Los Angeles, CA (November 7, 2014) –
Inner-City Arts, a vibrant arts education campus and
oasis of learning, achievement and creativity for
underserved children in the heart of Skid Row, honored
The Walt Disney Company with the Philanthropic
Leadership Award at
its 2014 Imagine Awards, tonight at The Theatre at Ace
Hotel, Los Angeles. The event celebrated the 25th anniversary
of the organization and its mission to unlock the
creativity of young people. ABC7 Eyewitness
News Anchor
Phillip Palmer, hosted.
The Imagine Awards Honorary Committee
included such notable Los Angeles philanthropists and
leaders as J.J. Abrams and Katie McGrath, Wallis
Annenberg, Mark Bradford, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Glorya
Kaufman, Jimmy Kimmel, Melanie and Richard Lundquist,
Michael Maltzan and Amy Murphy and Monica and Phil
Rosenthal. Inner-City Arts board member Vera Campbell,
chaired.
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti presented
the Philanthropic
Leadership Award to
Jay Rasulo, Senior Executive Vice President and Chief
Financial Officer, The Walt Disney Company who accepted
on Disney’s behalf. Highlighting his acceptance and
bringing unanimous applause from the over 800 attendees
was his surprise announcement that Disney will grant $1
million to Inner City Arts to support program
development and expansion of the organization’s
Creativity Lab over three years. The funds will
additionally be utilized to found a Creativity Lab
endowment. The Creativity Lab, created by Inner-City
Arts Co- Founder Bob Bates in 2011, and supported
initially by a start-up grant from Disney, has a central
purpose – to encourage students to pursue tasks and
challenges using creative thinking and creative problem
solving.
“Today, creativity is fast becoming the
main currency of a global economy that rewards new ideas
and problem-solving skills,” said Rasulo. “It’s only by
expanding their imaginations that our kids will be able
to realize their biggest dreams, and take all of us with
them to new heights of possibility. As a company built
on creativity and innovation, Disney is proud to work
with Inner-City Arts to provide even more kids with the
tools, resources and inspiration they need to build the
future they imagine is possible.”
Inner-City Arts President & CEO, Bob
Smiland, remarked “We are excited to build on the
foundation of our nearly two decade collaboration with
The Walt Disney Company. This significant gift will help
Inner-City Arts continue to unlock the creative
potential
and expand the capacity for innovation of thousands of young people from
underserved neighborhoods.”
The evening began with a reception and
silent auction in the lobby and upstairs tiers of The
Theatre at Ace Hotel, the magnificently restored,
Spanish-Gothic style, 1600-seat theatre, originally
built in 1927. Following the program, the lobby was
transformed into an after-party setting, complete with
DJ.
Three-time Tony Award nominee, Judy Kuhn,
who sang the title role in Disney’s Pocahontas as
well as in the sequel Pocahontas
II: Journey To A New World performed Colors
of the Wind from
the original film as
well as
Mother’s Spiritual and The
Best is Yet to Come. Swiss
composer and world-renowned cellist, Martin Tillman was
also featured along with Sal Lozano and The Imagine
Awards House Band and bluegrass band, Miskey Mountain
Boys.
Among the evening’s speakers, Vincent
Caldera, Inner-City Arts student and recipient of the
2014 Barbara J. Schreter Scholarship, was one of a
number of current students, alumni and teachers who
spoke of how their lives have been touched by the
organization. Rory Pullens, Executive Director of Arts
Education for the Los Angeles Unified School District
celebrated the 25 year partnership between Inner-City
Arts and LAUSD while Inner-City Arts Board Chair, Craig
Benell extolled the creativity born of the
organization’s quarter century of commitment to the
city’s young people.
In celebration of Inner-City Arts’ 25th anniversary,
Board Member Crosby Haffner announced the re-launch of a
program of collaborations with contemporary artists to
produce fine art limited editions. Los Angeles-based
artist Alexandra Grant’s series of five prints for
Inner-City Arts, Letters
from Century of the Self (2014),
displayed at the event, capture images that address
questions of identity and one’s concept of self. The
complete series is limited to an edition of 50 and may
be purchased for $1,250 with all proceeds benefitting
Inner-City Arts. To learn more about the program, visit www.lapispress.com/ica
For questions and purchase options,
please call (213) 627-9621 or email benefiteditions@inner-cityarts.org
Founded in 1989 as a learning oasis in
the heart of downtown Los Angeles, Inner-City Arts
cultivates a sense of agency and possibility within Los
Angeles’ youth through the transformational power of
creativity. In partnership with the Los Angeles Unified
School District and other schools in underserved areas,
Inner-City Arts provides a safe and supportive
environment for young people to express themselves,
explore their creativity, and develop essential life
skills. Professional teaching artists engage students in
the visual, media and performing arts in authentic
studio settings. Services include instructional day
classes for K-8 students, afterschool and weekend
workshops for middle and high school students, diverse
and innovative performances in the Rosenthal Theater for
community audiences, and creativity-based professional
development for teachers and
other educators.
About The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company, together with
its subsidiaries and affiliates, is a leading
diversified international entertainment and media
enterprise with five business segments: media networks,
parks and resorts, studio entertainment, consumer
products and interactive media. Being a good corporate
citizen is a time-honored Disney tradition. Through
contributions, collaborations with local organizations,
in-kind gifts and volunteering, Disney helps to brighten
the lives of kids and families in need and strengthen
communities around the world. In 2013, the Company
donated nearly $370 million in cash, in-kind support and
products, and Disney VoluntEARS gave over 667,000 hours
of service. For more information, visit thewaltdisneycompany.com/citizenship
or twitter.com/disneycitizenship.
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