Who We Are
Founded by interdisciplinary artist and author Anna Goodman Herrick, The Arts Initiative is an artist-led foundational hub for premier risk-taking visual art, performance, and creative writing initiatives that shift culture and affect social change.
The Arts Initiative transforms community by creating engaging, interactive arts and creative writing programs that increase human connection, support economic stability, and improve mental health.
The Arts Initiative eliminates financial barriers for artists and creative writers of all disciplines, ages, and backgrounds, while providing transformative community arts and writing programming, in person and online nationally.
who are we if not water and ritual (Queer Water Ritual) at Queer Reset Sunday presented by With Love Projects
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The Arts Initiative x who are we if not water and ritual (Queer Water Ritual):
Art installation, community engagement, and workshop
An ongoing body of art work and corresponding social impact programming by founding Artistic Director Anna Goodman Herrick
Rapid response and long-term solutions rooted in creativity as a tool for thriving and transformation:
When marginalized communities come under attack, we respond quickly with creative advocacy and corresponding direct actions that meet tangible emergency needs, always in collaboration and solidarity with these communities.
Alongside rapid response, we invest in the longterm. We create arts programming, new works, and creative writing programs that shift culture.
Art changes the world.
Our creative works and corresponding direct actions steered by Founding Artistic Director Anna Goodman Herrick have:
provided rent and medical care for displaced Syrian refugee families
launched a creative activism intervention at the Teen Vogue Summit, for anti-racism awareness and advocacy
created creative advocacy content that increased funding for Los Angeles underserved youth’s social impact businesses and eduducation in partnership with Network For Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) and Ambition.org
distributed clothing; hygiene items; and healthy, delicious meals, throughout Skid Row in Los Angeles during Covid, with support from: Dr. Bronner’s, Patagonia clothing, and The Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, in partnership with Kindness Grocery Co-Op
increased representation and platformed marginalized authors and their stories, at the largest literary conference in the United States.
created interactive art installations and taught poetry workshops for LGBTQ2IA+ community that increased mental health
and more!
WHAT’S NEXT?
2027-2029 Core Tentpoles: Transformation
Transforming Vacant Property: Bringing contemporary art into the built environment, making it accessible beyond traditional galleries. The series features new work by the founding artistic director and featured artists that Anna Goodman Herrick curates through invitation and juried open call.
Transforming Community Spaces: Continuing to support creative expression and participation in community spaces through community poetry workshops, readings by emerging and established writers, and open mics.
Building with Partners and Supporters Like You
Past project sponsors and partners, including: Dr. Bronner’s, Patagonia, The Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, and generous individual donors. Event collaborations include The Alena Museum in Oakland, CA, and AWP, the largest and most impactful literary conference in the United States.
Venue Partners: Event venues, commercial real estate owners, small businesses, and city agencies support the spaces for our transformative art and writing programs.
For 2027, we have venue partners in main thoroughfares, collaborating to temporarily convert unused storefronts and high foot-traffic public spaces into art spaces, reaching thousands of passersby turned viewers, many who would not otherwise interact with art exhibitions. These initiatives collaborates with local artists and residents, championing the environment and strengthening community.
We continue advancing our arts programming, supporting creative expression and participation in community spaces through community poetry workshops, readings by emerging and established writers, and open mics.