Deemed Historic-Cultural Monument no. 232 on July 14, 1980, the streamline moderne landmark, built circa 1939 by Charles S. Lee for the Department of Water and Power, is currently home to the Lankershim Arts Center. Envisioned as a resource for emerging performing artists and related supporting arts groups, the all-inclusive arts facility is in the heart of North Hollywood’s NoHo Arts District, and is owned and operated by the City of Los Angeles’s Department of Cultural Affairs Performing Arts Division.
The Lankershim Arts Center is open daily as a public resource for space rentals, information about performing arts commission calls and funding opportunities, and as a performance center for dance, music, theatre, digital media, and cultural events for audiences of all ages and interests.
Annual events/programs include but are not limited to the following:
- Lankershim Lunar Block Party – A cultural expression of the Lunar New Year celebration in January or February, attendees take to the street to welcome the new and good through food, performing arts, culture, and artisans. This event celebrates Korean, Vietnamese, and Chinese cultures through sights, sounds, and participation in a family-friendly environment;
- EMPOWERMENT – A festival-style weekend of performances, social action, creative workshops, and documentary screenings held in March, honors women artists and activists who have impacted and redefined the human experience.
- Lankershim Summer Performing Arts Camp – Through the performing arts—dance, music, theatre, set design, costume design, and technical theater skills—DCA invests in youth self-confidence by developing kids’ performance, technical, and social skills, boosting their self-esteem, and giving them the potential positive vision of future opportunities in the performing arts. Camp runs for 5 weeks and is for ages 7 to 16 years old.
- LankerSCREAM Festival of Fright – In honor of Halloween, a festival-style weekend of performances, microcinema, and old-fashioned spooky fun to make your senses tingle through sights, sounds, and chills.
Rentals are available for rehearsals, performances, community events and receptions, movie shoots, and film screenings in the following:
- Gallery Performance Space – A 29’ W x 17’ D non-sprung wood floor alternative lofty performance space that can accommodate a 66 seat audience on the ground floor. Can also be used as a good 34’6” x 58’ event and reception space.
- Mezzanine Studio – 35’ W x 10’6” D dance floor with mirrors and ballet barres. Can also be used for meetings and casting calls.
- Black Box Theatre – 26’ W x 14’ D space with a 44 seat audience, a house plot lighting grid, and a projection screen.
For more information about any of the signature events, pop-up events, rental spaces, and/or artist opportunities please email, call, or stop by the Lankershim Arts Center today!
