Created by the beloved Annette Ciketic in 2005, fINdings Art Center began as a small nonprofit and storefront gallery in Downtown San Pedro, devoted to promoting the artwork and philosophy of artist Corita Kent.
Sister Corita was an influential artist and educator whose work bridged art, activism, and community engagement through accessible programming, teaching her students a shared visual language and a new way of seeing. Active from the early 1950s until her death in 1986, she approached art as a tool for learning, collaboration, and public dialogue, an approach that informs fINdings’ emphasis on interdisciplinary programming and artist-led experimentation.
Since Annete’s passing and the closure of the Warner Grand gallery space in 2024, fINdings has transitioned from a fixed-location gallery to a more fluid, project-based model. Rather than viewing the loss of a permanent space as a limitation, they’ve used it as an opportunity to rethink how and where exhibitions can take place.
This shift led to the development of the Art Saloon series—pop-up exhibitions and events staged in partnership with venues such as the Grand Annex Music Hall, managed by the Grand Vision Foundation. These shows, held against the lively, accessible backdrop of San Pedro’s monthly 29-year-old First Thursday ArtWalk, emphasize community, collaboration, and cross-disciplinary engagement, often combining visual art installations with live music, performance, and student-led activations.
The newly reimagined fINdings’ experiences have been conceived and curated by Henry Krusoe, a local sculptor, curator, and installation artist living and working in Los Angeles. His work with fINdings Art Center centers on developing artist-driven, flexible platforms that are site-responsive and rooted in community exchange within San Pedro and the greater LA art ecosystem. As a curator and organizer, Henry focuses on creating opportunities for artists to present ambitious work outside traditional institutional constraints. This includes coordinating exhibitions, producing public programs, and building local partnerships to foster dialogue and artistic exchange among artists from different disciplines and the public.
Henry received a BFA in Studio Art and Philosophy from Vassar College in 2018 and a Master of Fine Arts from Otis College in 2023. He joined Angels Gate Cultural Center as a resident artist in 2019 and continues to maintain a studio there. From 2018 to 2020, he served on the board of the nonprofit San Pedro Waterfront Arts District. He currently serves as the in-house curator and event coordinator for the fINdings Art Center.
So, what is next for fINdings?
“For fINdings, the next phase is about deepening and stabilizing what we’ve begun: continuing to grow the Art Saloon series while experimenting with new venues and pop-up formats,” says Krusoe. “fINdings continues to increase its capacity and find its niche, strengthening partnerships, expanding funding, and building a more sustainable organizational structure. We’re also exploring what a future permanent or semi-permanent space could look like.”
He continues, “For me, I want to continue developing my own studio practice alongside this work—pushing further into installation, projection, and immersive environments—while also expanding opportunities for collaboration with other artists and students. Ideally, these paths continue to inform each other: the curatorial work creating space for experimentation and the studio work feeding back into how I think about exhibition-making and shared experience.”
CALL FOR ACTION
As you may have heard, nonprofit arts organizations have been facing an uphill battle for funding—because of the 2025 fires, budget constraints in both LA and California have limited potential grant income streams. If the arts and culture in San Pedro are important to you, I urge you to help us by making a donation or attending a local fundraiser.
Operational expenses are not necessarily glamorous, but they are the fuel that keeps the arts alive and thriving while enhancing San Pedro’s unique character. Donations of any amount encourage us and help us sustain this vital work.
Please consider joining us for a Cinco de Mayo happy hour aboard a tall ship at the long dock in our harbor on May 5. Tickets and donation information are available at zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/cinco-de-mayo-fiesta. spt
Linda Grimes is the executive director of the San Pedro Waterfront Arts District and can be reached at 55lindagrimes@gmail.com.
Share Your Comments