At the Jan. 8 “Art Matters” fundraising kickoff event, L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa discussed briefly the first phase of the Art Matters initiative. Several individuals and a corporation collectively provided nearly $700,000 to fund the initial phase of awareness, which included extensive ads on metro buses in Los Angeles and on local highway signage, among other places. The program will also provide tablets to all the students in this program.
After introducing the ad campaign, Villaraigosa announced the second phase of Art Matters—the main objective is expanding a base of new talent across all professions with a background in the arts in order to stimulate creativity.
California has an extensive history of hosting major music producers, theater companies, film, and other art forms too numerous to mention.
“It is a haven of creativity,” said Villaraigosa. Signboards flanking the speakers at the event featured local talents who have made contributions to the community and the world through their creativity in various disciplines.
Featured contributors included actor and producer Tom Cruise, California Teacher of the Year Veronica Marquez, writer and director George Lucas, nine-time Grammy award-winner John Legend, LAUSD Board President Monica Garcia, director and producer James Cameron, Mexican radio personality and actor Eddie “Piolín” Sotelo, and producer and Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy.
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