk now. It will be totally commercialized not organized. It is not hard to organize things. But when politicians create dead ends for people with good strong ideas this is when it becomes a nightmare. This is where we are headed without a doubt. I am sorry for all of us.
Guest on October 23, 2010, at 12:55PM – #22
Maybe David AC should get out from behind the computer and run for the position. Great ideas that can be done for the monthly "DTLA Arts, Food/Drink and Cultural Fair."
Guest on October 23, 2010, at 02:42PM – #23
Don't do it David. They won't pay you. Ask Jay Lopez.
Guest on October 23, 2010, at 06:46PM – #24
Seriously, how does the Art Walk attract anyone competent to the position when they never paid their last staff member?
Word gets around pretty quick in this town when you stiff people on their wages. It is, after all, against the law. Hopefully Lopez filed a wage claim with the State of California to collect in the event some money materializes in the Art Walk's coffers.