Episode 4: CA Arts & Culture "Summit Discover the Future of Creative Work!"

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CA Arts & Culture Summit Opening Panel “Creative Conditions” - Photos Courtesy of Doug Cupid Photography

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"We’re living through the greatest art heist of all time. Billions of images, data, and content were scraped illegally, impacting creative jobs, and AI is at the forefront of this transformation." - Nicole Hendrix

In this episode, our panelists explore the future of creative work, addressing key issues such as fair compensation, the impact of AI, and the evolving job market. They discuss how the undervaluing of creative professionals and the persistent “starving artist” myth continue to affect artists’ livelihoods. Through insights on advocacy, emerging trends, and technological disruption, the panel highlights the urgent need for systemic change in the creative economy. With solutions aimed at building sustainable careers, supporting fair pay, and reimagining opportunities, this episode features leaders working to reshape the future of work for artists and creative professionals.

Nurit Siegel Smith-Executive Director, Music Forward Foundation

Nurit Siegel Smith is the Executive Director of Music Forward Foundation, a national 501c3 organization part of the Live Nation Entertainment family with a mission to transform young lives, inspire careers, and champion a more inclusive music industry. Prior to Music Forward, she held key positions spanning two decades at various arts and entertainment organizations including Blue Man Group, Highways Performance Space, SAG-AFTRA Foundation, and Grand Performances. Nurit’s work at Music Forward also entails managing charitable partnerships such as Crew Nation, a global relief fund which has granted $18M to music crew members around the world since 2020. As a social sector executive and creative strategist, Nurit is dedicated to developing and advancing sustainable organizations that positively impact the world around us. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of Californians for the Arts and California Arts Advocates. Nurit is a UC Berkeley dance and theater graduate and her work as a performer/creator has been seen on TV, film, and on stages across the country

Nicole Hendrix-Co-Founder, BRIC Foundation & Concept Art Association

Nicole Hendrix is a four-time Emmy-winning Producer and has won five PromaxBDA GOLD awards as a Producer and Creative Director. She is the Co-Founder/Executive Director of the BRIC Foundation, an organization that focuses on increasing representation for women and people from historically excluded groups in the entertainment industry, where she directs their yearly Talent + Innovation Summit. She is also the Co-Founder of the Concept Art Association, an organization focused on elevating and raising the profile of concept artists within the entertainment industry, where she directs their yearly Concept Art Awards show.

Jaime Hand-Director of Strategic Impact and Narrative Change, Creatives Rebuild New York

Jamie Hand is the Director of Strategic Impact and Narrative Change for Creatives Rebuild New York. From 2014 to 2020, she was the Director of Research Strategies for ArtPlace America, where she designed and led cross-sector knowledge and network building efforts to embed arts and cultural practice within the community development field. Prior to ArtPlace, Jamie worked at the National Endowment for the Arts, where she launched the Our Town grant program, oversaw the Mayors’ Institute on City Design and the Citizens’ Institute on Rural Design, and advised on interagency efforts including Rebuild by Design. Previously, she worked at Van Alen Institute and for public artist Topher Delaney. Jamie’s background in landscape architecture and her strengths as an editor, facilitator, researcher, and designer reflect a unique combination of rigor and flexibility – with methods that honor both the linear and the nonlinear, the established and the experimental, the known and the unknown, the logic model and the lived experience. Jamie holds a BA from Princeton University’s School of Architecture, and a Master of Design Studies in landscape urbanism from the Harvard Graduate School of Design. She serves on the boards of ioby (“in our back yards”) and the Long Beach Island Foundation for the Arts and Sciences.

Tiara Amar-Director, Advocacy & Fellows, Whippoorwill Arts

Tiara Amar is a Bengali multidisciplinary artist and organizer based in Oakland, CA. As Director of Advocacy and Fellowships at Whippoorwill Arts, their work reimagines a just and equitable music ecosystem that nurtures the creativity and livelihoods of working musicians. Under the mentorship of Hilary Perkins, co-founder of Whippoorwill Arts, and in partnership with the Center for Music Ecosystems and 4A Arts, Tiara co-authored the Recommendations for Live Performance Pay and Professional Protections for Working Musicians (September 2023). Tiara is also currently a Facilitator in Mixed Media at NIAD Art Center for artists with disabilities.

Marcus Mitchell-Public Art Administrator, City of West Hollywood, representing CA Public Art Administrators (CAPAA)

Marcus Mitchell is a public art administrator with over ten years of project management and community engagement experience for public art projects involving diverse communities, contexts, and partnerships. Past projects include Funk, God, Jazz and Medicine: Black Radical Brooklyn at Creative Time, the Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) public art program, and Destination Crenshaw in South Los Angeles. Marcus has worked as a public art administrator with the City of West Hollywood’s Arts Division since February 2023. He studied Art History at the University of Southern California and Curating Contemporary Art at the Royal College of Art, London.

Music Forward Foundation

As part of the House of Blues and Live Nation Entertainment family, Music Forward inspires ambition and creates momentum to redefine what’s possible for the young people and the industry we serve. Focusing on young people ages 13-24 in underserved communities, we set the stage for success by providing workshops and showcases to inspire the next generation of music industry leaders, innovators, and artists. We open doors to an unmatched, nationwide network of music industry insiders to redefine what’s possible for tomorrow’s innovators and leaders. Both community and industry are transformed by Music Forward experiences bridging opportunity for the music community to become more innovative and inclusive.

