SANTA ANA UNIDOS/YOUTH ARTS COLLABORATIVE/FACES OF SANTA ANA - 2017

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ARTESIA PILAR NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION 2234 NORTH PACIFIC AVE SANTA ANA, CA 92706 April 28, 2017 To Investing in Artists: The Artesia Pillar neighborhood is an old neighborhood that is struggling to reverse our decline. It was the neighborhood that found a notorious gang, F Troop that expanded all over Santa Ana. It is also the home to a historic wall mural on Civic Center Drive that highlighted a summit of the neighborhoods coming together to honor those who were killed in drive by but also a call for peace. That mural connects us to tragic events in the past that we are neighborhood leaders try to overcome and inspire others to make our neighborhood batter. That primitive artwork embodies our hope and dreams while tapping into our spirit. The Artesia Pillar Neighborhood Association (APNA) has been active for over 30 years. As President and relative to some of the mural artists, it is with great pleasure that we enthusiastically endorse and support the application for funding by Santa Unidos and the Youth Arts Collaborative for their Faces of Santa Ana Project: Roses in Concrete mobile mural project and community living art creations. Often, we feel left out of the downtown art scene. It appears remote and inaccessible. It is gratifying to know that the Youth Art Collaborative is bring artists to our neighborhood and assist to create art that will shine a light on the good things that happen every day that goes unappreciated. Yes, we have problem but we are united in solving them. We enjoy collaborating and learning. For this project, we have the students from three elementary schools, one middle school and El Salvador Community Center to draw youth to participate. We are excited because at the same time, we hope to organize a group to repair the wall and mural that is on our wall on Civic Center. It is really innovative that the YAC has chosen to make a mobile mural on canvas that is connected with other neighborhoods. I spoke to several other associations that excited about participating. Also, I am glad that our neighborhood garden will be linked to other neighborhood gardens in a living art piece. We plan to recruit volunteers and participants and to recommend stories. We feel that art projects that engages and involve the community with have an impact on the art community as well as our neighborhoods. It would go a long way to make art accessible and inclusive. We have stories of triumphs and success that needs to be celebrated. This project will do that and more. We urge you to approve the Youth Arts Collaborative for $10,000 in funding. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, �2 3 y woo President