Who are we and what are we up to?

We are so excited to introduce ourselves and share our first blog with you! We are a group of friends that decided to form an art collective in the San Fernando Valley. As most cultural organizations, we too were born out of an idea and a passion for the arts. The main driving force behind this collective came from the realization that the majority of cultural and artistic events that we attend are typically outside of the San Fernando Valley. We found ourselves driving out to LA, Hollywood, Pasadena and beyond to quench our thirst for art related events. In 2009, we decided we had to do something about this! Knowing that many of our friends and fellow residents possess tremendous amount of talent, we decided to try and offer a platform on which to share a cohesive art community. Considering the Valley continues to grow beyond a population of 1.7 million, we felt compelled to try to connect the residents through the Arts. As art advocates, artists, and citizens of the Valley we decided to start an organization (11:11 – I of the Arts) that would help artists expose their work, network, and grow professionally.

Our first art show was held in the upstairs area of the Casting Office Bar & Grill in Universal City on July 11th 2009, from 8pm to 2 am. The space was rampant with people viewing the 43 pieces of art, all based on the theme of “Beginnings”; the 27 artists involved, stretched the imagination with the carrying perspectives of what the theme personally meant to them. Attendance for the night was estimated to be around 200 people, but the immense talent of the artists being showcased was what made the show a success for us. For a list of artists and pictures of the show head on over to our website http://1111iofthearts.org

This past year we have been focusing on creating a strong organizational infrastructure. We welcomed Matt Plotkin into our board as treasurer, we had a very successful fundraiser, participated in community events, launched our website and have been working on obtaining our nonprofit status. We are also hard at work on our second annual art show this summer. We are thrilled for this show and cannot wait to see the amazing pieces our artists will be displaying. The show will be sometime in July, no later than August. Stay tuned for details!

We are looking forward to a year full of surprises, growth and excitement! The San Fernando Valley art scene will thrive thanks to you!