As students flooded out of Occidental to their summer adventures in May 2019, the Oxy Arts staff prepared for their own long-awaited summer adventure: the opening of their community arts building on York Boulevard. According to Oxy Arts Director Meldia Yesayan and Production and Operations Manager Andrew Lia, the staff sorely missed the students absent from campus. They remained motivated, however, by their premiere programming and intention to cultivate a community arts space for on- and off-campus individuals in Northeast Los Angeles (NELA).
Yesayan said the Oxy Arts team was painting the walls and putting the final touches on the exhibition 45 minutes before the May 22 opening. Oxy Arts has two full-time staff members, Yesayan and Lia, and one part-time staff member, Marisela Ramirez. Volunteers help with specific programs and student workers are employed seasonally, according to Yesayan.
Occidental purchased the Oxy Arts building, which currently houses their Fall 2019 season programming, the “Breaking Bread” series, in 2015. Prior to “Breaking Bread,” Oxy Arts hosted a soft-opening season during Summer 2019. The summer season featured a residency with Bob Baker Marionette Theater and the culminating art installation of Oxy Arts’ year-long partnership with the Institute for the Study of Los Angeles (ISLA)’s NELA Stories project, according to Yesayan. As part of their community mission to maximize accessibility, all Oxy Arts events are free and open to the public.
Bob Baker Marionette Theater moved from its previous longtime space in Downtown Los Angeles to Highland Park, four blocks from Oxy Arts, in Summer 2019. Yesayan said she saw the Oxy Arts residency as a way to introduce the work of the theater to the NELA community while simultaneously welcoming Bob Baker to the neighborhood.
“We felt that it was a great opportunity to partner with them as we imagine them being longtime community partners with us as part of the cultural community of the block,” Yesayan said. “It felt like a really natural partnership.”
According to Yesayan, over the summer, 1,400 people attended Bob Baker shows and workshops. Oxy Arts plans to continue working with Bob Baker to build their relationship and find ways Occidental students can engage with the theater in the future.
Lia said he is unsure how much he slept the opening week of the venue. Despite the chaos of opening, he saw the team rise to the challenge.
“We were coming down to the wire of construction finishing and installing the gallery show and the installation by Bob Baker Marionette Theater,” Lia said.
The summer season also featured the culmination of the NELA stories program. According to Yesayan, 31 students in an ISLA course titled “Counterculture NELA” partnered with longtime community members to share stories, which were transcribed by students and uploaded to a public server. The stories were synthesized into an exhibit by local artist Debra Scacco titled “Compass Rose,” an artist-made storybook accompanied by a physical installation of a hanging map of NELA.
“That was a very meaningful project for us,” Yesayan said. “It really was a very important way for us to open the space where the stories of our community members and neighbors were shared.”
Beyond the specifics of the summer programming, Lia said the opening was reminiscent of moving into a new home.
“When you move into a new house or apartment, it’s, ‘What are the quirks in the building? ‘How do we do this?’ ‘What key unlocks that door?’ All those fun little things,” Lia said.
Now, summer programming has come and gone. The Oxy Arts team is months into operating the space on York Boulevard. Four days after the “Breaking Bread” series finishes in December 2019, Oxy Arts will host the class of 2020’s Studio Art comprehensives. According to Yesayan, the art pieces will be displayed through winter break, with the building open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m, Monday through Friday. In the past, the Studio Art comprehensives were on display in Weingart Gallery, which is closed over winter break.
Oxy Arts recently started the Oxy Arts Student Collective. Yesayan said this group will find ways for students to engage with the LA arts community and local professionals in addition to collaborating on Oxy Arts projects and expanding public interest in the arts.
The reception from the community has been positive and heartening, according to Yesayan.
“With all programming, we’ve heard our neighbors say they feel welcome and reflected in the programming,” Yesayan said. “We want to ensure that we’re being responsive to the feedback we hear from the community.”
When constructing elements of the sets and structures that go into the art exhibitions and events held at Oxy Arts, Lia said he tries to be as community- and socially-conscious as possible. In addition to building projects that can be used for multiple purposes, he tries to buy most supplies from local businesses.
“Those guys can help you out better. They hear what you’re doing and get excited,” Lia said. “Getting the community engaged with what we’re building and putting on is important to build our base.”
Lia saw the community of both the 90041 and 90042 zip codes come together in the space.
“The community and neighborhood really appreciated that something is coming to this side of York Boulevard,” Lia said.
