The Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture is making available storage space equivalent to roughly two basketball courts in the L.A. Civic Center for artists impacted by the January wildfires.
Sakoda, who leads the department, stated that the demand for creative spaces in L.A. has intensified due to the fires.
Storage will be complimentary for one year, starting from July 2025 until July 2026. Los Angeles County personnel along with experts in the field of arts will meticulously record every phase of this procedure—including taking photographs, securing items, and transporting the artwork to the storage site. Artists can request to reclaim their pieces whenever necessary. (It should be noted that the facility does not meet museum-grade climate control specifications according to the county’s statement.)
The application deadline is June 6, and it will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis.
“It’s incredibly generous and highly beneficial for numerous artists. There are so many artists who have lost everything,” stated the visual artist.
Mark Dean Veca.
The house he owns in Altadena is among a cluster that remained intact while others nearby were demolished.
Veca has been producing paintings, drawings, and sculptures for many years and has contemplated accepting Los Angeles County’s storage proposal.
“Stashed away in my garage… there must be, essentially, hundreds of paintings and drawings and such,” he stated, even though much of his artwork is covered with soot and ash.
He says just wrapping the art work for storage could have cost him at least $10,000.
However, he has constructed a studio in his backyard and plans to start relocating his artwork from his garage to this new area shortly.
Storage is good but studio space is more important
Since storage units cost hundreds of dollars a month, offering free storage will definitely save artists money. But some think L.A. County should consider going a step further.
“I think studio space would be really, really valuable,” said sculptor
Coleen Sterritt,
who lost years’ worth of artwork when a fire engulfed her house and studio in Altadena back in January.
Although she commended the county for providing storage facilities, she suggested that officials should consider making unused spaces available as studio areas for artists.
“She mentioned that it would be far more beneficial right now for artists who have lost all their work.”
Los Angeles County authorities haven’t dismissed that possibility.
“In addition to the support we have provided so far, which included funding from FireAid directed to grants for nearly 300 artists and creatives who lost homes and studios,” Sakoda said. “We are exploring additional ways to connect fire-impacted artists who lost their studios with spaces in L.A. County.”
This spreadsheet of resources for artists
affected by the fires includes some offers of studio space for artists.
