The upcoming virtual symposium brings together six local nonprofit arts organizations. (image courtesy of Craft Contemporary)

Art + Practice and Craft Contemporary co-present 6°, a single-day, virtual symposium bringing together six L.A. nonprofit art organizations to address systemic racism in the art world. With the current uprising against police brutality, systemic oppression and the elevation of the Black Lives Matter movement, arts organizations are also using this moment to discuss how racial inequality affects the internal dynamics of the art world.

The free event is set to be livestreamed on an independent platform, 6degrees.la, on Sept. 19, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The website is currently live with more information, including extended descriptions of each organization’s program and schedule.

“In holding these conversations publicly and transparently, 6° aims to build collective momentum and support in creating collaborative and systemic change,” states a release sent out by Craft Contemporary. “Although these are difficult times and difficult discussions, they also highlight the urgency of community and active cross-collaboration. Not only is it important to address racial equality collectively — as this work, by its very nature, cannot be done alone — but it is also important to do so together with arts audiences, publicly.”

The six participating institutions include Art + Practice, Craft Contemporary, ICALA, Materials & Applications, NAVEL and the Underground Museum. Each institution will present a dynamic program from their own viewpoint that aims to address how to dismantle and identify systemic racial inequalities in the art world, from discussing the barriers in the formal arts education system to conducting a brainstorming session on how to restructure the nonprofit model.

The program will be presented relay-style with each institution addressing different topics, such as making arts education more equitable. As smaller organizations, each institution has the ability to directly impact its own community, as well as the larger landscape of the L.A. art world.

For information, visit 6degrees.la.