NOW ART Ft. Carmen Zella

In this episode, Fenix talks with Carmen Zella, the visionary force behind NOW Art a powerhouse creative agency and nonprofit ecosystem redefining how art lives in the world. Through large-scale installations, civic collaborations, and her nonprofit arm, the NXT Art Foundation, Carmen is leading a movement to democratize art transforming cities into immersive cultural experiences and making public art accessible, experiential, and impossible to ignore. Widely regarded as public art royalty, she’s not just curating work, she’s reshaping entire urban landscapes and redefining the role of art in society. Join the conversation only days after their new program, Attune 1.0. 

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Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Alright you guys, and while we're used to being on the scene and outdoors, this podcast today is gonna be at the Octavia Lab. Let's go ahead and get started. On Valentine's Day this year, something different happened across Los Angeles. As the sun began to set, parks throughout the city transformed into immersive sound and light experiences, designed not only just to be seen, but to be felt. I was at the Exposition Park that evening, standing in the middle of it all, watching strangers slow down, breathe together, and experience public spaces in a completely new way. Today I'm sitting across the owner and chief curator of Now Art, the visionary behind Atoon, a citywide activation that redefines what public art can be. We're going to talk about her curatorial philosophy and how projects like Atoon are reshaping the landscape of Los Angeles. Go ahead and introduce yourself.

SPEAKER_00 1:00

Carmen Zella, I'm the chief curator of NowArt.

SPEAKER_01 1:04

Awesome. Talk to us a little bit about those that may not be familiar with your work. Tell us a little bit about what goes behind the scenes and just enlighten us a little bit if you can. And thank you so much for being here with us today.

SPEAKER_00 1:15

Oh, it's a total pleasure. Yeah. So I uh run NowArt, but NextArt is our 501c3. So what I like to think about is NowArt is a catalyst for public art expression, creative agency. But NextArt is our playing field. So it's really our incubator where we get to explore ideas and experiment and also to create like these incredible platforms with prestigious artists. We're living in Los Angeles. We're not a small city, we're the second largest in the country, and we're the capital for the amount of artists per capita in North America. That's a big statement, and it's true. So the privilege here is that we are living in sunshine and it's it's a playing ground for public art expression. So, you know, my goal with both of the organizations is really to introduce public art to the greater public and also be able to introduce them to the talent that lives all around us.

SPEAKER_01 2:32

Fantastic. I love that. Um let's backtrack a little bit and talk a little bit about your your entrance or your aha moment into the public art space. What was your first kind of like, man, I need to share this with the world.

SPEAKER_00 2:47

Yeah, there's been a few really important moments in terms of my art career. Um I would say that uh one of the moments was I come from a theater background. So I was producing, um, I was doing set design um and theater production at the Royal Court Theater upstairs, which is Peter Brooks Space in London, England. And at the time, I was also, you know, doing many jobs. Um, and one of them was I was a theater critic. And there was a festival that I went to, and an Argentinian group that was doing physical theater called De La Guarda was doing their premiere performance in a warehouse space, so an unconventional theater space. I walked in, there was all of these very formal, you know, audience members, and the place freaking exploded. I mean, we heard sounds, we saw lights on the ceiling, and then you know, all of a sudden there was a body that pierced through the ceiling, like broke through the ceiling, and then was on a bungee cord and like grabbed an audience member and went back up. So the whole place, all of a sudden, the walls came down, there was scaffolding, all this stuff started happening, and it was all around you. It was really this moment where I realized art and, you know, theater and it's it's not about being on a stage or hanging on a wall. It's about something that really like captures you and is all-encompassing. It's in the space where we exist. And that really changed me in the director, in the direction of thinking about art as life, life as art, you know, which I'm quoting from John Cage in the Fluxus movement. So I went back to art school, studied art school, and then when I came out to California, it was really with the impetus of like, where's all of this going? You know, who are all these, you know, what is Burning Man? Like, what is this whole like, you know, trajectory of like no walls, live in the theater, live in the space, like introducing art. And it was really that kind of um, that kind of gas in the engine. And at the time, it was really before the sort of, you know, quote unquote street art movement started happening. And then just to see artists, you know, I produced some of the first murals um in the downtown landscape of that kind of category in that milieu. And I worked with this um this man named Bryson Strauss. So we went to um we went to Art Basil in Switzerland with um, you know, with Mir One. We went with um, you know, like all of these incredible artists um of the time, L Mack and Um Retna. And, you know, so I was hanging out with them and watching the work that they did with with Kofi and, you know, um, and the the idea that an artist can take control without having to run through an institution and create projects for the public that the public can say that they like or don't like, they are the adjudicators, felt so punk rock to me. And I just loved the movement in that way. So it sort of created this causeway, this lane for me to start looking at public art and then coming back to, you know, my fine art um training and then thinking about like, how can we break space into a location that is accessible for all people to understand and enjoy? I always say my tagline is I have a few, but one of my big taglines is the public is not stupid. We are a lot smarter than you know, um people often give us credit for. And so if we sequester art only into institutional spaces, we are we are uh creating a um we're we're not allowing the public to connect together, to understand concepts that bridge us culturally, and really to have the privilege of having an education that questions the world that we live in and our surroundings themselves.

