Prominent Los Angeles art institutions, including the J. Paul Getty Trust, LACMA, and the Hammer Museum, have established a $12 million emergency fund to assist artists and cultural workers impacted by the devastating California wildfires. This initiative, called the L.A. Arts Community Fire Relief Fund, is managed by the Center for Cultural Innovation, a nonprofit organization based in San Francisco that supports artists in achieving financial stability.
The Getty, the world’s wealthiest art institution with a $9.1 billion endowment, provided a significant portion of the initial funding. While evacuation orders were issued for areas near the Getty Villa, which houses valuable antiquities, staff confirmed that the site and its collection remain safe. Other contributors to the fund include MOCA, the Andy Warhol Foundation, the Mellon and Helen Frankenthaler foundations, Qatar Museums, and commercial galleries like Gagosian, Hauser & Wirth, and Jeffrey Deitch.
The wildfires have displaced thousands of people in the Los Angeles area, raising concerns that soaring rents and prolonged reconstruction efforts could lead to the displacement of artists, particularly those in the Altadena community. Katherine E. Fleming, President and CEO of the J. Paul Getty Trust, emphasized the urgency of providing immediate assistance to help affected individuals secure new housing.
Fleming stated, “Los Angeles is an extraordinary community of artists, and it would be devastating to lose that. We’re striving to make this process swift and uncomplicated, recognizing the bureaucratic hurdles fire victims often face.”
Artists and cultural workers impacted by the fires can apply for emergency grants through the Center for Cultural Innovation’s website, www.cciarts.org.
