For Immediate Release
Heart of Los Angeles (HOLA) Receives Grant From the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation HOLA Is One of Nine Organizations Chosen in Inaugural Round of New Grant Program LOS ANGELES (February, 2012) – Heart of Los Angeles is thrilled and honored to announce that it has been chosen as a recipient of an Artistic Innovation and Collaboration Grant (AIC) from the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation. The AIC grant program supports fearless and innovative collaborations in the spirit of Robert Rauschenberg and is the first national competitive grant program for the Foundation. The grant program propels the Foundation’s philanthropic mission of cultivating, promoting, encouraging and supporting the production and exhibition of art. The funds from the Foundation will be used to support the launch of HOLA’s Public Art Project, a collaboration with leading Los Angeles artists and collectives to engage youth in planning, creating and installing permanent and semi-permanent installations in the Rampart District. The goal of the ARTISTIC INNOVATION AND COLLABORATION PROGRAM is to provide support for innovative projects in which a visual artist collaborates with one or more artists in any discipline to make a new work, advance a multi-stage artistic exploration or push forward a new artistic form, all in the spirit of Robert Rauschenberg. Grantees will be small and mid-sized cultural organizations with a strong track record of creative risk-taking, experimentation and identifying emergent talent, for whom the Foundation’s grant will be significant in enabling them to achieve their artistic goals and leverage other resources. HOLA’s after-school programs have made a vital difference to students 6-19 years old, attending overburdened schools in the Rampart District and surrounding neighborhoods that lack access to quality enrichment programming and academic assistance. HOLA provides underserved youth with exceptional programs in academics, arts and athletics within a nurturing environment, empowering them to develop their potential, pursue their education and strengthen their communities. For over 20 years, HOLA has helped young people reach their potential, rather than succumb to the lures of gang life, drugs and juvenile delinquency. The ROBERT RAUSCHENBERG FOUNDATION (RRF) was formed by Robert Rauschenberg in 1990 to promote awareness of the causes and groups close to his heart. Activities of the Foundation include managing the artwork, exhibition and scholarship of Robert Rauschenberg as well as the growth of the philanthropy programs which intersect art and issues central to Robert Rauschenberg’s concerns during his lifetime. The Robert Rauschenberg Foundation’s programs now include the new grant program for artistic innovation and collaboration and direct assistance for the advancement of art. The Foundation’s Vision, Mission and Strategy are coordinated to promote the founder’s values and ensure that all endeavors express the essence of Robert Rauschenberg’s philosophy, www.rauschenbergfoundation.org. Reporters interested in finding out more about HOLA and/the grant program should contact HOLA’s Communications Director, Lee Schube, at (213) 389-1148, ext. 232 or lschube@heartofla.org.
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