Next LAHA Quarterly Meeting: November 6, 2010

Our next LAHA Quarterly Meeting will be on November 6, 2010 at the Muckenthaler Cultural Center in Fullerton (1201 W. Malvern Ave., Fullerton,92833). Zoot Valasco will present on how to use events to generate income, as their budget rose 14% last year in large part because of their events and about 60% of their budget now comes from events, weddings and fundraisers. The meeting will begin at 10AM and will be followed by a tour, as well.

Getting to the meeting:

People can come by Amtrak train (an 8:30am train from Union Station that arrives at 9am), and we'll coordinate a pick up.

Or, you can drive: Take the 91 East, exit Euclid, drive North to Malvern and turn left. It's one block down on the Right. If you take the 5 South, exit Artesia and head East. Turn left at Dale and then right at Malvern, and you will drive past the Target and see the Mansion on left hand side.

Parking is in rear lot.

If you plan on attending, please RSVP by November 4th to laheritage@gmail.com.

All You Ever Wanted to Know about the LA Heritage Alliance

In developing an answer to "What exactly is the L.A. Heritage Alliance?," we created a handy one-page fact sheet. Below is the text of that sheet:

Los Angeles Heritage Alliance

Fact Sheet 2010

Mission & Purpose
The Los Angeles Heritage Alliance works to support heritage organizations in Los Angeles to more effectively promote and preserve the region's heritage mainly through increased communication, coordination, and collaboration between the over 225 such organizations in the region.

Background
The Los Angeles Heritage Alliance (LAHA) was founded in 2008 to help many heritage organizations facing very similar challenges to come together to solve them without have to do so in isolation. With limited human and financial capital, many heritage organizations are challenged to fill in board members when they no longer can serve, and often historic venues are only open extremely limited hours each month, if at all. These issues, and those of a digital revolution, have stirred on heritage organizations to collectively address these issues and to raise the level of awareness and appreciation for our shared Los Angeles heritage.

Activities & Projects
Quarterly Meetings: Each quarter, heritage leaders from across LA are invited to meet to discuss the latest projects and resources of the LAHA. Additionally, each meeting features a different training seminar to add value for those traveling to be a part of the meeting. The meeting locations rotate around LA, with organizations hosting each meeting to showcase their venues and accomplishments. These meetings also provide valuable and much needed information-sharing and networking.
L.A. Heritage Portal: Launching in late 2010, The L.A. Heritage Portal is a partnership between the L.A. Heritage Alliance and ExperienceLA.com. This partnership provides a central location for all heritage events taking place in Los Angeles, which assists with planning, collaboration, and education. Each group adds their own events, and there is no cost for groups to add or update events. Additionally, this platform allows every organization to manage and update their own profile for a central listing of all heritage organizations that is current. Further, this raises the awareness of the vast heritage and activities Los Angeles has to offer, as well as providing directions to all events. Check out the LA Heritage Portal at ExperienceLA.com/heritage.
L.A. Heritage Day: L.A. Heritage Day is LAHA’s signature event. Since 2008, this event has brought together hundreds of heritage leaders and over 75 heritage organizations to set up alongside each other for one day to remind the public of the vast heritage and history of the region. Usually held the first Sunday in April, LA Heritage Day saw over 1200 attendees in 2010 and featured performances and presentations in the Heritage Showcase. Held at Heritage Square Museum, this event is free and open to the public (with a flyer!), and has become one of the leading heritage events in Southern California, with attendees coming from as far away as San Diego and Santa Barbara. This event also garners substantial media coverage from local TV, newspapers, radio, and online sources.
E-News: At least monthly, an internal communication is sent out to heritage leaders updating them on funding opportunities, training and operational resources, news, and upcoming events related to communication, marketing, partnership, and other activities to support their efforts in leadership and management.
L.A. Heritage Blog: The L.A. Heritage Alliance blog is place where news and resources can be shared from a variety of sources. Press releases from member groups related to non-event news are posted here, as well as trainings, national heritage news, and updates about LAHA-sponsors events and projects.

