During this week's budget hearings, councilmembers repeatedly asked if improvements around Olympics venues were taking precedence over obligations to their constituents to deliver safer streets
In addition to the sporting spectacles of the Olympics and Paralympics, there's a big IOC-mandated arts and culture component that's basically a megaevent in itself. The official festival is known as the Cultural Olympiad, but plenty of plans for grassroots programming and local activations are also underway. For the last few years, the LA County Department of Arts and Culture has been working closely with city and county partners, as well as arts leaders in Paris, to coordinate a strategy for 2028 — and walking us through all the preparations will be Karen Mack, CEO of LA Commons.
Under Karen's leadership, the South LA-based nonprofit LA Commons — celebrating 25 years in 2025! — has completed community-based art projects in neighborhoods all over the city. LA Commons is also a master convener, bringing together arts and culture coalitions to collaborate on transit, public health, and education campaigns across the region. Needless to say Karen is very plugged in to all these conversations about 2028 and beyond! In addition to answering your questions, she'll also be sharing the report from a series of listening events, the LA Region Cultural Convening Sessions, held in-person and virtually at the end of 2024.
Pack a lunch and find out what's happening with arts and culture in 2028.
Torched Talks with LA Commons' Karen Mack Friday, May 23 12 to 1 p.m. PT
🗣️ Torched Talks is an ongoing series of conversations with experts on topics facing LA in its megaevent era. It's free and open to all — simply join the Zoom to watch. I'll post the recording here when it's over. Catch the last one with megaevent researcher Cerianne Robertson
📣 Have you heard? Torched has a new subscription tier just for nonprofits! You'll get 🔥🔥-level benefits plus you'll be invited to join group briefings with me and other nonprofit members. Learn more and sign up today
