CONTACTThe Pasadena Doo Dah Parade is arranged by the shiny happy folks at Light Bringer Project in Old Town Pasadena. If you would like more information, contact: Patricia Hurley
626.590.1134 About Us(Or, the all seriousness aside section) LIGHT BRINGER PROJECTMission: To Build Communities through the Power of the Arts. Organizational History: Light Bringer Project is a nonprofit Pasadena-based cultural arts organization that has served Pasadena and Los Angeles County since 1990. The organization was founded by local residents who became interested in the role the arts, architecture and design have played in the growth and development of their community. In its first two years, Light Bringer Project completed oral histories of established artists, arts supporters and arts educators who have made significant contributions to their communities and cultural environments. The organization used this research to determine the ways in which its energies and resources could be applied to expand cultural opportunities for those of all ages. Light Bringer Project became a producer of visual, performing and literary arts programs that highlighted creative ‘voices’ from all sectors of the community. Partnerships began to unfold in which artists, arts educators and other creative professionals worked in tandem with human service organizations on specific projects and initiatives. Our activities were designed to create public awareness, cultivate volunteers and bring additional resources to bear on areas of community need. Specifically, these projects focused on public education, AIDS awareness, the environment, homelessness. economic revitalization, sexual abuse and domestic violence, and other critical areas. The organization also became a producer of major public art events. The most notable among these are the Absolut Chalk Street Painting Festival and the Pasadena Doo Dah Parade, which continue as annual events and have received national attention. Other large-scale events and activities have included the Arroyo Seco Earth Day Walk, American Indian Festival and Marketplace, and Culture Factory at One Colorado. In 1997, the organization turned its attention to the pressing need for arts education in the schools. After examining the kind of role Light Bringer could play in support of public education, several programs emerged. Cultural Passport, a partnership of Light Bringer Project, the Pasadena Public Library, Pasadena Unified School District and major arts organizations, continues to serve middle and high school students, developing literacy skills through arts and learning curriculum and presentations. It has won the California League of Cities’ Helen Putnam Award of Excellence in the area of public-private partnerships. The organization has partnered with the Neutrogena Corporation in the design and delivery of the FACES Program, a folk art curriculum, exhibition and scholarship program offered to the students of the Los Angeles Unified School District. In association with the Mental Health Association of LA County, Light Bringer Project administers Expressing Feeling Through Art, a program that exhibits and provides scholarships for students of the Los Angeles County School System. The Advertising and Design Academy offers mentorship training, team building and portfolio development for upper-level high school students. The Academy currently takes place at TBWA/Chiat/Day Advertising, Grey Advertising and The Phelps Group. Local industry leaders are presently working with our organization to create a regional model of the academy system, commencing in the fall of 2005. Light Bringer Project, in association with the City of Pasadena Parks & Natural Resources, is participating in the Arroyo Trails Project an effort to restore five trails leading into the Central Arroyo Seco. A team of public and private school students will research the history of the natural parkland, conduct community outreach and recommend design elements to be incorporated into the project. Through a grant of the California Community Foundation, the organization has created Legacy Projects, an incubation program for artist teams and community groups that desire to contribute their efforts in the community. Project teams are selected on the basis of their merit, community value and their ability to sustain themselves over the coming years. Light Bringer Project also maintains Metro Gallery at its Old Pasadena location, showcasing the works of emerging visual artists in the Old Pasadena retail and entertainment district.
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