The Project
Developed in collaboration with the Department of Parks and Recreation, de la Loza's Creating Connections: An Arts and Culture Framework and Toolkit establishes standards for arts and culture as core programming across all County parks that are centered around four themes: Art and Community, Art and Nature, Art and Wellness, and Art and Food. From 2021-2022, de la Loza designed a range of programs based on the framework at the Earvin "Magic" Johnson Park in South Los Angeles.
Learn More
Creating Connections: An Arts and Culture Framework and Toolkit establishes standards for arts and culture as core programming across all County parks.
Explore and download a PDF of Creating Connections: An Arts and Culture Framework and Toolkit
Sandra de la Loza is a community-engaged visual artist, art educator, and organizer who resides in Northeast Los Angeles where she grew up. Within her artistic practice, she supports communities in finding and documenting hidden social and ecological histories to strengthen community bonds, relationships to place, and support collective action toward community-led placemaking projects. She earned an MFA in Photography from Cal State Long Beach and a BA in Chicana/o Studies from UC Berkeley.
The Department of Parks and Recreation manages 183 parks and operates a network of 70,079 acres of parkland, 475 sports amenities, 42 swimming pools, 15 wildlife sanctuaries, 10 nature centers that serve as a refuge for over 200 animals, 14 lakes, 5 equestrian centers, more than 210 miles of multi-use trails, and the largest municipal golf system in the nation. The department also maintains four botanical centers: The LA County Arboretum and Botanic Gardens, the South Coast Botanic Garden, Descanso Gardens, and Virginia Robinson Gardens. The department also operates the LA County-owned Hollywood Bowl and John Anson Ford Amphitheatre, in partnership with the LA Philharmonic.