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Programs - Visual Arts

Program Mission: HOLA's Visual Arts and Culture Program encourages youth to channel their energy and emotion into creative endeavors in the visual arts, developing their powers of self-expression, instilling self-confidence, and fueling their interest in learning.

HOLA's Visual Arts and Culture Program provides quality programming to inner city youth who have little or no access to such classes inside or outside of school.  HOLA's facilities include three art studios, a fine arts library, music rooms, and a dance studio.  HOLA's visual arts curriculum is designed and delivered by professional art instructors, college professors and passionate volunteer artists who combine their efforts to provide intensive arts education for at-risk youth.  Current class offerings include ceramics, drawing, painting, sculpture, comic book drawing and print making. Each year, over 150 youth participate in the Visual Arts and Culture Program. 

Program Goals

  • Foster commitment to project/goal completion
  • Accelerate and sustain proficiency in the visual and performing arts
  • Encourage self-expression and improve self-confidence among underserved youth
  • Promote post secondary education and arts-related employment opportunities.
   
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How can you  support HOLA's Visual Arts Program?

Volunteer: We always need tutors in Math, English, Science and Speech to work one on one with our art students.  If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Maria Galicia at mgalicia@heartofla.org 

 


 

Melanie Lockert

Arts Director

Melanie is a graduate of California State University, Long Beach and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree where she graduated Cum Laude. Melanie has been passionate about the arts, social welfare and children for many years. Melanie has worked with the Downtown Women’s Center, Read and Wait program and is pleased to be working at HOLA. Melanie believes that art gives power and confidence in self expression to everyone and is pleased to support such a talented and accomplished art staff and the incredible youth HOLA serves.

Dan McCleary

Artistic Director

Dan McCleary is an accomplished Los Angeles artist and college professor. He has taught at the Art Center College of Design, the University of Southern California (USC) and, most recently, the fine arts graduate Department at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA).

McCleary's work has been exhibited exstensively throughout the United States. Most notably, his work is in the collections of LACMA, the Hammer Museum, Harvard Museums, the New York Public Library and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  McCleary is represented in LA by the Carl Berg Gallery.

Dan McCleary co-founded HOLA's Fine Arts Library and HOLA's El Corazon Gallery along with Alex Nataren, Maria Galicia and Rebecca Clark.  For his dedication to HOLA youth, Dan received our 2006 Hero of the Heart award.