Membership & Structure
The L.A. Heritage Alliance is open to all heritage leaders in the Los Angeles region who lead heritage, history, cultural or preservation organizations relating to the geographic or cultural heritage of the region. The organization is solely driven by volunteers, and all projects and activities are accomplished through open committees. There is no fee to participate and no minimum level of participation. Multiple leaders from an organization or entity are encouraged to participate, and active participation from across Los Angeles has resulted in a richer alliance.

Need Preservation Assistance?

From the California Preservation Foundation…

California Preservation Foundation (CPF), in partnership with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, offers on-site technical assistance and direct support to property owners, developers, local officials, local organizations and others with information and tools essential for successful preservation projects and initiatives through a new Field Services program.

The goal of the Field Services program is to provide assistance in communities comprised of local governments with limited time, budget, personnel and expertise to create effective preservation policies and encourage the incorporation of historic preservation into community planning through increased advocacy and education statewide.

How Field Services Can Help?

The Field Services Director can help to:

• Assess local preservation needs;

• Coordinate alliances and develop partnerships;

• Provide guidance on solution based strategies;

• Interact locally to provide on-site assistance;

• Convene meetings, workshops, presentations, etc. to assist with advocacy and education efforts in local communities; and

• Provide linkages to consultants, informational resources, and potential financial sources.

The California Preservation Foundation also maintains close working relationships with the State Office of Historic Preservation, California State Parks, National Trust for Historic Preservation, the National Park Service and hundreds of design professionals throughout California.

If you need preservation assistance or have a question, please contact Jennifer Gates, AICP, Field Services Director at 415-495-0349 x 204 or by email at jgates@californiapreservation.org.

The Field Services program is made possible through the National Trust for Historic Preservation (NTHP) Partners in the Field challenge grant and the generous support of California Preservation Foundation’s members and donors.

The California Preservation Foundation (CPF) is the only statewide non-profit historic preservation education and advocacy membership organization in California. CPF serves as an essential link in the state’s historic preservation network, and emphasizes educational programs, advocacy and information exchange through a quarterly newsletter, the Preservation Design Awards, the Annual California Preservation Conference, workshops and publications addressing critical preservation issues.

Federal Grants for Museums: Deadline Nov. 1st

The following is a text-only press release from the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). An HTML version of this release can be viewed on the agency's Web site at http://www.imls.gov/news/2010/083110.shtm

IMLS Calls for 2011 Museums for America Grant Applications

Deadline: November 1, 2010

Washington, DC—The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is accepting applications to its largest museum grant program, Museums for America (MFA), for fiscal year 2011. Museums for America grants provide up to $150,000 in funding and support projects that strengthen a museum’s capacity to serve its community.

Museums for America grants are awarded in the following areas:

1. Engaging communities (education, exhibition, and interpretation)

2. Building institutional capacity (management, policy, and training)

3. Collections stewardship (management of collections)

Through these broad categories, IMLS supports a full range of museum activities including digitization of collections, staff training, research, exhibitions, educational programs, Web site enhancement and development, collections management, and other similar activities.

MFA grants are available to museums of all types and sizes that fulfill the eligibility criteria and are located in the United States or its territories. Applicants are required to demonstrate that proposed grant activities are clearly linked to the institution’s strategic plan and will enhance the museum’s ties and value to its community.

Webinar with MFA Grants Staff

Learn more about the MFA program at an upcoming webinar. MFA program staff will talk about the grant program, the grant application process, and answer participants’ questions:

Thursday, September 30, 2010 at 3 pm Eastern Time

Webinar link: http://instmus.acrobat.com/mfa-applicants/

Conference call number: 1-888-850-4523; Participant Passcode: 761243

Test your computer’s compatibility with Adobe Connect Pro by visiting the following link: http://my.adobe.acrobat.com/common/help/en/support/meeting_test.htm. We recommend you do this well before the conference begins.

Participants may begin logging in to the webinar up to 10 minutes prior to the conference start time. We recommend you log in to the webinar before calling the conference call line. If you do not have a computer available, you may participate solely through the conference call line.