SPEAKER_01 7:27

Aaron Powell My question to you is, you know, do you consider yourself more of like a an executive artist? Or what what label do you generally put your yourself under? Because I feel like for for me, I I try to say, yeah, I'm an artist, but I like being the executive behind it a little bit more. I like I like making sure that everybody's taken care of. I I like to make sure that everybody's heard. Although I may like to display my art or you know do different, you know, I guess collaborations, I I like to look after the whole as opposed to just looking for just individual pieces.

SPEAKER_00 8:00

Yeah, so I mean my formal hat is a curator, but my informal hat is a muse. Because I think, you know, if I'm doing my job correctly, then I'm you know allowing for a public art platform and inspiring, you know, other people to consider themselves um to participate in that creative space as well.

SPEAKER_01 8:25

Right, right. Perfect segue to my next question. Uh your your mission statement um states that now art democratizes art and makes it publicly accessible. How has this philosophy specifically shaped your curatorial approach over the years?

SPEAKER_00 8:42

Every project that we do, um, you know, every single project that we do, we think about accessibility. And we don't just think about it, you know, in terms of it being free. We think about it in terms of, you know, the curation itself. So when we're selecting artists, we're thinking about um, you know, how are we representing different demographics? And in a city like Los Angeles, it becomes, you know, a huge feat. So I don't like to think about it like that we have to put everything in the same exhibition at one time. It's a series, right? But also within those exhibitions, we think about accessibility of language, we think about accessibility in terms of uh different abilities and being able to have people going and actually like physically being able to, you know, come to the exhibitions. So we think about senior populations, and then we also think about um accessibility in terms of how how are the concepts being um met. So we, you know, in term in Luminex, we had a curator at every single one of the sites there to explain the projects to people. We had QR codes that allowed people to hear any kind of spoken word in multiple languages. We have um so we think about it in like a really like, how are we gonna make this project accessible to the public, but like really accessible? And there's always learnings there. We're not gonna meet every single um, every single person, but we we really strive to because if we're gonna be in the public space, then we really have to make sure that the public comes to those projects. So with the Toon, um, we had 10 locations. And how we tried to upend that is going into neighborhoods that are often underserved, you know. So we went to um, you know, as far as Porter Ranch, we went to Henson Dam, we went to all over the city, like 10 locations all over the city, and we talked to the community organizations that are represented in those communities and offered them to table so that there was, you know, this um, you know, very neighborhood vibe that was invited to these installation sites. And then within the installations, we had MCs at every single one of those events who were representatives from those communities because we really wanted to think about how can we create a public art project in unison that is within the nuanced neighborhoods of Los Angeles, but is still culturally representative of those nuanced neighborhoods. Because let's face it, Los Angeles is a cornucopia of culture. And that is actually an asset. It's not a deterrent. We need to lean into each of those, you know, unique cultural locations and amplify them. How can we amplify them? So we need to be able to have them, you know, stand on their own terms, you know, bring to the table their own uniquenesses, their own artists, the beauty that those communities represent, and have us talk with one another as one unified um, you know, idea or exhibition or experience.

