Virtual | Art in Public Spaces with Sonia Romero, Danielle Brazell, Felicia Filer, & Heidi Zeller

10:30 am PT/12:30pm CT/ 1:30pm ET

On July 6, members of ArtTable’s Southern California chapter met for a walkthrough of Sonia Romero’s unique and powerful Metro Arts mural project in the historic Mariachi Plaza’s Gold Line Station in Boyle Heights. As a result of this successful event, we are following up with part two! 

Join us for a virtual discussion on the current state of public art in Los Angeles and Romero’s public art projects — especially as we emerge from the pandemic with an increased awareness of the profound value of art in activated public spaces across all the city’s diverse communities. 

Romero unpacks the community and history-centric content of the work, as well as offers insight as to how the project came into fruition over the course of more than five years. Additionally, we are honored to welcome to this conversation with the perspectives of LA Metro’s head of Cultural Programming Heidi Zeller, Director of the City of L.A.’s Public Art Division Felicia Filer, and the Department of Cultural Affairs General Manager Danielle Brazell.

Admission

• Current ArtTable Members – $10
• Members may bring a guest for an additional $5
• Non Members – $15

Not an ArtTable member? Join today!

Accessibility: Please email programs@arttable.org if you require accessibility information for this program.

About the Speakers

Sonia Romero is a Los Angeles artist known for her paper-cut and printmaking aesthetics which she incorporates into both her fine art and public art commissions. Born in 1980, she grew up in an artistic household in Echo Park before formally studying at the Rhode Island School of Design. After returning to California, she began working as a public artist, and was the artist in residence at Avenue 50 Studio in Northeast Los Angeles from 2007-2014. (soniaromero)

Danielle Brazell is a visionary national arts and cultural leader, passionate about the roles that arts, culture, and creativity play in advancing civic belonging, equity, economic prosperity, and social connectedness. Her career spans thirty years, first as an artist, teaching artist, cultural producer, and administrator, and now as the General Manager of the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA). A passionate advocate, she advances the agency’s mission to enhance the quality of life in the city. Ms. Brazell provides executive leadership to a staff of 84 full-time employees and over 200 part- time employees, including a robust roster of teaching artists. Ms. Brazell works with the progressive agency’s Community Arts, Grants Administration, Public Art, and Marketing, Development, Design, and Digital Research division directors, and the Performing Arts Program and General and Administrative Support Program directors, to implement an annual budget of $22 million and a robust $150 million portfolio of capital projects, facilities, programming, and initiatives of free and low-cost publicly accessible arts and cultural services citywide. Prior to 2014, Ms. Brazell was the Executive Director of Arts for LA, a highly visible arts advocacy organization serving the greater Los Angeles region. Under her stewardship, Arts for LA became a formidable coalition advancing the arts in the largest county in the country. Ms. Brazell was previously the Artistic Director of Highways Performance Art Space and the Director of Special Projects for the Screen Actors Guild Foundation. She serves as a board member of Americans for the Arts and DataArts.

Felicia Filer is the public art director for the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs. She has overseen the commission and fulfillment of over 200 permanent public art projects throughout the city. In Summer 2016, Filer co-produced the city’s inaugural Public Art Biennial, CURRENT: LA Water. The Biennial commissioned 15 original, temporary public art installations and 150 public programs. A native of Los Angeles, she earned an MBA in finance and marketing from Claremont Graduate University. (linkedin)

Heidi Zeller is LA Metro’s Senior Manager of Cultural Programming. Zeller is an arts organizer and cultural planner with a focus on the role of art in enriching public space and civic dialogue. At LA Metro, she produces Metro Art Presents, a series of arts and cultural events at historic Union Station. She is a proud native Angeleno. (ciclavia)

Thank you to Shana Nys Dambrot & Ceci Moss, ArtTable SoCal Chapter Co-Chairs, for organizing this program.

Images:

1. Headshots of the speakers, clockwise from top left: Sonia Romero, Danielle Brazell, Felicia Filer, & Heidi Zeller