The Music Center Launches New Digital Series FOR THE LOVE OF L.A.

The Music Center will launch a new digital series called For the Love of L.A., designed to celebrate the creativity of Los Angeles and support L.A.-based artists representing the disciplines of music, dance, visual culture and more. Featured on both The Music Center's social channels and The Music Center Offstage-the organization's virtual platform offering newly curated programming including the commission and presentation of original artwork-For the Love of L.A. will provide more than 35 L.A. artists with a platform to express their views of Los Angeles that are relevant and reflective of the current time through video (e.g. documentation of a performance), photography (e.g. art photography, photo essay or documentation of another visual artform) and creative writing. The Music Center partnered with numerous long-time partners from the L.A. arts and culture community to serve as guest curators, who each identified local artists and then worked with them to create original work for the program.

The Music Center will post up to three new works of art on The Music Center's Instagram every Tuesday from August 11, 2020-October 27, 2020, showcasing more than 35 individual works over the 13-week period. The public can get a closer look at each artist through biographies and statements alongside the complete version of the artwork in a digital library on The Music Center Offstage. In addition, the initiative also aims to inspire the public to engage and participate directly by contributing their own For the Love of L.A. creative endeavors and projects; some audience-generated content may be selected and shared in the arts organization's social channels.

"While the challenges of the times we are in make it difficult to connect with each other in a meaningful way, The Music Center remains committed to its vision of deepening the cultural lives of all in Los Angeles by offering programs that help create those connections through the power of the arts," said Rachel S. Moore, president and CEO, The Music Center. "For the Love of L.A. will not only showcase the creativity and resiliency of artists and community members from across the County in the present, but also provide a time capsule that will document this moment through art. We'll be able to reflect on what was in our hearts and minds and know we were able to lift each other up through creative expression and cultural participation."

"For the Love of L.A. will highlight the broad and expansive array of Angeleno creativity across diverse disciplines and geographies," said Josephine Ramirez, executive vice president, TMC Arts. "In addition to presenting new works by professional artists, we hope that members of the L.A. community, from all ages and corners of the County, will join us in a collective effort to express ourselves in ways that spark joy, share a perspective on the times and reflect and shape the world."

The Music Center will introduce For the Love of L.A. with artists selected by guest curator, Marvella Muro, director of programs for Self Help Graphics & Art. The first three works include a five minute-collage of photos, poetry and music by photographer Rafael Cardenas that encapsulates the current moment of social distancing and political uprising; Cardenas' work is set to a score by Eddika Edule Organista and features poetry by Xochitl-Julisa Bermejo, Joshua Evans, Féi Hernandez, Jenise Miller, and Jasmine Williams. Visual artist Yaneli Delgado highlights some of the Black, Brown and Asian communities she wants audiences to know through her screen printing, and painter Manuel López turns his landscape drawing of an East Los Angeles neighborhood into a contemplative experience, using sound and animation.

For the Love of L.A. guest curators also include Ed Barguiarena (musician/composer/producer); Raélle Dorfan (executive director, Dance Resource Center); Karen Mack (founder/executive director, LA Commons); Lottie Rippon (events and special projects, DUBLAB) in collaboration with Max Rippon and Kate Emery (co-founders, Quarantine Gallery); and Dexter Story (multi-instrumentalist/composer/producer).

After the initial launch, additional original visual arts contributions will include a photo essay by photographer Stephanie Mei-Ling and painting by artist Amani Holbert; musical performances by Ethiopian musicians Kibrom Birhane and Etsegenet Mekonnen, DJ/musician/composer Mark de Clive-Lowe and Brazilian jazz vocalist Thalma de Freitas; as well as musical performance and visual art collaborations between vocalist San Cha and Maria Maea. Additional guest curators and artists to be announced. *All artists are subject to change.

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