Shaping Los Angeles’ Artistic Landscape: Celebrating 35 Years of the Fellowship for Visual Artists
This year marks a milestone for the California Community Foundation’s Fellowship for Visual Artists (FVA) as we celebrate 35 years of supporting and elevating the visual arts community in Los Angeles. Launched in 1988 with a generous $3 million gift from the Getty Foundation, the FVA has played a critical role in shaping our collective experience, offering a platform for voices that might otherwise go unheard. Over these three and a half decades, the program has awarded over $6 million in unrestricted funds to more than 300 artists, fostering artistic talent and nurturing careers across the region.
“Investing in artists is not just about funding their work; it’s about supporting the vital dialogue that drives social change and enriches our cultural fabric,” shares Álvaro D. Márquez, CCF’s Arts Program Officer.
As we commemorate this significant milestone year, we talked to three FVA alumni: Audrey Chan, Ken Gonzales-Day, and Danielle Brazell whose journeys and contributions underscore the fellowship’s pivotal role in advancing the cultural landscape of Los Angeles. CCF’s Fellowship for Visual Artists targets emerging and mid-career artists and is one of the few opportunities for LA based artists to obtain institutional support to advance their careers. Beyond financial support, the fellowship also provides meaningful professional development opportunities that help artists navigate the complexities of a career in the creative sector. As described by our featured alumni, this institutional validation can help open further opportunities, like exhibitions and additional funding, allowing folks to thrive creatively and financially.
Awarded the FVA Fellowship in 2013, Audrey Chan is a Los Angeles-based artist renowned for her research-based projects that utilize drawing, painting, and public art to challenge dominant historical narratives. Her work is deeply rooted in community storytelling and explores themes of power, place, and identity that reshape our understanding of collective history.
“I received the CCF Fellowship in 2013 at a pivotal moment in my career when I was returning to my drawing practice and developing layered visual narratives that featured my family and also LA community and neighborhood stories,” says Audrey. “The Fellowship gave me a needed boost of confidence that I was moving in the right direction.”
Chan’s notable public art commissions, such as Will Power Allegory and The Care We Create, reflect her dedication to transforming how we perceive our shared history. Recognized as a DCA Cultural Trailblazer and a California Creative Corps Fellow, Chan continues to make significant strides in the art world, advocating for the power of visual arts to ignite social change and foster understanding.
Ken Gonzales-Day, a 2007 FVA Fellow, is renowned for his interdisciplinary practice that delves into the historical construction of race and the limitations of representational systems. His groundbreaking series Erased Lynching, alongside the publication Lynching in the West: 1850-1935, has significantly reshaped the dialogue on racialized violence in the U.S. Gonzales-Day’s Profiled series, including the publication Profiled (2011), further explores racial depiction across historical and contemporary contexts. His work has been exhibited internationally, and he is currently involved in projects with the Yale Peabody Museum and the Yale Center for British Art.
Gonzales-Day’s dual role as a professor at Scripps College and a prominent studio artist highlights the Fellowship’s impact on fostering both academic and artistic excellence.
“The Fellowship for Visual Artists was a pivotal moment in my journey as an artist,” says Ken. “It provided crucial support that empowered me to push the boundaries of my creative practice. The recognition and resources from the Fellowship were essential in validating and advancing my work on race and representation, enabling me to contribute meaningfully to the discourse both in my artwork and as an educator.”
Awarded the FVA Fellowship in 2002, Danielle Brazell has had a distinguished career spanning over thirty years, marked by her transformative impact on public art and arts advocacy. As the former General Manager of the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA), Brazell played a pivotal role in expanding funding programs, developing new public arts initiatives, and championing equity and access in the arts. Her leadership resulted in a remarkable increase in the DCA’s budget from $13 million to $22 million and the establishment of a $150 million portfolio of capital projects and programming.
“CCF plays such a crucial role in fostering and sustaining our regional creative ecosystem”, explains Danielle. “Receiving the CCF Visual Arts Fellowship was transformative for me as an emerging artist working in Los Angeles.”
In her current role as Executive Director of the California Arts Council, Brazell continues to advance support systems for creativity and promote the arts as vital to societal well-being. Her efforts are focused on fostering artistic innovation and ensuring that the arts remain a vibrant and integral part of civic and cultural life. Through her leadership, Danielle demonstrates the essential value of artists in shaping a more inclusive and culturally enriched society.
As we celebrate 35 years of the California Community Foundation’s Fellowship for Visual Artists, we honor the profound impact that our alumni have made and look forward to the future of artistic innovation. The FVA Fellowship has been instrumental in supporting and elevating visual artists in Los Angeles, fostering creativity and advancing cultural conversations. Stay tuned for the announcement of our 2024 FVA cohort later this August and join us in continuing to support the vibrant arts community.
To learn more about our work or to explore ways to contribute to cultural diversity, please contact Andres Telo, Donor Relations Manager, at atelo@calfund.org.