Envisioning Change Through Cultural Arts – the Pomona Story
CATHERINE LIN, MUP, AICP SENIOR PLANNER CITY OF POMONA
SEPTEMBER 25, 2017 APA CALIFORNIA 2017 CONFERENCE TRACK: EMBRACING AND ENVISIONING CHANGE: A DIVERSE CULTURE Where is Pomona?
• Pomona is a City in Los Angeles County
• Located in the Pomona Valley between the Inland Empire and the San Gabriel Valley
• Incorporated in 1888
• Became a charter city in 1911 Where is Pomona?
• 23 square miles
• 153,000 population
• 2 Metrolink Stations
• 3 freeways (10 Fwy, 60 Fwy, 71 Fwy)
• Three Colleges and Universities
• Deeply rooted in Arts and Culture
• Home of LA County Fair Demographics
Hispanic or Latino 69% White alone 13% Black or African American 7% Asian 9%
Source: 2015 American Community Survey Demographics
Demographic 1950 1970 1990 2010 Profile
White 99.2% 85.8% 57.0% 48.0%
- Non-Hispanic N/A N/A 28.2% 12.5%
Black or African 0.6% 12.2% 14.4% 7.3% American
Hispanic or Latino N/A 15.4% 51.3% 70.5%
Asian 0.2% 0.6% 6.7% 8.5%
Source: U.S. Decennial Census Social Economics
90% 80% State 70% 60% 50% Pomona 40% 30% 20% 10% 0%
Source: 2015 American Community Survey In Bullet Points
Pomona is an older City Blue collar minority-majority demographics Service jobs Lower median income Younger median age Higher unemployment rate Lower educational attainment A lot of volunteer organizations Crime and homelessness Mostly built out with lots of small vacant lots and underutilized properties Deeply rooted in Cultural Arts Downtown Pomona Pomona Mall
• The Pomona Mall was designed by influential artist Millard Sheets
• Opened in 1962
• Largest mall west of Mississippi
• Closed 9 city blocks to vehicular traffic
• Pedestrian environment where commerce meets culture
• Fountains, large tree Photo credit: Downtown Pomona Owners Association planters, benches Pomona Mall
How Millard Sheets summed up his philosophy for the design of the Pomona Mall shortly after it opened in 1962:
“The Pomona Mall was hailed as one of the first pedestrian malls in the United States and nationally recognized as a blueprint for urban revitalization.” Downtown Pomona Downtown Pomona
Historic Mosaic Fountains designed by Millard Sheets
Cluster of Historic Buildings Downtown Pomona
Historic Fox Theatre Downtown Pomona
Historic Masonic Temple
Edison Historic District Downtown Pomona
• Pomona Mall started to fail in • Artist presence started (most of them late 1960s. City reopened the illegally) street to cars. • The City formed its Cultural Arts • Downtown Pomona was Commission mostly empty from 1970s to 1990s, signs of crime and vandalism were visible. A lot of absentee property owners.
• The Tessier Family started purchasing properties in Downtown Pomona in early 90s. They eventually became the largest property owners for the west portion of downtown Pomona. Elsewhere in the City Elsewhere in the City
"Race is an issue for every school district in the San Gabriel Valley," said Jose Calderon, a sociology and Chicano studies professor at Pitzer College who is working with the Alhambra school district to lower tensions after racially charged confrontations between Asians and Latinos boiled into fistfights last year.
Calderon noted that Pomona has experienced dramatic demographic changes in the past 10 years, and now minorities are the majority at many schools. District officials said Pomona High's student body is 60% Latino, 26% African American, 8% white and 6% Asian.
(11/25/93 L.A. Times Article) http://articles.latimes.com/1993-11-25/news/ga-60544_1_pomona-high-school Art and Youth Mentorship How It All Began
“In any neighborhood no matter how distressed, there’s always something that survived. Find what that is and grow it organically”
– Ed Tessier The Beginning of the Arts Colony
• Initiated by Ed Tessier who led a group of artists
• Original Downtown Pomona Specific Plan adopted in 1994, creating the Arts Colony.
• City established Arts Colony and Antique row over the CBD area in 1994
• Artist Live/Work ordinance
• Downtown Pomona Owners Association (DPOA) established Photo credit: Downtown Pomona Owners Association in 1996 The Beginning of Arts Colony The Beginning of Arts Colony
What Ed Tessier did after the approval of the 1994 Downtown Pomona Specific Plan:
1st: Renovated large spaces suitable for art museums/galleries, then donated those spaces to non-profit art museums /galleries.
