Living to Give

WORK OF ART
Olivia Marciano empowers the L.A. community with contemporary art.

“My family decided to give back to the community and open a space that was specifically for the contemporary artists of our time,” explains Olivia Marciano, the artistic director of the newly opened Marciano Art Foundation—a 110,000-square-foot museum that houses works from renowned artists like Paul McCarthy and Analia Saban and is open to the public free of charge (tickets available via the website). “It was very important that we create a free museum that shows what’s currently happening in [the] art [world]—no matter one’s socioeconomic status, everyone deserves to see great art.” In addition to the beautiful galleries and commissioned exhibits, the foundation also offers arts education programming and tours for children—many of whom no longer have art classes in their schools due to underfunding. “It’s meaningful to invite kids to visit the foundation and expose them to contemporary art,” says Marciano. “It opens their eyes to this world that allows for so many other things—it’s truly empowering. Once you start making an impact in a good way, there’s no way to go back. It’s incredible.”