The department was recognized for an internship program connecting college students with opportunities in the arts. (photo courtesy of the Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture)

The Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture has been recognized with four achievement awards from the National Association of Counties, including three achievement awards in the Arts, Culture, and Historic Preservation category.

“In our first official year as a department of the county of Los Angeles, we could not be more proud to have been recognized, along with our colleagues throughout the county, for four of our projects,” Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture Director Kristin Sakoda said. “These awards are a glimpse into the breadth and depth of our department’s work and the ways that artists, creative projects and the cultural sector can promote greater equity, access and inclusion in myriad ways in our communities.”

The department was recognized for a program using zip codes and census data to evaluate how services are being provided to residents without access to the arts. The Department of Arts and Culture created a new community reach metric that used easily accessible data and tools to measure the success of a pilot program. The new metric is currently being used to evaluate other programs and is a model locally and nationally.

The department was also honored for the Fort Moore Memorial Refurbishment Project, a four-year collaborative effort between the Department of Arts and Culture and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works to repair and restore the Fort Moore Memorial, which was built in 1957 at 501 N. Hill St. and features large bas-reliefs of scenes depicting the modern development of Los Angeles, and an 80-foot waterfall fountain.

Additional honors were given to the Los Angeles County Arts Internship Program, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary of supporting and strengthening the cultural sector and helping college students gain experience. Established in 2000 as a companion to the Getty Foundation’s Marrow Undergraduate Internship Program, AIP provides students with a better understanding of nonprofit arts administration, the role of arts in communities and potential career opportunities. Grants are provided to nonprofit performing, presenting, film, media, literary and municipal arts organizations to hire students for specific projects.

The department was also recognized in the Community and Economic Development category for collaboration on the County of Los Angeles Accessory Dwelling Unit Pilot Program. In October 2017, the county implemented the pilot program to combat homelessness. The Department of Arts and Culture conceived and led a design competition and exhibition to boost civic engagement in the program.

“I am proud that our Department of Arts and Culture is being recognized as an exemplary leader among county arts agencies, serving our many multifaceted communities in the advancement of arts, culture and creativity,” said Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, 5th District. “As an active member of the National Association of Counties since 2017, it is especially heartening that NACO is honoring these achievements and efforts in Los Angeles County.”

For information, visit lacountyarts.org.