Fall 2024 Grantees

Each of these talented individuals and organizations has demonstrated a commitment to creative innovation. The arts programs span a diverse array of disciplines—from documentary filmmaking and podcasting to music, dance, and literary arts—embodying the vibrant cultural richness of the Eastside arts community.

Dance

Cesar Castro Jarochelo: "Tarima y Tambor 2025" Community workshops teaching Son Jarocho and Afro-diasporic music and dance traditions building cultural bridges through shared creative expression.

Film

George Ortega: "Paul Botello Documentary, Giving Back Through Film" A documentary exploring the life and work of muralist Paul Botello, celebrating his legacy and social impact. Production includes a mentorship program offering aspiring filmmakers a chance to gain firsthand experience on set.

Gregory Davila: "Queer L.A.: An LGBT History of Los Angeles" A 10-episode podcast expanding on the PBS series L.A. A Queer History, telling L.A.’S rich and overlooked role in LGBTQ+ history with over eight hours of storytelling.

Johnny Kirk: "Djinn" A short psychological horror film exploring themes of mythology, identity, and fear as one man confronts a supernatural force through a mysterious box that unravels his reality.

Justice for My Sister: "Short Film Production Incubator" A training program empowering BIPOC alumni from JFMS’s screenwriting and production programs to create short films, gaining experience in all aspects and stages of filmmaking.

Richard Montoya: "To Print & Die in LA: Richard Duardo Master Printer" A tribute to master printer Richard Duardo, this documentary chronicles the legacy of “The Warhol of The West,” and his collaborations with Chicano art icons from the 1970s Los Angeles punk scene.

Graphic Arts

Cesar Castro Jarochelo: "Tarima y Tambor 2025" Community workshops using Son Jarocho and Afro-diasporic music and dance traditions to build cultural bridges through shared creative expression.

Literary Arts

DSTL Arts: "LA Time Capsule: Literary Arts Workshops & Walking Tours" Four writing workshops paired with walking tours of Boyle Heights and South L.A., exploring redlining, history, and identity. Culminates in festival readings and a published anthology.

Luis Rodriguez: "LJR Photo Project" Digitizing photos of East L.A. from the 1970s-80s, capturing the artist’s early life and the community's struggles and resilience through the lens of activism, and photojournalism.

Music

Friends of Levitt Pavilion: “2025 Summer Concert Season at MacArthur Park" Free summer concerts that foster cultural connection by emerging and established BIPOC local artists.

Los Angeles Children's Chorus: "LACC@HOLA" Inclusive choral training for underserved youth at HOLA’s campus, expanding access to professional music education for underserved children LA County.

Los Angeles Music and Art School: "Tuition-Free Music Ensembles Program" Free, year-round music instruction for East L.A. youth through diverse ensembles including mariachi, jazz, choir, and a new composition fellowship.

Mariachi Women's Foundation: "12th International Mariachi Women's Festival and Youth Mariachi Workshops" A global celebration of mariachi women artists, showcases, and workshops featuring
top musicians from Mexico, the U.S., and Japan.

Plaza de la Raza, Inc.: "Plaza de la Raza Coro Ensemble" A new youth chorus expanding PDLR’s performance training programs, convening 100 students as cultural ambassadors through choral music.

Theatre

Angelica Center for Arts and Music: "ACAM Music, Dance, and Theatre Program" Free, standards-based arts instruction for youth in the Pico Union area, including dance, music, and theatre as well as instruments loan program.

Latino Theater Company: "August 29" In association with LA City College, a touring production of the Chicano play August 29 exploring identity, activism, and L.A. history, presented with free performances for the
public and college students.

Raul Cardona: "GUILLERMO CALLES, El Ultimo Bohemio" A one-man play about Guillermo Calles, an Indigenous filmmaker who challenged stereotypes and pioneered Chicano cinema.

Tierra Blanca Arts Center: "La Mujer que Cayo del Cielo" A multilingual play inspired by the true story of a woman found in Kansas unable to communicate, and whose silence is a haunting metaphor for the Indigenous whose stories have been silenced.

Visual Arts

Fairplex Child Development Center: "Artist Open Studio" Free co-working studio for the LA creative community, where artists can focus on their art and have access to various art supplies and equipment, 1-5PM, Wednesdays and Fridays, Summer 2025 through the end of August at the Millard Sheets Art Center at the Fairplex, home of the LA County Fair. Contact: (909) 623-3111 or flippin@fairplex.com.

Hedy Torres: "Giving Back the Fruits" Film performance installations revisiting the artist’s street vending roots through live interviews and site-specific storytelling.

Luis Garza: "Digitization of Luis Garza's Photography Archive: East LA" Digitizing 35mm negatives of East LA life from Garza’s archives, preserving community history and expanding access to his work.

RuckusRoots: "From Earth to Art" A eco-art workshop series in Highland Park where participants learn to build with wild clay and natural materials.

Self Help Graphics & Art: "SHG En El Barrio: 2025 Multigenerational Arts Workshops" Free monthly arts workshops centering on intergenerational engagement.