Application guidelines and instructions are available here: http://www.imls.gov/applicants/grants/forAmerica.shtm.

Please direct any questions about the MFA program to Sandra Narva, senior program officer, 202-653-4634, snarva@imls.gov ; Steve Shwartzman, senior program officer, 202-653-4641, sshwartzman@imls.gov; Reagan Moore, program specialist, 202-653-4637, rmoore@imls.gov; or Allison Boals, program specialist, 202-653-4702, aboals@imls.gov.

About the Institute of Museum and Library Services

The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation's 123,000 libraries and 17,500 museums. The Institute's mission is to create strong libraries and museums that connect people to information and ideas. The Institute works at the national level and in coordination with state and local organizations to sustain heritage, culture, and knowledge; enhance learning and innovation; and support professional development. To learn more about the Institute, please visit www.imls.gov.

L.A. Conservancy Presents "Strolling on 7th Street" Tour November 7

Strolling on 7th Street:
Downtown's Historic Thoroughfare
One-time-only tour of historic sites along L.A.'s Seventh Street
Sunday, November 7, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
$30 ($25 for Conservancy members, $10 for kids 12 and under)

Tickets on sale now!

Park your car and stroll with us down a mile of history! On Sunday, November 7, the Los Angeles Conservancy will hold a one-time-only tour exploring the rich history and architectural gems of downtown L.A.'s Seventh Street. The main shopping destination for Angelenos for half a century, the area is the latest frontier in downtown's revitalization, with loft-style residential conversions, fine restaurants, and great nightlife.

Spanning from Figueroa to Los Angeles Streets, the event is "open-house" style. You can stroll down Seventh at your own pace, stopping at eight sites for guided tours:

• Fine Arts Building (Walker & Eisen, 1927) - Built to provide space for artists’ studios and workshops, this remarkable building features a lobby that served as exhibition space for the upstairs tenants. The lobby is a work of art in its own right, with its spectacular installation of Batchelder tile.


• Broadway Plaza, now Macy’s Plaza (Charles Luckman Associates, 1973) - This plaza offers an interesting modern note on Seventh Street. The circular glass Polaris Room atop the Sheraton Hotel, with its spectacular views, was once a rotating restaurant known as Angel's Flight.


• Brock & Co., now Seven Grand (Dodd and Richards, 1922) - Once dubbed the “Tiffany’s of California,” Brock’s provided jewelry and china to an elite clientele. The building later housed Clifton’s Silver Spoon cafeteria and now serves as home to the super-hip whiskey bar Seven Grand.


• Coulter’s Dry Goods & Henning Building, now The Mandel (Architects unknown, 1917) - Coulter’s Dry Goods was Los Angeles’ oldest mercantile establishment when it moved to its sixth location in 1917. Now combined with its small neighbor to the west, the building offers loft-style housing with an amazing rooftop garden.


• St. Vincent’s Court - A unique urban space, St. Vincent’s Court is at the heart of the former Bullock’s Department Store complex. The working alley has eclectic charm and a surprising history.


• Hellman Commercial Trust & Savings Bank, now SB Spring (Schultze and Weaver, 1925) - This spectacular bank lobby, with beautiful ornamental ceilings by Giovanni Smeraldi, is a study in marble and bronze opulence.


• Overell’s, now Dearden’s Home Furnishings (Architect unknown, 1906) - Celebrating 100 years as a downtown business, Dearden’s Home Furnishings eventually occupied a building originally built for the furniture store Overell’s. Dearden’s is a neighborhood icon and an old-school classic with four floors of merchandise and services.


• Santee Court (Arthur W. Angel, 1911) - Located in the birthplace of L.A.’s fashion district, Santee Court’s vintage industrial buildings are now a thriving loft-style housing complex, centered on a pedestrian courtyard.

The tour materials will point out more than twenty other interesting sites along the route, as well as suggestions for local dining.

Tickets are $30 for the general public, $25 for L.A. Conservancy members, and $10 for children ages 12 and under. Tickets are available online at http://lac.laconservancy.org/7

See you on Seventh!

Vintage postcard from the collection of Marlene Laskey.