2nd: Fixed up the loft units
3rd: Renovated the storefronts Downtown Pomona Transforming
• DPOA was established in 1996 • Security and clean up efforts • Art Walks • Art beautification projects • Family events at night • Farmers market, free concerts, car shows • Art galleries and museums • Restaurants Downtown Pomona Transforming Downtown Pomona Transforming
Photo credit: DPOA Downtown Pomona Transforming
Annual Chalk Art Festival
Photo credit: DPOA Downtown Pomona Transforming
Photo credit: Pomona Arts Colony Downtown Pomona Transforming Downtown Pomona Transforming Downtown Pomona Transforming
Other key events in Downtown Pomona:
The Glass House music hall opened in 1997
School of Arts and Enterprise opened in 2003
Historic Fox Theatre Re-opened in 2009 Downtown Pomona 2007-2017
Recession Entertainment industry moved in Art walks continued to draw regional audience Art activities and programs increased Reduction in consistent daytime population Gradual shift in Arts Colony visitors from art collectors to event-goers Some galleries and restaurants closed Current Issues
Fear of gentrification by the arts community due to rent increase Demand for artist live-work units is bigger than supply Absentee owners bring property maintenance issues City is updating the Downtown Pomona Specific Plan What Came Out of This?
Citywide Art in Public Places Policy Manual and Ordinance adopted in 2012 AIPP Policy and Ordinance
Applies citywide Written by artists and community members In-Lieu Fee Fund Culture Arts Commission and Citizens Advisory Committee carries out policy Reduces political influence Public Art Registry Artwork must respect sense of place Priority given to Pomona- based artists Recent Public Art Projects
Title: Catching Hope Year completed : 2015 Medium: Ceramic tile relief on brick wall
Lead Artist: Alison Petty Ragguette
Featuring students from Pomona Village Academy High School
Location of work: 1555 S. Garey Ave. Pomona Recent Public Art Projects
Title: Return of the Steam Train
Year completed: 2014
Artists: Perry Tollett with assistance from David Villanueva and Tom Pathe.
Medium: Painted steel sculpture
Location of work: 120 E. Monterey Ave, Pomona.
The sculpture incorporates a piece of 19th century train track Recent Public Art Projects
Tile Mural Artists: Joy McAllister, Cindy L. Moore Mosaic Artist: Alba H. Cisneros Year completed: 2016 Medium: China painted porcelain tile Location of Work: 860 E. Bonita Ave. Recent Public Art Projects
Artist: David P. Flores
Title: Karl Benjamin
Year completed: 2012
Location: 400 W 2nd St. Pomona
Dimension: 140’ long x 40’tall
This mural is considered the artist’s break through piece. Recent Public Art Projects
Artist: Andre Miripolsky Location of work: 375 S. Main St. Pomona
Title: Pomonacopia Size: 400’ long x 18’ tall
Completion date: 2016 Recent Public Art Projects
13 wood carvings by wood carving artist John Mahoney on dead trees in Ganesha Park.
Completed in Fall of 2016. Recently Approved Public Art Projects
Mosaic Gardens Apartments Mural
Location: 1680 S. Garey Ave. Pomona
Medium: Mosaic mural
Lead Artist:
Mosaic Artist: Alba H. Cisneros
Anticipated completion in Nov. 2017 Recently Approved Public Art Projects
Lead Artists: Gary Lett Baoyl Cao
Collaboration of dA Center for the Arts and Day One
First of a total of 10 murals in parks series
Anticipated completion: End of 2017 Lessons Learned
For a successful Arts Colony:
An artist live-work ordinance is needed Availability of large units with natural lighting Provide affordable rent to artists for large live-work units Effective management of spaces, compatible land uses Presence of committed non-profit arts organizations that focus on experimental art and public engagement Lessons Learned
For Citywide policy:
Public Art or in-lieu fee fund requirement did not deter development Make public art local, organic, and relatable to the local population Focus on the engagement process of art making as well as the final product Outreach to the arts community Educate local youth Aim high to attract established regional artists but also provide opportunities to local start-up artists (ex: lower the bar for some RFPs, legalize experimental art spaces) Funding and staffing in the City Special Thanks to…
City of Pomona Cultural Arts Commission dA Center for the Arts Downtown Pomona Owners Association Brad Johnson Mark Lazzaretto Chris Toovey Josh Swodeck Andrew Quinones Carolyn Hemming Larry Egan Ed Tessier