Antonio Pedro Ruiz is always there, often with a video camera in his hand, supporting the creative community in all kinds of direct and indirect ways. He joined the board of Arts Council for Long Beach 5 years ago and, shortly thereafter, cofounded The Creativity Network. He is a true believer in the power of dialog, and was instrumental in organizing “Re-Imagining The Arts in Long Beach,” a televised town hall meeting. He fought to preserve arts programs at the Homeland Cultural Center, and organized many Arts forums and salons.
On Wednesday, at their State of the Arts event taking place at the Art Theatre, Arts Council for Long Beach will recognize Antonio’s efforts with the Distinguished Arts Patron and Volunteer award. He took a few minutes to talk about his time with the Council, and his other efforts.
Sander: Looking back over your time with the Arts Council, how has the organization changed?
Antonio: I think the last two years have been the most changing. Since the last Executive Director retired, we’ve been challenged to redefine ourselves, and I think that’s a good thing. We now have a new President, new Executive Director, and a determined board to tackle those challenges. The last President, Justin Hectus, was instrumental in helping us with the transition. Now, the even more difficult work is ahead.
Sander: Can you explain what changed?
Antonio: First, we took on the challenge of a Cultural Master Plan. It is not finished, but half way there. We abandoned Smithsonian Week, and became determined to create local partnerships that emphasized local talent. First, with the LIbrary Foundation, then with Global.
I think hiring Craig Watson was a big step. His experience in Long Beach with Charter has proved to be invaluable in reconnecting us with some important sectors of Long Beach. But don’t get me wrong. We still have a long way to go, and we recognize that.
Sander: How has the recent cut in funding from the City affected the Council?
Antonio: Well, [we’ve had] staff cuts and cuts in [grants] funding. But the good news is that we were able to lobby for some for the money back. It could have been worse. While the cuts are never pretty, they do force you to rethink mission, vision, strategy, and what we need to do moving forward. That is where we are right now. Over the next couple of months, you’re going to see a re-evaluation of where we are and asking ourselves some tough questions. The Council can’t do it alone. We know that. I’ve been a big proponent for the Arts Community and the greater commnunity becoming more interconnected.
Sander: Let’s talk about The Creativity Network. How did that come into being?
Antonio: That’s a great segue because that was the point. How do we create a network of interconnected communities to learn about each other and support each other. This was never intended to be an organization, but a movement. A virtual reality where we connect all parts of town in the single movement to support and promote the arts. We do in through events, through facebook, through knowing each other, through supporting each other. That was the purpose five years ago and that is the purpose today.
Sander: You’ve produced some ground-breaking events in that time, including salons, town hall meetings, etc. How has that impacted the cultural landscape?
Antonio: I think that there’s more interconnection than in the past. But it wasn’t just me. It was people meeting people who then went on to do projects together, or who introduced those people to a new set of people. It was networking, but a different kind of networking. I think that’s helped change the way we communicate and the way we interact. It’s helped us rethink how we discover one another and how we create collaborations.
Sander: You’ve also worked for more of an advocacy role, both in the creative community, and in the Arts Council. Has that born fruit?
Antonio: I think so. We have initiated important dialogue with City Council members and staff and organizations about not just funding issues but also about the definition of the arts themselves. Then, we’ve expanded the topic to include technology like Digital Media. I think there’s a greater awareness of these issues and I hope we can continue to raise them and link them toward action.
Sander: You were involved in last week’s event, produced by the Long Beach Community Foundation. What was your role?
Antonio: I was on the Planning Committee. I came to them some months ago to discuss the issue of Digital Media because of their connection to the Knight Foundation. That’s when we decided that it was important to bring all the stakeholders together and put them in a room and see if we could stir the pot together a little. An editorial in Sunday’s Press-Telegram called the Summit a good start.
Sander: There were lots of faces I didn’t know, which is always exciting.
Antonio: That’s what we should always be shooting for. Bringing new faces, thoughts, ideas together and working to create new options.
Sander: Looking forward, what do you see as the next set of opportunities, or challenges?
Antonio: I think for the Arts Community, it’s the challenge of becoming a political force in this city. We need to see past our own individual agendas and understand that we have much educating to do about the importance of the arts, and then convincing policy makers, the business community, and taxpayers that we are as important a part of the Long Beach community as police and fire. Yes, I said that. We have to unite with the libraries, the museums, the youth serving organizations, and the schools to demonstrate that any movement that creates jobs, impacts a city economically and socially, provides a definition for who we are as a city, well, that’s a damn important movement. From the North to the South, From East to West, we are Long Beach.
I share this award with a lot of people who struggle day in and day out with kids, with the elderly, with the disabled, with at-risk youth. There are many more people out there doing the hard work who don’t get recognized. I share this with them.