We are thrilled to welcome Corrie Martin as SPARC’s new Development Manager! Corrie brings a wealth of experience in community engagement, event organization, and collaborative projects that align seamlessly with SPARC’s mission. Her passion for art, performance, and activism will be invaluable as we continue to produce, preserve, and promote socially relevant artwork. We look forward to the innovative initiatives and energy Corrie will contribute to our community.
Hello, Friends and Fellow Fans of SPARC!
What an honor to be moving into the role of Development Manager for this beloved and storied organization!
After moving to Los Angeles this past summer, one bright afternoon exploring my new Santa Monica neighborhood I happened to wander into the SPARC Gallery at the Bergamot Station Arts Center. Inside, I was surrounded by the phenomenal mural work-in-progress of the 1960s section of the Great Wall of Los Angeles mural.
Stretching to the ceiling on each of the four walls were vibrant scenes of joyful protest (have you seen our depiction of the Los Angeles Donut Riots?) and inspiring moments from our nation’s great era of everyday people standing up and speaking out for freedom and justice: Freedom Riders departing Los Angeles’s Union Station, the Free Speech rally at UC Berkeley, the East Los Angeles student walkouts, and more.
I sensed immediately that the history of the human spirit had come alive in this space and that this is exactly what we need art to do today.
After officially joining SPARC’s Research Team and delving into the collaborative process behind the mural extension project, my admiration has transformed into passion—dare I say, love–for SPARC’s mission, vision, and impact.
I am thrilled to return to the field of fundraising and development for an organization that creates art that changes lives and improves communities. My dream is to talk to every person in Los Angeles about SPARC, and then everyone in the state! But, then, why stop there? Will you join me?
I’d love to hear from you! Email or call me to share your ideas, questions, and stories!
Exhibit Description: The Dream Resource Center (DRC) launched Undocumented Stories, an exhibit curated by UCLA students, DRC staff, and SolArt on January 24, 2017. Undocumented Stories utilizes storytelling to uplift the lived experiences of the undocumented immigrant community and highlight how they have built a movement to change policies impacting higher education, access to healthcare, and deportation proceedings. Undocumented Stories also include stories…
This month, we shine a spotlight on Gary McKee. SPARC volunteer Gary McKee has guided more than a dozen school groups through visits to the Great Wall mural in the past year, applying his theatrical talents and love for storytelling in his role as tour guide. Gary loves to bring the stories of the mural…
MuralShield™is able to restore pigments back to their original vibrancy on weathered murals. Use MuralShield™on murals with damaged binders where pigments cannot hold up to water washing. “Home is Little Tokyo” is a community mural, located on the Japanese Village Plaza on Central Avenue, that depicts the rich history of Little Tokyo over the…
“This is precisely the time when artists go to work. There is no time for despair, no place for self-pity, no need for despair, no place for self-pity, no need for silence, no room for fear. We speak, we write, we do language. That is how civilizations heal. I know the world is bruised and…
Public Art Administration Intern In partnership with the Getty Marrow Undergraduate Internship Program The Social and Public Art Resource Center (SPARC) is accepting applications for a Public Art Administration Intern. This position is a 10-week paid internship for undergraduate students from June to August 2021. SPARC creates public artworks and programs that empower communities and…
