“Find a place you trust and then try trusting it for a while.” –Corita Kent
On any given day, hundreds of artists create work in San Pedro in every medium — young, old, known, and unknown — and Angels Gate Cultural Center has been a haven for the arts and creativity for over 50 years.
Angels Gate Cultural Center (AGCC) emerged from a group of artists in the 1970s who created work-studio and exhibition space in the Army barracks of Fort MacArthur at Angels Gate Park. The site became a City of Los Angeles Recreation and Parks Department facility in 1977. In 1982, AGCC was established as a nonprofit to provide a variety of arts opportunities.
AGCC’s mission is to “provide space for artists to work and to engage the community through arts education, exhibitions of contemporary art, and cultural events” in the L.A. Harbor Region, according to their website.
The center currently provides services to professional artists and innovative public arts programming, including exhibitions of local, national, and international artists and high-quality arts education for children in Long Beach and the Los Angeles Harbor Region. Through its Artists-in-Classrooms program, the center typically provides arts programming to approximately 20,000 visitors annually, including more than 4,600 students in Los Angeles County.
As I’ve written about in previous columns, arts administrators are the glue that helps the arts keep on keeping on. I asked AGCC’s executive director, Amy Eriksen, about her involvement in the arts and where she sees the future of AGCC heading.
What did you do before AGCC?
Amy Eriksen. (photo: angelsgateart.org)
I have had a long career in arts education and a passion for bringing the arts to all ages and groups. I worked in the nonprofit and education sectors for over 25 years and love how arts and education convene at Angels Gate Cultural Center, where I continue my dedication to community and collaboration. I hold a B.A. in music education from the University of Redlands and a Master of Arts in organizational management.
What is your involvement in the arts?
I am a musician and have been playing cello since [the] third grade. I realized the power of the arts in middle school when I had many teachers demonstrate critical thinking skills, especially in the music room, and how these lessons make us better individuals, civic participants, and lifelong learners. In high school, I joined the board of a local symphony and started my journey to becoming an arts administrator.
Was a family member or mentor especially supportive?
I have been blessed to have many very important women in my life as mentors over the last 50 years. My mother was my rock and the one who taught me tenacity and purpose. Many teachers have mentored me throughout the years; one officiated my wedding to my wife, and we have seen each other almost every year for the last 44 years. Laurine DiRocco (who knew Sister Corita Kent) was a part of AGCC since its inception and was my boss at Idyllwild Arts, where I cut my teeth as a young arts administrator.
Where do you see AGCC in five years? Ten years?
AGCC has taken critical steps to ensure organizational sustainability with the ongoing development of our strategic plan, comprised of five tenets: sustaining physical space, fund development, board development, quality programming, and community engagement.
Over the last three years, we have progressively increased the quality of our programming in our gallery through a competitive open curatorial call and expanded our arts education opportunities. Additionally, we have grown our board and staff steadily and have been able to further expand our programming, community outreach, and engagement. Finally, through the increased support of foundations over the last two years, we have been able to leverage that support into increased fund development efforts.
It’s no secret that there is a real need for artist studio space in Los Angeles, specifically in the South Bay region, where we have lost over 100 studios with the closure of numerous art complexes. We anticipate that through this growth, we will see increased engagement in programming, leading to a healthier and more vibrant community for all.
Can you provide a brief perspective about the Cultural Coalition and why it’s important to San Pedro?
The San Pedro Arts and Cultural District was designated by the state of California in 2017. The state cultural designation program was created to celebrate the diversity of culture in California’s various regions and was made possible by generous funding from the California Arts Council.
The coalition supporting the Arts & Cultural District is now called Arts United San Pedro, currently composed of five San Pedro-based partners. Arts United has worked to lead the way to the district’s state recognition and has recently built a plan to increase paid opportunities for local performers, musicians, and artists in all mediums. spt
Interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Angels Gate Cultural Center is located at 3601 S. Gaffey St. Galleries are open to the public Thurs-Sat, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more info, visit angelsgateart.org.
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