SPEAKER_01 12:11

100%. And like I said, being there and just being able to see the community vibing out to it and just you know, it it in a sense it was an exploration of sound as well, you know, because the it without the sound, it you know, it was only partial story. But I do want to ask you, um, when did Valentine's Day become a part of you know the whole project? Was it was it always gonna be on Valentine's Day or what what's the connection there?

SPEAKER_00 12:35

Aaron Ross Powell Yeah, so uh originally we were gonna do the project in November, and then we just needed more time because um doing a project of this magnitude um for some crazy reason, I thought, oh, we're not using projection, and it's gonna be easier than putting on Luminex. And then I was like, nope, because it was like doing 10 Luminexes all at once. So we needed more time, and I thought, you know, like now's the time to do a project that is amplifying love, because everything that we're hearing right now in the media is so negative. And I just wanted to seed this project in a moment that was really already branded as a moment to come together as love. And that's really was the undercurrent for the creation and the ideation of a tune. So it felt like a really great, you know, um, it felt like a really great moment. This is not a one-off project. So what we are doing is creating a cultural platform. A tune is not necessarily going to repeat on Valentine's Day, but I thought for the first, what a really great opportunity to launch it this way.

SPEAKER_01 13:54

It worked out, honestly. And I took one of the postcards home, I think it was LMAC. Oh my goodness. I've been and you know, for for those that may not have the resources to go out and purchase, you know, one of his, you know, canvases or even have the space for him to come and do a whole side of your building, having just that postcard um and and having something that you can finally say, hey, I have something tangible of his. Oh my goodness, you you made my day with that one. I gotta tell you, and it's right there on my desk. It's you know, because you know, I collect stuff like a cause, um, you know, um Yayo Kasama. She did uh, I think a collaboration back in uh during COVID where they did the box for the, I think it was the Glico bottle. And oh my goodness, I waited in line at Bemo for that one. Just it's just the box was so beautiful, right? Jeff Koons, you know, the balloon dog from the Broad Museum, just you know, different Takashi Murakami, things like that, right? And just having one of his was like, oh my goodness, chef's kiss. You know, it just felt right. Um, I do want to go ahead and uh ask you um about a partnership. Collaborating with AREP is not um, you know, something that's new. How did you guys uh or how did you approach them again or you know, come back onto this uh project? I know that you guys worked on uh Luminex together. And uh, you know, how what was that conversation like and um how did you get them to come on board again?

SPEAKER_00 15:18

So my big connection there is Paul Chavez, who's also a musician and um works uh, you know, is is um you know long-standing uh employee of ARUP partner, I think they call them in ARP. But you know, ARUP has been a great um technology partner, and so the curiosity um for this project is really embedded in like how are we gonna pull this off? Like how technologically can we create a live, you know, concert as it as it were, you know, with amplification simultaneously across such great distances without with how with really minimizing latency issues and um thinking about like how we can accomplish that on the back end. So that was enough of a puzzle, you know, to really bring them in and to have an expert like Paul who was overseeing and really helping to be the connective tissue between the artists, the production companies was is is just a huge privilege. And I continue to just be so thankful and blessed for that um for that partnership to be in place. But this project took a lot more than that. It was you know, Arab, MS productions, um, kinetic lighting, you know, so every single location and then media pollution. So each one of them had a technician at the site, every single site. And they all were reacting live to the project and the experience with a sort of score and with different parameters. And media pollution had um old school TVs at every single location with a camera that was circulating every nine seconds uh all of the different locations. So if you stood in front of the TV, you could see all the locations live, you know, throughout Los Angeles County. And they had videographers, and so the back-end collaboration, and that is one layer, and then there was the layer of all of the civic, and then there was the layer of all the community organizations, then there was the layer of all the volunteers, then there was the layer of all of the curation of, you know, artists with these custom-created Valentine's Day postcards that were being given out for free. Then there was the incredible layer of all the artists, and then they all had performers, you know, um, in addition to that, and then the layer of the production. So to put something like this on was a huge experiment and a big feat, but a massive privilege. And so we can continue doing that and really lean into the neighborhoods in Los Angeles and create, you know, cross-cultural exchange, but bridge it to be even larger so that we can be collaborating with San Francisco, San Diego, New York, Helsinki, you know, Tokyo. Like our public art needs to be a shared experience. And the beautiful part about this curation is that we turned the microphone to the audience, and so did the artists to breathe together, to hear us experiencing. You're not a part, you're not an observer, you're a participant. And so expanding that with art and technology is um, I feel like the future of public art.