In addition to defining pathways to success in the industry for high-school and college-age young people, Music Forward offers music industry professionals a way to give back by connecting with GenZ, sharing insight and experience, and uplifting communities.

Also in service of the music industry, Music Forward in partnership with Live Nation, established the Crew Nation fund- a global relief fund to support live music crews who have been affected by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. We are honored to play a role in developing and managing this fund that provides support for these independent workers who are the backbone of the live music industry.

BRIC Foundation

Time to break, reinvent, impact and change the foundation of how we approach representation in creative spaces

BRIC Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit company dedicated to increasing representation in Entertainment, Gaming, Media and Tech. Founded in 2018 by Alison Mann, Nicole Hendrix, and Jill Gilbert, BRIC Foundation was created to change how entertainment companies approach and discuss hiring around diversity. By teaming up with Education, Government, Non-Profit, and Industry partners, BRIC is proud to be creating equitable pathways for future generations of diverse creators to tell their stories and make an impact on the world. Find out more about BRIC’s summits, resources and how to get involved.

Whippoorwill Arts

Our Mission- INVEST. UPLIFT. TRANSFORM.

Whippoorwill Arts is on a mission to invest in and uplift the work of roots musicians and nurture their creativity with a focus on collaboration, fair wages, equity, and social justice. We model equity booking and fair pay - and work to reimagine and transform the music ecosystem for all working musicians. No one has spoken for them until now…through our National Research Study of Working Roots Musicians, they speak for themselves. 

In Support of Racial & Social Justice -Whippoorwill Arts is an Anti-Racist organization. We stand with All Black Lives Matter and the Movement to Defend Black Lives and all people of marginalized identities vulnerable to systemic discrimination and policies that do not fully include and embrace their humanity. As non-profit leaders, artists and producers, here is our commitment and plan: 

We will hire and highlight BIPOC, LGBTQIA+ Artists and marginalized artists. - We will actively seek diverse applicants for all intern, contract and staff positions. We commit to be inclusive of all humans regardless of race, religion, sex, pregnancy (including childbirth, lactation and related medical conditions), national origin, age, physical and mental disability, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, military and veteran status. We will center DEI within our organization, our programming and our advocacy work. Find out more about Musician Support, Music aLive, Fellowships, Songbird Awards, Collaborative Festivals, Advocacy, and how to get involved.

Creatives Rebuild New York

Creatives Rebuild New York [CRNY] is committed to confronting racial and wealth inequities and to developing effective strategies that move the New York State arts and culture ecosystem toward an equitable future. The Guaranteed Income for Artists and Artist Employment programs have been designed to reach artists deeply rooted in and reflective of populations that face structural barriers to financial security, with specific attention to addressing the pandemic’s startling and disparate impact on artists who come from, and serve, communities of color.

CRNY’s ethical framework prioritizes transformative, caring support for artists; trust in and respect for program participants; worker solidarity and labor acknowledgement; reparative, equitable access to funds and opportunities; and an invitation to challenge and reimagine existing systems and institutions. Dive into the research about the programs, read the stories of how the programs have impacted artists and the partners supporting the program.

City of West Hollywood

The City of West Hollywood’s Arts Division promotes the arts as the creative engine of the City through a WeHo Arts and its diverse portfolio of art and cultural programs designed to engage and enrich the lives of residents and visitors.

On January 5, 1987, the City formed the Arts and Cultural Affairs Commission (originally called the Fine Arts Commission) to identify the arts needs of the community, analyze methods of fulfilling these needs, and promote activities to broaden the opportunities for citizen participation in the arts. The Commission is dedicated to providing accessible arts programs for residents and visitors to West Hollywood. Click here for additional information about the Arts and Cultural Affairs Commission.

In August 2017, after an 18-month community-based planning process, the City adopted WeHo Arts: The Plan, to guide the Division’s programming for the next five to ten years. The Plan’s goals are to: celebrate the City’s distinctive artistic and cultural identities, identify and commemorate West Hollywood’s support and advancement of the arts and to articulate a shared vision for the future including securing the position of arts and culture at the heart of the Creative City. Find out more about WeHo Arts Grant Program, Artist Opportunities, The Drag Laureate program, Artist Residency Program, The WeHo Music Program, WeHo Theatre Program and Visual Arts and reach out to the WeHo Arts Staff.

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BAVC Media is a community hub and resource for media makers in the Bay Area and across the country, serving several thousand freelancers, filmmakers, job-seekers, activists, and artists every year. BAVC Media provides access to media making technology, storytelling workshops, a diverse and engaged community of makers and producers, services and resources. Get Training, participate in the MediaMaker Fellowship, become a member and produce shows through the SF Commons program.

Thanks to our CoProduction Partner

California For The Arts - Mission: CFA advances arts and culture in California by raising awareness of programs and services for artists and empowering Californians to advocate for the arts in government, business, and communities.

Vision: CFA envisions California as the most creative state, where artists and arts workers—from designers to musicians—thrive.

California Arts Advocates: This sister organization to CFA ensures that arts are represented in legislation, collaborating with CFA to promote awareness and influence policy decisions.

Get Involved: Become a member, explore their programs, and support the arts in your community.

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