Heart of Los Angeles
HOLA’s Visual Arts Program provides quality programming to inner-city youth who have little or no access to such classes inside or outside of school. HOLA’s visual arts curriculum is designed and delivered by innovative teaching artists, college professors and passionate volunteer artists who combine their efforts to provide intensive arts education for at-risk youth. With the onset of COVID-19, the work of HOLA Visual Arts has become more critical than ever by creating a sense of connection, belonging and positive expression during a time of uncertainty and turmoil. HOLA is providing more than a dozen weekly virtual art classes, a monthly Art Club, virtual field trips to museums around the city, academic tutoring, family case management and connection to basic resources. Fresh stART’s donation to HOLA will help underwrite these important services for young people across Los Angeles. Every $100 raised will help HOLA provide an art kit and several hours of professional teaching artist time to a participating student. Now more than ever, HOLA’s belief that art can be a powerful agent of social change is deserving of our support.
Facilities: HOLA’s Visual Arts Department is located in the historic Wilshire Royale building. The space houses an extensive art library, media lab and three studios and boasts large street-side windows, providing ample opportunity for the students to connect to the community.
Gallery/Exhibits: The Visual Arts Department curates four themed exhibitions throughout the year to showcase the creative accomplishments of HOLA’s young artists. The shows are held in the dedicated gallery space located in the Wilshire Royale.
Field Trips: Visual Arts Department students are given the opportunity to go on monthly field trips to art galleries, artist studios, museums, arts schools and a number of other cultural institutions around the city.
“Meet the Artist” Series: At least once every month, students attend “Meet the Artist” talks and workshops at which professional artists from the community and all over the world come to HOLA to share their experiences and work. These opportunities allow HOLA’s young artists to learn about career options in the arts and to expand their creative practice through exploration of new art forms and environments. Last year, HOLA welcomed artists that included among them curators, painters, illustrators, photographers, muralists, musicians, filmmakers and set designers.
“Artist Mentor in Residence”: HOLA’s “Artist Mentor in Residence” program provides residencies in HOLA’s Visual Arts Department for high school graduates who are enrolled in college. The internships are designed to provide the students with the opportunity to continue to create art, apprentice with HOLA’s professional art instructors and mentor young artists.
“Artist Residencies”: Each year, HOLA’s Visual Arts Department holds a series of public-art themed projects that engage youth and the community through classes, workshops, artist talks, field trips and public installations in and around HOLA’s neighborhood. To date, HOLA has welcomed seven Public Artists in Residence, along with 24 guest artists to contribute to these Public Art Projects. Initial funding for these projects was provided by the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation. Click here to view videos of the projects.
- See more at: heartofla.org