Former Culver City Mayor Jim B. Clarke has been named Chairman of Board of the Culver City Arts Foundation (Culver Arts). His tenure begins July 1.

Clarke, who currently serves as Vice Chair, has played a pivotal role in the formation of the foundation when it spun off from the City of Culver City in 2018 and was established as an independent non-profit organization.

Through Clarke's dedicated fundraising, Culver Arts has been able to support the Artist Laureate program with almost $18,000, establishing Alexey Steele as the first Artist Laureate of the City. Culver Arts also provided $40,000 for the city's Performing Arts Grant.

Clarke has also helped Culver Arts establish the Arts Resiliency Fund, to help local artists through this critical year of lockdowns and even longer recovery from the pandemic.

"Culver Arts is providing grants to artists to pay for utilities and other basic expenses so artists can maintain focus on their creative work, " Clarke said in a statement. "Artists are not only essential for our creative economy to thrive, they help Culver City remain resilient when so many factors are trying to pull us apart. The arts have the power to unite our community." The Foundation's goal is to raise $100,000 and distribute grants on a rolling basis to artists and arts organizations, he added.

Clarke takes over for former Board Chair Kathy Sue Holtorf, who will remain an active member of the Board. Sehnita Joshua Mattison, who has worked as a producer for Telepictures and TV show "Judge Judy," moves up to the Vice-Chair position. Eric Sims, associate general manager at the Kirk Douglas Theater, also remains on the Executive Committee returning to his role as Secretary. Dr. Tony Spano, with the Culver City High School Music and AVPA program, will join the Executive Committee for the first time as Treasurer.

The Board is in the midst of filling two open positions and expanding its Advisory Committee. For anyone interested in joining the Board or Advisory Board, please send an email to Jim B. Clarke at jimbclarke@gmail.com. For more about Culver Arts, go to http://www.CulverArts.org.

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