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Mission

We engage communities in artistic and cultural expression that tells their unique stories and serves as a basis for dialogue, interaction and a shared understanding of Los Angeles. Through community-based art programs, centered on youth leadership development, we help diverse, generally low-income neighborhoods create dynamic works of public art that build community connection and empowerment.

Our Story

LA Commons was born in 2000, when Karen Mack had an idea to use art and cultural programming as a vehicle for building a stronger sense of belonging in Los Angeles.  “LA Commons” would refer to the places where people connected around shared, participatory arts experiences.  Karen got inspiration from cultural events like Mardi Gras which inspired people to create together for months, building deep bonds of connection in the process and from a notable book by Robert Putnam;  “Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community”. 

Karen and Beth Peterson developed LA Commons’ first project, “Taking Flight: Migration Dreams”, a series of installations in the trees of MacArthur Park dedicated to the experiences of local immigrants, meanwhile creating a model process that we still use today.

Since then, LA Commons has worked in partnership with neighborhoods across Los Angeles engaging diverse youth, residents and artists who through their creative talents drive our Neighborhood Story Connection projects with the goal of amplifying local narratives and exerting community power. 

As we look to the next 25 years, we know that achieving equity, well-being and climate resilience for the people we serve requires that we activate the creativity embedded in our communities and neighborhoods. 

With a passion for using their work as tools for change, the artists we develop and collaborate with are essential leaders of innovative problem-solving efforts. In the coming years, we are excited to grow opportunities for these creators to fulfill their roles as catalysts for community agency and impact. We intend to ensure that they are able to build sustainable lives as part of LA’s robust creative economy.

Our stories will empower all of us to face our challenging present and lean into our exciting future of a Los Angeles that works for everyone.

Values

  • EMPOWERMENT

    Our work helps foster more empowered community members who make their  neighborhoods more just, healthy, and livable.

  • EQUITY

    Recognizing that systemic racism is at the root of many challenges faced by our neighborhoods, we center equity as a foundational principle.

  • TRUST

    Through collaborations with local partners, with whom we have built deep wells of trust, we leverage artistic and cultural approaches to create positive change.

Karen Mack

Executive Director

Twenty five years ago, Karen Mack created LA Commons based on a vision of communities where everyone has the access and freedom to express themselves and the ability to tap the power that creativity provides.  Since that time, she and her team have worked in neighborhoods across the city, implementing artistic programs that foster interaction, dialogue and collaboration for a better Los Angeles.  LA Commons plays a unique role as a facilitator of local engagement in arts and culture as well as in other important issues - health, transportation and education to name a few, giving residents and particularly young people, a voice and an onramp to making positive change. Prior to work with LA Commons, she served as a Public Service Fellow at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University where she researched the role of culture in community building.  She holds an MPA from Harvard University and an MBA from the John Anderson School of Management at UCLA and is currently a mayoral appointee to the City of Los Angeles Planning Commission and serves on the board of California Humanities.

Meet the Team

  • Beth Peterson

    Community Arts Program Director

  • Leslie Tamaribuchi

    Strategy and Operations Director

  • Valery Mendoza-Martinez

    Community Arts Program Associate Director

  • James Keum

    Finance Manager

  • Susie Garcia

    Senior Operations Manager

  • Anahit Poturyan

    Grants and Contracts Manager

  • Elizabeth Cho

    Program Manager, Partnerships

  • Kaitwan Jackson

    Program Manager, Promise Zone Arts

  • Tamika Quillard

    Community Arts Program Manager

  • Alex Ylagan

    Development Manager

  • Tatum Hawkins

    Communications Manager

  • Guillermo Alvarez

    Cultural Organizer

  • Oscar Alberto Dominguez

    Cultural Organizer

  • Rosio Romero

    Cultural Organizer

  • Nia McClinton

    Cultural Organizer

  • Jore Aaron

    Executive Assistant and Special Projects Coordinator

  • Briana Rivera

    Communications Coordinator

  • Indeya Eubank

    Program Coordinator- Promise Zone Arts

  • Tyger Lynch

    Partnerships Coordinator

  • Isabella Perrini

    Marketing & Development Intern

  • Maricarmen Solis

    Operations Intern

Our Board

  • Todd Becraft

    Attorney at Law Office of Todd Becraft-LA

  • Tammy Brown

    Director of Marketing and Communications at the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators

  • Glenn R. Gatien

    Operational, Administrative and Financial Executive

  • Susan Gray

    Consultant

  • Teresa Lara

    Assistant Director of Campus Health Initiatives at USC

  • Ibert Schultz

    Executive Director of Black College Success

Our Collaborators

Barbara Morrisson Performing Arts Center

California African American Museum

CARECEN

CD Tech

Community Coalition

Esperanza Community Housing

Expo Center

The Ford

Fowler Museum

John C. Fremont High School

Getty

Grand Performances

Homies Unidos

Hyde Park Organizational Partners for Empowerment

KAOS Network

Korean Youth and Community Center

LA Neighborhood Land Trust

LAUSD

Levitt LA 

MacArthur Park Elementary School

MacArthur Park Recreation Center

The Music Center

Natural History Museum

SCOPE

SLATE-Z

UCLA Labor Center

UMMA Clinic

USC 

Willowbrook Inclusion Network

The World Stage

Selected Press

25th Anniversary Presentation

Annual Report

View the most recent LA Commons Annual Report by clicking the link below

Support

LA Commons is a nonprofit organization that relies on the generosity of government, foundation and corporate funders, as well as individual donors. LA Commons is a member of and supported by the Los Angeles Visual Arts (LAVA) Coalition.

As an organization at the intersection of arts, youth development and community empowerment, our commitment is to engage communities in artistic and cultural expression. As we continue to create spaces for stories, dialogue, and a shared understanding of Los Angeles, we need the support of our community to sustain this work. 

Regardless of the amount gifted, your donation is received with gratitude and will sustain us to continue to foster resilience and solidarity in our communities. 

Donations can be made anytime here or by clicking the button below. All support is 100% TAX-DEDUCTIBLE THROUGH OUR FISCAL SPONSOR, Community Partners

Partners & Funders