Artwork Detail

The Creative Graffiti Abatement Project was implemented by the Department of Arts and culture from 2013 to 2017 in four neighborhoods in south LA County. Civic artworks at two parks and two libraries in these neighborhoods were intended to increase community pride and ownership of public assets and ultimately lead to the reduction of graffiti vandalism at county properties. The project team made additional investments in community engagement as a crucial element for project success. The project was designed create new cultural assets that would meet the needs of each site and test a new model to ensure that artists were fully supported to meet the demands of the project. The project team also embraced evaluation as a component of the project design. In addition to permanent art installations and temporary artist-led engagement programs at each site, the project team produced a documentary video chronicling the development of each artwork and an evaluation report of findings and lessons learned from all four project sites. IST through directing MKE LAX and other related agencies, Sara Daleiden facilitates civic engagement within developing landscapes, exercising cultural strategies based in over two decades of experience. With bases in Los Angeles and Milwaukee, her initiatives encourage local cultures to value neighborhoods, public space, civic art, social entrepreneurship and racial and gender equity. She consults on strategy, facilitation, evaluation, communications and project coordination for numerous nonprofits, for profits and government bodies. She focuses on network development, organizational development, leadership development, real estate development, community development and economic development. She additionally has an expertise in working with artists and other entrepreneurs for civic engagement, creative placemaking, public art, artist residencies and small business development. In Los Angeles, she collaborates with the Los Angeles County Arts Commission’s Civic Art Program and other County departments and partners with the Civic Art as Infrastructure project. This project includes the documentary Civic Art: Four Stories from South Los Angeles and the screening series Civic Art Works with support from the County and SPArt.