In addition to their intrinsic and symbolic value, the arts are part of the complex and significant creative economy ecosystem. This discussion will explore how artists, funders, collectors, and institutions are navigating creative economies, sustaining creative learning and careers, and investing in future generations of artists reflective of diverse and underrepresented voices.
Kristin Sakoda is the Director of the newly-established Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture, the local arts agency dedicated to advancing arts, culture, and creativity throughout LA County. The Department of Arts and Culture provides grants and technical assistance to hundreds of nonprofit organizations; runs the largest arts internship program in the nation; coordinates countywide public-private arts education initiatives; increases access to creative career pathways; commissions civic artwork; supports free community programs; leads the LA County Cultural Equity and Inclusion Initiative; and advances cross-sector cultural strategies to address civic issues. Ms. Sakoda is an arts executive, attorney, and artist who previously served as a key strategist advancing arts and culture for the City of New York as Deputy Commissioner and General Counsel at the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, the largest local arts agency in the nation.
Kris Kuramitsu is a curator and advisor dedicated to supporting the work of contemporary artists. She currently serves as Deputy Director & Head of Program for The Mistake Room in Los Angeles, where she has organized solo projects for Cao Fei, Susu Attar, Carlos Amorales, and Gaëlle Choisne, among other exhibitions and programs. As an independent curator, she has organized exhibitions at spaces such as LAXART, Los Angeles; Armory Center for the Arts, Pasadena, California; ARCO, Madrid; Paramo, Guadalajara; and the Japanese American National Museum, Los Angeles, in addition to managing private art collections. Kuramitsu’s previous posts include Associate Director for Artis; Programs Director at Creative Link for the Arts, New York; Curator for the collections of Eileen and Peter Norton and the Collection of Eileen Harris Norton; and the Arts Programs Director for the Peter Norton Family Foundation. She holds an MA in Art History from UCLA and a BA from Pomona College.
Seats will be allocated on a first come first served basis for this event.