SPEAKER_01 19:12

What does success look like for you um with this project personally?

SPEAKER_00 19:17

Yeah, so success for me, I think, is going to be curating the project so that there can be more of um collaborative exchange. I think that dance is a huge component, you know, having more of a live presence of people that are participating in the acoustic activations, but having also a live presence is not just in having musicians responding to each other, which was successful and very beautiful, but it's also having like a physical dance component and looking at the neighborhoods and being able to bubble up their cultures and have their cultures represented more as well, I think is uh a great success, uh, you know, is a great evolution of this project. But it's really all about exchange. Like what a tune is is really it's a platform of cultural expression, but it's a platform of cultural exchange. And so I think from a curatorial standpoint, leaning into that more. So our programming for A Tune 1.0 was looking at artists and kind of testing stuff out, right? Claire Roussey, you were able to go up to the microphone and whisper memories. So, like all of these memories from people in all 10 locations, you could hear it with this beautiful piano piece in the background, right? That was really exciting. Having Carmina Escobar have the audience stand up and breathe together and go through these practices. That was really tremendous. Having Miguel Atwood Ferguson having a different instrumentalist at every single location, you know, Quran Shahid, having, you know, um different instrumentalists creating like this improvisational jazz piece, like wild stuff, right? Really, really cool. And that creates a vibration for the audience who's there, you know, to feel like they can stand up and dance and they can move and it's a fluid space. So being able to increase that and amplify those successes and those um moments where it was like, yes, this is like, this is it, this is working. When you do something that's never been done before, it's a little bit of an experimentation and a testing ground. And so, you know, moving forward, we're we're like kind of in an incubator learning stage from this. But um, you know, it's uh it's gonna continue.

SPEAKER_01 21:47

Yeah. Um I'm I'm just here mind blown. I'm just so happy to be in front of you, honestly, just listening to you. Like I'm I'm this is peak for me, right? Um, but I I was really interested in something outside of you. You know, just the programming behind it. I just kept thinking, where were you in all of this? I don't take you as a micromanager. I I feel like you kind of are past that point. And um correct me if I'm wrong, but um what what were you doing during the whole time?

SPEAKER_00 22:15

I was an Altadena. I was an Altadena and I was managing the site. I listen, you know, I love going up on scaffolding and working with an artist. I in Luminex was sweeping when I saw that there was glass on the floor. We're I am not um like I'm here for the people and I'm here for the projects. So, you know, with the tune, you know, I we needed to have a manager at that location. And I love it. Like it's it's boots on the ground for me. I'm not in a I'm not away from these projects at all.

SPEAKER_01 22:53

Yeah. Um I gotta tell you, with with just such an array of locations, I I was just thinking, like, where is she? Like, where is she? Like what what can be in her mind look like right now because this has never been done. And again, from an outsider looking in, it looked like an immense undertaking. So I gotta commend you on that one. Um I do want to ask, in regards to the the live stream, what was on the TVs, will that ever be released? Or will um Yeah, so we Where does that live?

SPEAKER_00 23:25

Yeah, so we're cutting uh documentation of it now. Um it's with an editor in New York, and we're gonna be um showcasing that. We're doing a release rap party for all of the artists and people that were participating um at our gallery space in in downtown LA. Um, but yeah, after the 19th, we're gonna, you know, have it available um publicly. We're gonna disseminate it. And, you know, it's it's it's really great, you know, to see, because I had no idea, right? Like I'm blind. I don't know. It's like a project that you birth and you're like, oh my God, what's happening over here? What's happening in Lemourt? What's happening in, you know. Um so seeing that footage was really fun for me, you know, seeing how the audience was interacting with the cameras from media pollution, how they were like dancing, how they were participating and standing up at the Venna Museum and in Tongva Park, and you know, all the different artists that were located into separate spaces, seeing them, you know, for the first time, you know, performing the pieces that we just we acoustically heard and and were sort of, you know, in immersed by was really wild. So yeah, so that's that's the short, you know, long answer.

