From Venice Arts:
On March 3, 2012, 6-9pm, Venice Arts’ Board Members and Venice Residents Colette Bailey, Mike Newhouse, and Ruth Seroussi will host a party at the Del Monte Speakeasy (beneath the Townhouse), 52 Windward Avenue in Venice. This lively evening of music, whiskey, and more will support Venice Arts’ Youth Art Intern Program, which places talented low-income teens in internships at local creative businesses.
The evening includes music spun by DJ Jacques; a whiskey tasting with the Bourbon Baron; and lots of delicious food from local restaurants including 26 Wines, Outback Catering, Venice Beach Wines. Attendees will have the opportunity to bid on beautiful, new photographs produced by Venice Arts’ students during the fall workshop session and “best of” work from our archive. Valuable raffle prizes will also be available, including a night’s stay at Hotel Shangri-La as well as gift certificates to Venice’s favorite local restaurants. Whiskey tasting and food are both free with admission.
Venice Arts’ Youth Art Internship Program—an advanced component of Venice Arts’ free Art Mentoring Program for low-income youth—was established in collaboration with the Venice Media District in 2007. The program places highly skilled high-school age students in our program in internships at creative production and post-production companies—including film, television, and sound studios—throughout Los Angeles. Talented low-income youth who might not otherwise be afforded opportunities to get their foot in the door at these creative companies have gained valuable vocational experience that gives them a critical edge in their applications to colleges and future employment. Creative companies that have hosted Venice Arts interns include: Final Cut Edit Studios, Anonymous Content, Sway Studio, NBC/Universal, and Warner Bros. Pictures.
This spring we are excited to launch two new internship partnerships. GRAiNEY PICTURES, a full service production & post production facility in Marina del Rey, will host longtime Venice Arts’ student Chris Rojas. Cold Open, a Venice-based creative advertising agency that specializes in developing print campaigns for the entertainment industry, will host Venice Arts’ students for six-week paid internship positions on a rotating basis starting in the coming weeks.
Jocelyn Ramirez, age 16, says that her Youth Art Internship placement at NBC Universal in fall 2010 confirmed her love of film editing and afforded her an opportunity to work on new, professional equipment: “I got to edit on AVID! That was very exciting. I spent around an hour, reading the script, reading the straight and squiggly lines indicating whether the person was onscreen or off. I was so engrossed in the work, time seemed to just fly by. That’s when I realized I would really love this profession. You know something is good for you when you enjoy it while doing it.”
The program also had a deep impact on the film editor at NBC with whom Jocelyn worked. Describing her experience hosting Jocelyn as an intern, Nancy Forner, Film Editor on the CBS show A Gifted Man (formerly Film Editor on NBC’s Law & Order: SVU) says “They see the real light of working, and that’s invaluable. You can’t teach that.” She went on to say that “I find it quite invigorating to have younger people around because they know all the new things. And I learn a lot from them, as much as they learn from me.” Both Jocelyn and Nancy were interviewed as part of a a short video produced by the Los Angeles County Arts Commission this past fall through their Engage: A New Media Intensive exploring the impact of the program on both participating youth interns and the companies that host them.
Tickets for the March 3rd party at the Del Monte Speakeasy supporting Venice Arts’ Youth Art Intern Program can be purchased in advance on Venice Arts’ website (www.venicearts.org) or at the door.
About Venice Arts
Venice Arts runs education and mentoring programs in documentary photography, filmmaking, and multimedia primarily targeting Los Angeles-area low-income youth. Venice Arts also implements regional, statewide, and international projects with both adults and children; runs the Institute for Photographic Empowerment, a collaboration with the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism; presents exhibitions, public programs, and workshops for adults centered around documentary photography and film at the Venice Arts Gallery; and consults on media arts, visual storytelling, and arts education with organizations and groups locally and internationally.
Learn more about Venice Arts at www.venicearts.org.
