Thanks to our recent partnership with the Hollywood Community Housing Corporation (HCHC), a leading Los Angeles-based nonprofit developer of affordable and supportive housing, we have been invited to move our headquarters into the ground floor of the Florence Mills Apartments, HCHC’s latest affordable housing project in Historic South Central LA this year. In anticipation of our new community center, YMF held an intimate friendraiser event in late March to announce the public phase of our building fund campaign. Amongst long-time and new friends, YMF had the honor of celebrating the triumphs from this last year and new directions we hope to take off in once in our new state-of-the-art center.

This evening was not only an opportunity to connect with each other, but to showcase and appreciate some of those most vital to YMF’s mission, our Teaching Artists. The quartet of the evening (Federico Zuñiga Jr., Manuel Sandoval, Martin Flores, and Liza Wallace) played an assortment of instruments home to Mexico and Columbia and a wide range of traditional music from South America. Not only was it important to show how talented and versatile our TAs are, but friends were able to hold powerful conversations with some of the same instructors who teach across our programs. We are happy to share that 45% of our goal for 2022 has already been reached, and with our community’s support, our $800,000 goal for the remainder of the year will be met.

YMF is excited to provide the residents of both HCHC’s Florence Mills and Paul Williams apartments, and the surrounding community, with tuition-free music arts and media arts instruction, as well as open lab hours where folks can reinforce what they are learning in YMF classes by practicing their instruments, working on their beats, music productions, songs, podcasts, etc.

Currently under construction, the facility includes six design- forward, purpose-built classrooms, exhibition space, a media technology lab, media arts control room, and large flex space for programming and events. Upon completion of our new headquarters, anticipated in September 2022, with the expanded square footage and state-of-the-art music and media arts technology, we will be able to accommodate up to 350 additional students, up from the 50-60 students we were able to accommodate at our old headquarters.

Once complete, we envision this facility as a vital Community Center for Interdisciplinary Arts, and community power-building that will provide a platform for community groups and culture bearers from across the disciplines of Theater, Dance, Spoken Word, Fine Arts, and Dance to present their work, conduct workshops and classes, and more. YMF will present a diverse series of public events that celebrate the neighborhood’s rich history and cultural contributions while inviting participation and contribution from community members and stakeholders.

Free of charge, intergenerational programming will include:

• Instrumental & Voice classes
  
• Music Technology and Media Arts classes
  
• Workforce Development and Career Readiness
  
• Concerts and community performance opportunities
  
• Workshops and Classes, presented by partner organizations, in Financial Literacy, Academic
  
• Support, Meditation, Art Therapy, and more.
  

For more information on our new home in Historic South Central and our Building Fund Campaign, click here.

Our Mailing Address Changed!

In case you haven’t heard:

YMF’s new, permanent mailing address is:
1044 East Jefferson Blvd, Suite A
South Central Los Angeles, CA 90011