Los Angeles Visionaries Association

Hello Fellow Visionaries.

I am currently forming a non-profit organization that will be an "Artist Co-operative".

We will be a membership-based facility for shared workspace, tools, equipment, and expertise, mostly for the "industrial Arts":  Metalwork, Woodwork, Ceramics, Glass, Printmaking, Painting, Kinetics, Electronics, Video and New Medias.

Our website: ARC:lax ~ Art. Resource. Community.
On Facebook: ARC:lax

The main idea is that we can provide the novice and professional Artist; space, time and assistance in the creation of their work; on top of this, we plan to offer classes in each of these fields - for both adults and youth.

We plan to have a robust mentoring/apprenticeship program to be part of our offerings and Afterschool programming.

Part of our charter will be an outreach to other local non-profits - we will assist them in creating hardscape for those organizations - ie, if a local theater company needs railings, or gates or bike racks - our youth program can help to create these.

We plan to "program" the center with unique one of a kind and on-going arts events that blur the edges of one medium to the next. By forming a "creative think-tank" with dancers and welders, painters and musicians, fabricators and singers - creating new expressions/events/pieces to be seen and experienced.

We are looking for assistance in a wide araiety of ways.

Our primary need is space - we realize that space is a great resource that many of us need, and as you can imagine, it is of vital importance to us. We had a space lined up, but, the deal fell through at the last minute. We are needing between 2500 to 7500sq/ft, at a bare bones cost per foot. (given that we are new, a "start-up" we need to grow before we can afford market value.)

We are looking for donations in the form of equipment, supplies, tools, vehicles, space.
We are looking for people that would be willing to help with fundraising, and a variety of other volunteer efforts - swinging hammers when we have to tackle our build-out... etc etc...

We naturally also need money. We are accepting donations through our fiscal receiver "Fractured Atlas" click HERE to contribute!

If you know a place, know a guy who knows of space, or anything else you think could help... or want to contact with advice and/or well wishes plese feel free to contact me Tom Walker

ARC:lax ~ Art. Resource. Community. - 323.744.0272 ~ 323-744-0-ARC
or e-mail Tomwalked@yahoo.com.

PS... many other cities have successful art centers like this:
The Crucible in Oakland CA
3rd Ward in New York