SPEAKER_01 24:38

I love it. What what was your biggest takeaway from you know this experience?

SPEAKER_00 24:42

My biggest takeaway is that we have to do more in Los Angeles because there's communities that are just so excited to be included, you know, and so receptive to public art, you know, all across the city. And I feel like, you know, in Los Angeles, we just, you know, our artists are celebrated outside of our city oftentimes, you know. We, you know, have these opportunities, like the Freeze magazine is in front of me here, and we we have these moments, but like people show up in droves, you know, to the 99 cents to these activations. But what we need to do is we need to create more accessible public art platforms that are supportive of artists in our community. And all of it really comes down to funding. Here everyone's like looking over their shoulder and like, okay, the next guy's gonna take care of it, or the next guy's gonna take care of it, or you know, our city budget for public art for the Department of Cultural Affairs is 19 million, um, which might seem like a lot of money, but that has to fund all these um, you know, cultural locations, theaters, et cetera. The budget for New York is 300 million. So that gives you an understanding of like where Los Angeles stands. So we need to take back um this city and claiming it as an arts capital. We have, you know, successful uh runs of you know projects like Desert X that happen in the surrounding areas, but we need to lean into our city more. And art is a catalyst for revitalization. Um, it creates a better understanding of each other, it secures our streets and it uplifts people and it makes us an international destination. Um, and we see it happening in other locations, and we need to embrace that and do that more here for ourselves, you know, not for others, for ourselves. We deserve better.

SPEAKER_01 26:56

I totally agree. Um if we're nitpicking here, um, within you and your team, when you look back at a tune and um, you know, just the work that was put out, um, what what's something you feel like you can turn up a little bit more next time? 2.0.

SPEAKER_00 27:12

Yeah, 2.0. I mean, I think I mentioned it a few times, but um 2.0 I think that we would like to be able to like amplify, uh like bring the curation um uh you know into having it be more of a collaboration between locations and between neighborhoods. Um I think that having some of the locations uh, you know, further out so that we can create collaborations with cities that are even San Diego or San Francisco would be really interesting to do. Um there's, you know, there's a few things, but um I would say the main one is probably doing it when it's a little warmer because it was pretty, pretty cold in February. Um so for a nighttime activation, I really wanted it to happen on Valentine's Day, but um Valentine's Day was a little chilly. So, you know, we're gonna look at repositioning it in, you know, sort of around the summer months when we can take advantage of our our beautiful weather out here.

SPEAKER_01 28:18

Okay, okay. And you know, I gotta look out for my artists, for my artists that are looking to be a part of this movement, um, the ones that are sitting on the sidelines and waiting for their turn, uh raising their hands like, hey, I'm ready to go. What are some of the things you look for when you select artists and you choose to, you know, bring different artists into the fold? What are some of the like keys that they have to kind of hit to be able to be a part of what you got going on?

SPEAKER_00 28:42

Yeah, so that's an interesting question. When we're looking at curation, it's like across different types of media. But what, you know, I want to see happen with all of our activations is I think there's room for for all different levels of artists. They don't have to be, you know, established, they can be emerging. But the key for me is concept. So if if you're an artist and you're creating a piece of work, and um, you know, Jeffrey Deitch talks about this too. It's not about the aesthetics of the work, it's about like what's the meaning behind the work, right? You look at artists like Man Ray and you know, you think about like, well, what was it that he was creating? It was what he was creating was was a moment. He was creating work from a concept. He was trying to move people and make them think. And so work that is conceptual, I'm always, you know, is very attractive. And I think it has a space in the public realm. Oftentimes we see things that are really just like commercial or eye candy, you know, because it's gotta, you know, meet the standards, be family friendly. You can have family-friendly artwork that still has a concept behind it. Um and so there's, you know, different opportunities in each of these projects. Um there are not always gonna be opportunities to be, you know, projected 200, you know, on a 200-foot wall, but there's always opportunities to, you know, bring your artwork to the table and have a conversation. And, you know, there's places for for everybody to play in in the public art space. It's just a matter of like what your art is, what you want to say, where you want to say it, um, and the mechanisms and in how you you envision an installation in the public art realm to look like. And then from there, it's sort of carving it out and making like, you know, smart decisions, whether it's associated with a project that is existing or something that you're doing on your own.

