Agency of Assets is a fellowship program that introduces local youth to leadership through sustained mentorship, hands-on experience, and employment opportunities in the arts.

Organized by ICA LA in collaboration with Legacy LA, and a number of other downtown organizations, Agency of Assets provides workshops, excursions, forums for dialogue, and paid jobs for high school and first-year college students from Downtown and East Los Angeles. Fellows worked in full-time summer positions at Hauser & Wirth, Self Help Graphics, FreelandBuck, NowArtLA, Poetic Kinetics, The Box, Vincent Price Art Museum, The Mistake Room, Ball Nogues Studio, and ICA LA.

On view in ICA LA’s Annex are portraits of the Fellows at their worksites. In collaboration with artist Zenka, each reflected on identity and current and future community to create an Augmented Reality-overlay image that can be viewed with an iPad or smartphone devices with the HP Reveal app.

Los Angeles is emerging as a global capital of cultural production. While broadening the reach of art is important for our region’s economic well-being and cultural vitality, the relationship between art and urban development has never been more controversial. ICA LA is therefore committed to sustaining arts-focused programs to ensure an inclusive and culturally rich community.

Fellows: Jocelyn Benavides, Katelee Cervantes, Mitsy Cruz, Michelle Estrada, Gamaliel Lopez, Alejandro “Alex” Merino, Andie Morales, Susana Rodriguez, Damaris Velazquez

Zenka is an artist who focuses on what is possible using emerging technologies, crowd participation, and Augmented Reality. Her art work can be seen in the permanent collection of the Delta terminal at JFK; Accenture Interactive, NY; The Museum of Tech and Innovation, and tech startups in the US and abroad.

ICA LA’s learning and engagement programs are made possible by the 5,000 Kids Fund. Generous support for Agency of Assets is also provided by the Philip and Muriel Berman Family Foundation and the Jay and Deanie Stein Foundation Trust.