LA Commons and Community Coalition Partner to Receive $75K ‘Our Town’ Grant from the National Endowment for the Arts

13 May LA Commons and Community Coalition Partner to Receive $75K ‘Our Town’ Grant from the National Endowment for the Arts

Los Angeles—LA Commons has partnered with Community Coalition (CoCo) to implement a $75,000 Our Town grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). One of 63 grants, the organizations will use the money to develop the Fremont Wellness Center and Community Garden into a Healthy Culture Hub, integrating art and culture as complements to health services for recovery. The NEA supports projects that integrate arts, culture, and design activities into efforts that strengthen communities by advancing local economic, physical, and/or social outcomes; ultimately laying the groundwork for sustainable systems change.

“As the country and the arts sector begin to work towards a post-pandemic world, the National Endowment for the Arts is proud to announce this Our Town funding. These awards support cross-sector partnerships such as the one LA Commons and Community Coalition has created to demonstrate the power of the arts to help communities heal and create a better future for themselves,” said NEA Acting Chairman Ann Eilers.

LA Commons engages communities in the creation of public art that tells unique stories and serves as the basis for dialogue, interaction, and a better understanding of Los Angeles. Building on ongoing cross-sector collaborations, they are collaborating with CoCo to identify and enlist local artists, culture bearers and healers to create residencies onsite. Residents, students of Fremont H.S. and their families will develop cultural programs, created by, for and with community members that will address local needs for healing and social support.

“We are thrilled to collaborate with LA Commons and to have the support of the National Endowment for the Arts,” said Gerri Lawrence, Deputy Director of Advancement. “Through this donation we will be able to promote wellness and amplify the importance of green spaces that community gardens provide.”

About Community Coalition
For the past 30 years, Community Coalition has worked with community members in South LA to build leadership, launch action campaigns, and create a unified voice. By working to transform the social and economic conditions that foster inequity and inequality, CoCo aims to empower everyday residents to influence and elevate public policy. For more information, please visit www.cocosouthla.org.

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