We recently connected with Linda Grimes and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Linda thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

In 2019, I got to lead a team to paint a mural on the back of a local coffee shop, Sirens Java and Tea, in the heart of downtown San Pedro. We call this program, “Adventures in Public Art”.

Over a six week period, the San Pedro Waterfront Arts District conducted a mural workshop with community members, led by Teaching Artist, Virginia Broersma (virginiabroersma.com/). We selected Virginia from a field of 14 qualified Teaching Artists who responded to our extensive outreach.

In order to make the arts more accessible to everyone, we believe an important part of our mission is promulgating public art and educating members of our creative community. To that end, the Arts District decided to make meaningful education experiences readily available, such as the recently concluded arts appreciation series, Culture TALKS! with arts scholar Gregorio Luke.

On June 18th, in Machine Studio on 6th Street in San Pedro, the Arts District in collaboration with Community Art Machine (communityartmachine.com/) and Sirens Java and Tea, launched a novel community mural project, called “Adventures in Public Art.” The six-week workshop was designed to give the participants a common foundation in the elements of art; color theory, principles of design, analysis of art elements and the creation of art works reflecting complex ideas and expressive content. This highly collaborative method of creating public art was accomplished with the help of over 25 volunteers, along with the 12 core workshop students.

We are thrilled to be given the use of the wall on the new Sirens. In week three, the class met with owner Yolanda Regalado to see the still under-construction coffee shop, hear her story and tour the 80’X16’ wall on the parking lot side of her property. This gift to San Pedro was made possible by the generous donations from Phillips 66 Refinery, the Office of Supervisor Don Knabe and the last of the funds granted by the Community Redevelopment Agency.

On FirstThursday, August 1st, at 6:30pm in the San Pedro Chamber of Commerce’s Boardroom Gallery, we conducted r a very special Guided ArtWalk Tour. We will be visiting the freshly installed Poetry Corners at Sixth and Seventh at Mesa. Eight poems will be temporarily printed on the sidewalks; two are by famous authors, six by local literati, and will be read aloud by 2 actors from Little Fish Theatre and one voice actor from Scary Stories. ArtWalk Tour Doyen, Pat Carroll will lead us on to the reveal of this amazing community mural.

This innovative, collaborative Poetry Corners project is sponsored by the Central San Pedro Neighborhood Council Outreach Committee and the San Pedro Waterfront Arts District.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

In 1994, I met a wonderful man, who was the Lighting Designer for a one man Broadway show, A Christmas Carol and my youngest brother’s best friend. Little did I know, this was going to be the start of the greatest adventure of my like!

At the time, I was working for AT&T in sales and marketing. Fast forward five years, ‘downsized’ and released from corporate life, I fervently prayed for a meaning way to use what I learned and give back to my community. We live in a unique Southern California town at the edge of LA in the harbor area and this is where I started my career as an arts administrator. For 9 seasons, I was the Executive Director of the Golden State Pops Orchestra, based in our 1931 art deco movie palace, the Warner Grand Theatre. Hard but satisfying work, developing an audience for movie soundtracks, video game scores and live Disney sanctioned musical entertainment accompanied by a live orchestra, of musicians who worked in the film industry.

While managing GSPO, we were a grantee of a partnership program of the San Pedro Chamber of Commerce, called the Arts, Culture and Entertainment committee, funded by a grant by the former Community Development Agency. When the CRA was about to fold, a group of the founding members (mostly women) decided to not let the work of the previous 3 years dissipate and started a non-profit called the San Pedro Waterfront Arts District. I interviewed and became the first Managing Director and later promoted to Executive Director.

This journey has introduced the San Pedro arts community to the principles of creative placemaking, public art and the importance of promoting/advocating for artists of all stripes, establishing the San Pedro Arts District as a very desirable place, attractive to developers.

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

Since we are a non-profit small business, we have a slightly different organizational structure, with a 9 member working board. During the pandemic, we were afforded the time and space to apply for foundational grants and thus we began to grow our annual revenues, which are gaining momentum and have tripled over the past 5 years.

As part of the pandemic recovery, we were offered an EIDL loan, with very low repayment rates. In ‘normal’ times, we wouldn’t have considered the idea of a loan and to date haven’t needed to use it, but it’s there in case of lag periods, while waiting for donations or grant payments.

The initial capital we used to start the Arts District came from the last dregs of the funds granted by the Community Redevelopment Agency. Since we were using public funds, we developed an encumbered funds budget and used the money to pay for a managing director, paint more DOT Boxes and funded the Adventures in Public Art mural on the back of Sirens Java and Tea.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

Being in a position to ‘pay-it-forward’ and give back to the community is the most rewarding aspect of being a creative instigator/advocate. I am a connector, helping creatives, businesses and artists meet each other and find ways to promulgate arts and culture here in my hometown makes me very happy. I absolutely love commissioning murals and other forms of public art, turning San Pedro into an outdoor art gallery, making art accessible to all.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://sanpedrowaterfrontartsdistrict.com/
• Instagram: sanpedro_wf_artsdistrict, linda.grimes.735
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/linda.grimes.735, https://www.facebook.com/SanPedro1stThursday, https://www.facebook.com/SPWArtsDistrict
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/linda-grimes-0223623/, https://www.linkedin.com/company/79872230/admin/notifications/all/
• Youtube: san pedro waterfront arts district

Image Credits

personal photo – John Mattera for San Pedro Today Magazine