SPEAKER_01 30:49

Aaron Powell Now there's a different branch to now art. Now we have Next Art Foundation. And when we talk about 501s, we're now talking about board members, right? Now we're we're talking about more people collaborating in the saying of what you know the end product looks like. Talk to us about why, you know, starting the nonprofit was, you know, something that had to happen.

SPEAKER_00 31:09

Aaron Powell Well, we actually started off as a nonprofit, and then we started the LLC after um because um we were taking on projects that were, you know, interior design. Um we were taking on like um um consultation projects and things that weren't necessarily um toward the mission. Um and then what NextArt, you know, so then we um created the identity of NextArt. So there's now and next. Um so they do have uh, you know, they're they're in the same family. But in NextArt, we wanted to be able to have our board members or everyone from, you know, Panasonic to, you know, public art curators to um international gallerists, and we wanted to be able to have a group of people that represent both um the business community, the art community, and can look at these projects always with an understanding of prestige. So when we come into thinking about a public art exhibition, I always think of it like, what if we were to flip the gallery experience inside out? So we don't want to do things that are dumbed down with um, you know, inferior equipment, um, or you know, with artists that, you know, don't that that that aren't already in that sort of um prestigious landscape, we want to be able to give the public access to these things. And so the board really helps to form those projects, um, and they also help to get us connections to help fund them. But um, but yeah, so that was the idea for the facilitation of Next Start Foundation.

SPEAKER_01 32:53

Okay, cool. And when we talk about funding these projects or being financially responsible for these projects, um, how do you generally approach it? You know, is it like, hey, we have a grant that we're gonna, you know, go ahead and go after, or is it more of a, hey, I know this partnership with this organization here can go ahead and benefit us both. Let's go ahead and approach them and see if we can meet halfway.

SPEAKER_00 33:15

I I have to be truly transparent. Like I'm still not great at fundraising. Um, it's definitely never the consideration when I start off on these journeys of ideations. And so, you know, our LLC has often, you know, foot the bill, you know, to come in with finishing funds to make these projects realized. Um, because, you know, Los Angeles um doesn't think about and hasn't been thinking about public art projects to scale like you know they do in other cities like Chicago or New York. Um they don't think about like the impact of like big pieces. They don't think big enough. Um and so my appetite is really big. And so oftentimes I, you know, get, you know, really we get behind the idea of a project, then we go out and do funding. And it's usually a trifecta of, you know, some funds come from corporate, some funds come from grants, and some from funds come from civic. And so we're continuing to build the foundation, um, the funding foundation to realize these projects because it's once we do a project successfully, then we can go back to those partners and you know make another request. But it's it's um, you know, it's a relationship that continues to get built.

SPEAKER_01 34:45

I love it. I love it. Um I I gotta know. Um again, you wear many hats. You know, the the work is endless, right? The work never sunsets. It's just, you know, I feel like even with the work that I do, I feel like it's it's not unfinished. It's like I'm gonna get back to in a bit, right? I got just I gotta go cover this one for a little while. I gotta make sure I I feed this journey because this journey also has partners that are relying, you know, on the content or on the collaboration or the notoriety that, you know, the the different, you know, programs bring to the table. What inspires you?

