DESTINATION CRENSHAW OPEN RFQ

Artists & Creative Professionals

An Ongoing Call for Black Creative Talent in Los Angeles

Destination Crenshaw invites artists, designers, writers, performers, curators, and creative professionals to submit qualifications for consideration for future commissions, programs, exhibitions, activations, and creative opportunities along the Crenshaw Corridor.

Destination Crenshaw is a 1.3-mile outdoor cultural corridor dedicated to preserving, anchoring, and uplifting Black culture and community in South Los Angeles. Through public art, cultural programming, community activation, and economic opportunity, we are creating new pathways for Black artists and creative professionals to participate in—and benefit from—Los Angeles’ creative economy.

Destination Crenshaw Arts Programming supports the development and visibility of artists, creative entrepreneurs, and cultural workers while building a network of creative talent connected to South LA.

WHO WE’RE LOOKING FOR

We welcome qualifications from emerging, mid-career, and established creatives working across disciplines, including:

• Visual & Public Art Muralists, painters, sculptors, photographers, illustrators, installation artists, mixed-media artists, and public artists.
• Design & Digital Media Graphic designers, digital artists, animators, filmmakers, videographers, photographers, and multidisciplinary creatives.
• Writing & Storytelling Poets, creative writers, storytellers, historians, researchers, and other narrative practitioners.
• Performance & Cultural Programming Musicians, dancers, spoken-word artists, theater artists, performers, producers, and interdisciplinary artists.
• Curatorial & Creative Services Curators, exhibition designers, fabricators, art handlers, installers, teaching artists, cultural producers, and other creative service professionals.
• OPPORTUNITIES MAY INCLUDE
• Community Murals Destination Crenshaw commissions murals throughout the Crenshaw District that bring art into neighborhood spaces, elevate local artists, celebrate community stories, and support partnerships with local businesses and institutions.
• Exhibitions & Artist Showcases Destination Crenshaw develops exhibitions, showcases, and cultural programs that create opportunities for artists, curators, performers, and other creatives to present work, engage audiences, and expand their visibility within Los Angeles' cultural landscape.
• Public Art & Creative Commissions Artists and creative teams may be considered for temporary and permanent public art opportunities, site-specific projects, installations, artist-designed infrastructure, and other commissions connected to Destination Crenshaw's parks and the broader corridor.
• Exhibition Design & Storytelling Illustrators, designers, writers, photographers, digital artists, historians, and storytellers may be commissioned to help interpret and share the people, places, histories, and cultural narratives that define Crenshaw and South Los Angeles.
• Programs, Performances & Community Activations Performers, cultural producers, teaching artists, and multidisciplinary creatives may be considered for salons, artist talks, workshops, performances, community gatherings, and other Destination Crenshaw programs and activations.

ELIGIBILITY

This RFQ is intended to strengthen opportunities for Black artists and creative professionals with meaningful connections to Los Angeles, with particular emphasis on creatives who live, work, have roots in, or maintain an active practice within South Los Angeles and the Crenshaw District.

Artists and creatives at all stages of their careers are encouraged to submit.

HOW THE OPEN RFQ WORKS

This is an ongoing submission platform with no deadline.

Submitting qualifications does not constitute an application for a specific commission or guarantee selection for a Destination Crenshaw project. Instead, submissions will become part of Destination Crenshaw's growing creative talent pool.

The Destination Crenshaw Public Art & Programs team, along with curators, advisors, and selection committees as appropriate, may review submissions when identifying artists and creative professionals for upcoming opportunities. Certain projects may require an additional application, proposal, interview, or selection process.

We encourage creatives to submit materials that help us understand who you are, what you make, the communities and ideas that inform your practice, and the types of opportunities that interest you.

JOIN THE DESTINATION CRENSHAW CREATIVE NETWORK

Destination Crenshaw believes Black creativity is not simply something to showcase—it is an essential part of the cultural and economic future of Los Angeles.

This open RFQ is one way we are building lasting relationships with the artists, cultural workers, and creative entrepreneurs shaping that future.

Questions? Contact the Destination Crenshaw Public Art & Programs team at publicarts@destinationcrenshaw.la.