Perenchio Foundation Awards $750,000 Grant to Support OXY ARTS Incubator

The Perenchio Foundation has awarded Occidental College a $750,000 grant over three years to support the OXY ARTS Incubator, a new professional development initiative designed to connect students with careers in the arts while strengthening Occidental's relationships with working artists and arts organizations across Los Angeles.

"OXY ARTS has always been about connecting students with the broader cultural life of Los Angeles," said Meldia Yesayan, director of Oxy Arts. "This grant allows us to deepen those connections with distinctive pathways for students and recent graduates to have direct experience with working artists, and to connect Occidental's liberal arts education with the extraordinary network of cultural workers and institutions that make L.A. such a vital place to study."

The investment will allow OXY ARTS to develop an incubator model that extends arts learning beyond the classroom, creating opportunities for students and recent graduates to gain hands-on professional experience and be directly connected to L.A.'s dynamic creative community.

This grant allows us to deepen those connections with distinctive pathways for students and recent graduates to have direct experience with working artists, and to connect Occidental's liberal arts education with the extraordinary network of cultural workers and institutions that make L.A. such a vital place to study. -Meldia Yesayan

Through this partnership, Occidental and the Perenchio Foundation will expand professional development opportunities for emerging artists. A central element of the incubator will be a post-baccalaureate apprenticeship program that places graduating Occidental students in the studios of L.A. artists. Apprentices will have the opportunity to learn how professional artists develop careers and build the networks needed to navigate the arts sector.

The incubator will also help Occidental deepen institutional partnerships across the city, further establishing OXY ARTS as a connector among students, artists, and cultural organizations.

The grant comes as policy changes impact arts education and emerging artists. Federal student lending changes that took effect this summer eliminate loans for most new graduate borrowers and establish new borrowing limits for graduate and professional education. These changes may affect how students, including those pursuing careers in the arts, plan for and finance graduate study.

The Perenchio Foundation believes the arts are the connective tissue that enriches every dimension of our lives. The Foundation is committed to creating lasting impact in L.A.by investing in arts organizations that build equitable, culturally vibrant and inclusive communities.