Culver City searches for next Artist Laureate

The search for Culver City's next ambassador for the arts is underway.

The most recent Artist Laureate, Katy Krantz, ended her tenure on February 10, and the city is now looking for a new artist to take her place for the next term, from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2027. To support this Artist Laureate in their term, a $15,000 per year stipend plus up to $10,000 per year for supplies and other expenses to support their work.

Since the position was officially created in 2020, the Artist Laureate has manifested unique pieces that contribute to Culver City's continuously unfolding story. Krantz's legacy includes a mural at the former Retting Gun Store and the Dear Culver City project, a comprehensive tribute to the city made with the help of its residents.

Dear Culver City featured a unique mosaic piece made with the contributions of over a thousand Culver City community members during ceramics workshops hosted by Krantz. Workshop participants learned basic ceramics techniques to contribute to the piece and were able to reclaim their work following its exhibition.

The first Artist Laureate, Alexey Steele, was forced to adapt when the COVID-19 pandemic hit during his term, which was extended for an extra year due to extenuating circumstances related to the pandemic.

As part of his term, Steele adapted the "Love My Neighbor" project he originally started in Carson to Culver City. He began with a painting of the city's first Poet Laureate, Dr. Janet Cameron Hoult, done over a video call to comply with the strict regulations during COVID-19 and produced several more paintings of Culver City community members.

While the position's primary task is to create and foster appreciation for the arts in Culver City, serving as a cultural ambassador is one of the most critical roles the Artist Laureate has played since the program's inception. It began as a Poet Laureate Program, with Hoult serving as the Honorary Poet Laureate starting in 2015 until Steele was named the first Artist Laureate in January 2020.

Hoult set the example for what the Artist Laureate Program would become, teaching a Word Painting Poetry Class at the Senior Center, organizing a poetry contest, and working on several pieces related to Culver City's Centennial Celebration in 2017 during her tenure.

According to former Cultural Affairs Manager Christine Byers, the plan to transform the Poet Laureate into a broader and more official Artist Laureate Program took several years to materialize, partly due to a backlog in the city's Cultural Affairs Division caused by a lack of staffing.

During that time, members of the Cultural Affairs Commission and the city's Cultural Affairs Division researched programs in other cities, like SV Creates in Silicon Valley, to create the initial guidelines for Culver City. Hoult was also involved in the process, providing her input during the development of the program.

"We literally started from scratch," Cultural Affairs Commissioner Tania Fleischer told Culver Crescent about creating Culver City's Artist Laureate Program.

After seeing a less-than-expected increase in applications last cycle, the Cultural Affairs Commission engaged in a formal review of the program with a third-party facilitator last November, resulting in several key changes to the application process.

While Artist Laureates in previous application cycles needed to live or work in Culver City for five years, this year's is more open to artists in the surrounding areas, including Mar Vista, Baldwin Hills, Palms, Crenshaw, Baldwin Vista, Leimert Park, Hyde Park, Ladera Heights, Del Rey, Marina del Rey, and unincorporated areas bordering Culver City.

Fleischer, who helped author the program along with former commissioner Jeannine Wisnosky Stehlin as members of the Ad Hoc Artist Laureate Subcommittee, said the requirement to live or work in Culver City was implemented to ensure the Artist Laureate has a strong connection to the city.

However, the geographical restriction was loosened this cycle to attract those in Los Angeles' substantial artistic population who think of Culver City as their home.

"There are many incredibly creative people here in L.A. and Culver City," Fleischer said. "We want people to know about this program and encourage them to envision themselves as Culver City's next Artist Laureate."

To ensure that the applicant can carry out the role, a level of professionalism is needed to be Culver City's Artist Laureate. One listed requirement is for artists to have publicly exhibited, performed, presented, or published artistic work within the last three years.

Additionally, applicants should not be enrolled as undergraduate or graduate students in a degree program related to the application's arts discipline.

"We have our guiding light," Fleischer said. "We are looking for an exceptional artist with a strong commitment to the community."

Instead of leading with a traditional application, interested artists are asked to submit a Letter of Intent and a link to their work as the first step in this application cycle. The letter is expected to be a "written narrative of 1,000 words or less," considering several questions about the Artist Laureate's role and the applicant's artistic background.

Fleischer admitted that starting the process with the more extensive application was taxing, so the first phase was simplified to lower the barrier to entry and encourage people to apply.

"It was like applying for a grant...it was a lot of work," Fleischer said of the application. "We think that might have been one of the reasons that many people didn't apply."

A two-person Artist Laureate subcommittee within the Cultural Affairs Commission reviews these letters to determine an applicant's alignment with the program's goals. Those considered a good fit are invited to send a traditional application.

These applications are considered by an independent panel consisting of artists specializing in the finalists' respective artistic fields and representatives from the Culver City Arts Foundation and the Culver City School District.

"It is up to the Artist Laureate subcommittee to approve the panel's decision," Fleischer said. "We do not make the final decision."

The number of people who will make it to this point has not been determined, but Fleischer said, based on her previous experience, she expected the total to range from five to 10 people.

Once a single candidate is chosen and approved, a recommendation to appoint that candidate is sent to the full Cultural Affairs Commission, which then makes the recommendation to the City Council for final approval.

It is crucial that the Artist Laureate not only be a master of their craft but also show the proactive nature necessary to bring art to the city and its residents. They are not directly guided and do not have set duties, but the Artist Laureate gives periodic updates to the full Cultural Affairs Commission, which advises on and offers support for the plans.

The Cultural Affairs Division and the Artist Laureate subcommittee help the Artist Laureate realize these ideas.  

"The artistic process is intensely creative and unique to each individual," Fleischer said. "We want to provide the space and support to help guide the new Artist Laureate to their own vision of what it means to be a Cultural Ambassador for Culver City."

More information on the Artist Laureate Program can be found on the city's website here. To begin the application process, send a Letter of Intent and a link to a website hosting your work to cultural.affairs@culvercity.org. Letters of Intent for the position will be accepted until March 3 at 5 p.m.