The LA Arts Community Fire Relief Fund
The LA Arts Community Fire Relief Fund
Los Angeles’ arts community is one of the most vibrant in the world, with filmmakers, musicians, visual artists, writers, and other creatives who have inspired and entertained millions of people. In January 2025, in response to the devastating Southern California wildfires, a coalition of major arts organizations and funders united to support artists and arts workers who were impacted.
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The LA Arts Community Fire Relief Fund, led by the J. Paul Getty Trust, provided critical emergency relief to workers in all creative disciplines who lost their residences, studios, and livelihoods, or were otherwise affected by the fires. The fund raised over $12 million, and participants included the Getty Museum, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), the Mellon Foundation, the Gagosian Gallery, Steven Spielberg and Kate Capshaw’s Hearthland Foundation, and the Ford Foundation.
“This collaborative spirit was instantly activated,” Michael Govan, LACMA’s director and chief executive, told the New York Times. “It is kind of a landmark thing that LA, which is so scattered, is pulling together so quickly. I don’t know that there is a precedent for that.”
Ford also provided core support for the LA Fire Department Foundation Emergency Wildfire Fund, which supported Los Angeles firefighters with equipment, tools, and supplies.
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