I started writing my previous post the first days of 2025 as an email update to what I've been doing in my career as an artist and in higher ed. There was a technical error on Jan. 6th with my mailing list provider that prevented this from going out. At the same time the Palisades fire began and then later that evening the Eaton fire began (and several more since). Our home and studio, in the El Sereno neighborhood of Los Angeles (6 miles south of the Eaton fire evacuation zone at the time), was filled with smoke. We worried about our friends as we watched our city burn. We packed our bags in case we too had to evacuate. So far we have remained safe, but it devastating to watch as more and more of the people in our communities announce they have lost everything.
This weekend I chopped up broken tree limbs and hosed my driveway and yard to clean up all ash that has accumulated. I did the same for my elderly and disabled neighbors next door.
I am grateful for the friends and family near and far who have reached out to check on us (Jeremy, Milo and I), repeatedly knowing how volatile this situation is.
For those wondering "how can I help?" here are some places you can donate that will directly support my community of artists and designers.
Contribute to the Otis College of Art and Design Emergency Relief Fund.
Close to 100 people (students, faculty and staff) at Otis College of Art and Design, where I have worked for over 24 years, live in the communities most impacted by these fires.
Grief and Hope: Art World Fire Relief LA is a group of volunteers—artists, gallery employees, and other cultural workers have begun three pronged efforts - a survey of who needs help, a survey of who can provide mutual aid and a GoFundMe to support the more than 100 artists and art workers who have experienced loss of use or total loss of their homes, galleries or studios.
LA Arts Community Fire Relief Fund
Join a Getty-led coalition of major arts organizations and philanthropists providing emergency relief for artists and arts workers in all disciplines who have lost residences, studios, archives, artworks, or livelihoods or have otherwise been impacted by the devastating Los Angeles fires.
Beginning Monday, January 20, 2025, artists and arts workers who have been impacted by the fires can visit the CCI website to apply for emergency funding.
Directories of GoFundMe accounts:
Historically Altadena is a community that did not have redlining, allowing Black families to purchase homes when other Los Angeles neighborhoods did not. This community has been devastated and here is a GoFundMe Directory of Displaced Black Families. This directory also includes links to GoFundMe directories for displaced Latine families, Filipino families, Disabled folks.
Help Artists Rebuild - List of Fundraisers
And here are some friends and former students of mine that you can support directly:
Asher Hartman - GoFundMe
Emily deArujo and family - GoFundMe
Emily Hopkins and Jon LaPointe - GoFundMe
Greg Ivan Smith and Michael Fitzpatrick - GoFundMe - Amazon Wish List
James Anderson and family - GoFundMe
Juli and Adam - GoFundMe
Kelly Akashi - Venmo - List of tools, studio and art supplies needed
And a few other organizations who need your support for their staff and teaching artists.
Armory Center for the Arts, Pasadena
Side Street Projects, Pasadena