SPEAKER_00 35:20

Um I get very inspired when I see, you know, um I get very inspired when I see, you know, successful public art happening. I was just at a conference called Ex Muro in Quebec City, and it was um, you know, it was a conference that brought together art leaders from, you know, who represent public art organizations from, you know, New York, the Public Art Fund, Hong Kong, Singapore, you know, Brussels, Brazil. And it was really, you know, Taiwan, it was really inspiring to see what my colleagues are doing um around the world and the types of public art that they're bringing to the table and the impact that they're having on communities. Um the the impact reports, the statistics, just the numbers, are mind blowing and they're staggering. And so that really propels me because even if we haven't cracked the nut with, you know, public art in Los Angeles, um, you know, being at a level that is, you know, well funded, where we have, you know, locations that are destinations of, you know, all of these um interactive sculpture parks and you know, incredible locations that we see all around the world. I believe we're we're gonna get there. And I and I am a diehard, I'm like a dog with a bone. I've locked my jaw onto Los Angeles and I'm determined to throw my heart um back into its arms time and time again because the community here is um is ready for it. The artists here are prepared and are exhibiting around the world. It's time that we refocus our pride back um into our city.

SPEAKER_01 37:22

100 percent. Carmen, you're a true inspiration. I gotta tell you that. Uh, you know, from the bottom of my heart. And then I think like as a public art, you know, programmer and artist and executive artist, all the all the different titles that I wear, um, listening to you just you know continues to reassure me that there is other people like me, right? That that are that are gonna follow it until the end. Regardless of whatever it says, we're gonna figure it out. We're gonna find it, you know, and and until I hear that no, and even after, if there's still some wiggle room, we're gonna try to make it happen. Um, what do you got planned for the rest of the year? What is, you know, what's later for 2026?

SPEAKER_00 37:59

Yeah, so we're gonna do Luminex again in the fall of 2026. Um, and we're going to be positioning it again in the um the South Park region of downtown. Um we've got, you know, a great lineup of artists that we're gonna be showcasing there. Um it's the you know premier art and technology exhibition for the city, and that's a title that we're gonna continue to hold. Um, and it's a biennial, so we're doing 2026. We want everybody to come out and show love for this exhibition. Um, and then we're gonna do it in 2028, and that's really where we're going to blow the lid off the ceiling. So yeah, it's it's it's a fun ride.

SPEAKER_01 38:44

I love it. I love hearing it. This this this next question is literally like my favorite question, and I only bring it out when I feel like the person can handle it, but I I need you to be sincere, okay? Um, and and it sound and and it sounds like you know what inspires you, but it you know, with this one I try to dig a little deeper. Um how do you celebrate yourself?

SPEAKER_00 39:09

Um I celebrate myself with my family. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 39:17

Fair. Fair. Love it, love it. Um, you know what, I think we spoke about it all. Um I just have two more for you. Um these are um straight to the point. Go ahead and uh let us know where we can find your work. Where can we go ahead and tap in and just be a part of what of what you're building?

SPEAKER_00 39:34

Yeah, so on IG, we're now art underscore L A. And um and then for our website, it's nowArtpublic.com. Um but you know, I I don't hesitate. There's a artist portal page that's on our website, and that page um has more engagement opportunities for artists to reach us, to connect with us. You know, we want to be um positioned so that we're people that are helping to pave the way for arts and public art to happen in the city. So I'm always curious to see who's out there and what projects they have and and we can vision together.

SPEAKER_01 40:19

Love it. Love it. Um and then lastly, this is my favorite question of it all. I know I've heard a lot from you. Um, and again, it these these are meant to be more of conversational pieces when we put these out as opposed to interviews. Um, so um go ahead and give me your shout-outs. Who needs to hear from you? Mom, pops, favorite coffee shop, your dog, your cat, your coworkers, your team. Let me know. Let us have it. Take your time with it.

SPEAKER_00 40:45

Yeah, um yeah, my shout-outs would be um definitely. I think we mentioned, you know, Paul Chavez with Air Up. Um he's my uh he's my go-to, and Heidi Chang, um, who is my co-founder of NowArt on my board. Um, they're real anchors, and then my team is unparalleled, you know, Sophia Stark, um Kim Fon Wynn, and um the beautiful Claudia Olivera and uh Jeff. I mean, Jeff Moores is, you know, he's been around. He's he's put up with me for a while.

SPEAKER_01 41:24

I love it. It's been a pleasure. And um, you know, I I know this is this is not a goodbye. And um, thank you so much for your time. I really appreciate it.

SPEAKER_00 41:32

Yeah, no, thank you. This is fun.