About
Learn about the Culver City Arts foundation and it’s impact on the community.
Our history
We facilitate where help is needed.
We preserve the past, enrich the present and create the future of arts and culture in Culver City. Culver Arts is comprised of community leaders who volunteer their time, experience and resources so the arts can flourish in our city. Our vision is to inspire the community and support the creative culture of Culver City.
Our Story
Culver City Arts Foundation was born out of the Culver City Cultural Affairs Commission. We wanted to expand our independence and reach into the community to be able to better serve the needs of everyone, from art lovers and supporters to the artists who contribute to our vibrant arts landscape. Becoming our own, separate foundation gives us the ability to cast a wider net for artists at all levels and cater to a wider spectrum of sponsorship potentials.
coming Together to support the arts in culver city
An Engaged Community Where The Arts Can Flourish
The Culver City Arts Foundation is a local 501(c)3 here to boost the creative culture of Culver City. Through fiscal grants, program supports, and creative networks opportunities, we support an engaged community that values a thriving arts culture.
WHO WE ARE
Jim B. Clarke
Chair
Sehnita Joshua Mattison
Vice Chair
Sehnita is a television producer for a number of daytime talk shows and court shows such as Judge Judy and Divorce Court, where she earned her second Emmy nomination this year. In front of the camera, Sehnita served as the Co-Host and News Director for CCN Sunrise, a hyper-local morning show serving the world-class city of Pasadena, California. The show engaged residents with entertaining segments on everything from local/national politics to cooking and fitness. Sehnita moved to Culver City in 2011 with her husband and has two children. Her oldest son is completing the Spanish Immersion program at El Marino Language School. Sehnita graduated with a B.S. in Biopsychology from the University of Michigan.
Tony Spano, Jr., DMA
Treasurer
Tony has been a member of the Culver City High School faculty since 1998, where he was named the district’s “Sony Pictures Entertainment Teacher of the Year” in 2016. In addition to teaching instrumental and vocal music, he is also the Creative Director of Music and Executive Director of the CCHS Academy of Visual & Performing Arts (www.avpa.org). Originally from Denver, he received his Bachelor of Music Education degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder, and his MFA and DMA instrumental Conducting from UCLA. Tony is also on the Board of Directors of Pacific Serenades, a Los Angeles-based chamber music organization. Tony has been a resident of West Hollywood for 27 years, where he lives with his husband, Brian Padgett (a high school English teacher), and their maltipoo, Roxie.
David Voncannon
Secretary
Board Members
Chase Anderson-Shaw
Chase Anderson-Shaw is the manager of the Kirk Douglas Theatre. He began working for Center Theatre Group as un usher in 2013 and has worked in a variety of positions in the company since, eventually taking his current position at the end of 2021. Chase received a BA in Dramatic Arts at USC, and in addition to his work in arts administration has worked as both an actor and director all across Los Angeles. He is currently pursuing his Master's in Clinical Therapy at Pepperdine University. He is also an avid gamer and enjoys such activities as leading tabletop roleplaying groups and brewing his own mead.
Tim Giles
Tim Giles has been present in Culver City since 2021, when he began working for The Actors' Gang. Initially hired to work in the Gang's Development Department, Tim now serves as the Interim Managing Director. With a background in theater and arts administration, he has spent much of his career working with small nonprofits in various capacities and with a focus on community-building. Tim holds a BFA in Acting from Rutgers University and an MFA in Acting from the University of South Carolina. He is excited to serve the Culver City artist community through the Culver City Arts Foundation.
Shona Gupta
Shona is a woman in tech, a mom, wife, activist, and entrepreneur. When she’s not doing deals in the e-commerce space, she works on her entrepreneurial initiatives. During the pandemic she launched Maharindee - Her brand gives a % of its profits to Room to Read, a nonprofit organization that empowers girls in Asia and Africa to stay in school. Shona has worked for a variety of companies -- KPE (a VC firm), Mattel, Hearst Media, and most recently a German company called commerce tools. She specializes in the digital space but has worked in publishing and with non-profits too. After college, she worked as a volunteer teacher for author Arundhati Roy's Mother (Mary Roy) in a small town in Kerala, South India. Early in her career, she spent 5 years working for the Aperture Foundation with photographers such as Henri Cartier Bresson, Raghu Rai, and Sebastian Salgado. She also volunteered for the Henry Street Settlement for several years. Shona has a BA from McGill and MBA from Claremont Graduate University where she took classes from Peter Drucker himself! These days Shona follows the LA art scene closely and has volunteered for several years with the Culver City Art Walk and Roll event. Shona is now excited to be part of the Culver City Arts Foundation Board. Shona's passions include being a Mom, an avid tennis player, a nature enthusiast, and an art/travel buff.
A. Alicia Ide
Alicia currently serves as a Management Analyst for Culver City’s Director of Public Works. Prior to taking on this role, she managed the launch of the City’s Artist Laureate Program, and she continues to assist the Cultural Affairs Division. For over a decade, Alicia served as Director of Business Administration for the Wende Museum in Culver City, advancing infrastructure development for the young museum, overseeing operations, financial management, HR, and event production, and playing a key role in securing major funding. Together with the Wende Director, she co-managed a $5M+ construction project to renovate the Culver City Armory and opened expanded operations at the site in 2017. Prior to joining the Wende, Alicia worked for non-profit performing and visual arts organizations in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York. During graduate school she served as a law clerk and taught public high school. Alicia received her JD from the University of Southern California, her BA from Wellesley College in political science and economics, and she has completed coursework at Yale University and Whittier College. Alicia studied vocal performance for over a decade and is a passionate supporter and consumer of the arts. Along with the Culver City Arts Foundation, she also serves on the board of Impro Theatre, and leads her homeowner’s association. And in her free time, she enjoys her dogs, spending time with friends and family, gardening, and reading.
Ken Mand
Ken is an active Culver City community member and is currently sitting on the City of Culver City’s General Plan Advisory Committee and CCUSD’s Community Budget Advisory Committee. He is also a founding Board Member of the Arts District Residents Association and is very active within the Arts District Business Improvement District. Along with fellow residents and business colleagues, Ken is a founding committee member for the annual Culver City Art Walk and Roll Festival, which celebrates the arts as well as creativity in the future of our City’s multimodal transportation network. Ken holds a BA in Integrative Arts from Penn State University, where he met his wife Suzanne. Together, they are proud parents of two daughters in CCUSD.
Rachel Zients Schinderman
Rachel Zients Schinderman is a writer and teacher. In another life she was an actress and a TV producer. Her work has appeared in The LA Times, Shondaland, and Modern Loss to name a few. She is a graduate of The Newhouse School at Syracuse University as well as The Neighborhood Playhouse for Theater. She has a Masters of Professional Writing from The University of Southern California and a teaching certificate in creative writing pedagogy from Antioch University. Originally from New York City, she currently lives in Culver City with her two sons, two dogs, and one husband. Her work can be read at Rachelzschinderman.com.
Advisory Board
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Example Member Bio
Give back to help the arts
community grow.
By supporting creative networks, we fortify the arts culture in Culver City. Increased connections provide more opportunities to exchange ideas and innovations from all perspectives from artistic to business.