Here is a helpful roundup by KCRW of ways you can offer support, including a directory of GoFundMe campaigns for displaced Black families and ways to offer relief to the day laborer community. The Los Angeles Public Library Foundation is also accepting donations to its recovery fund for the Palisades Branch Library, which was destroyed in the fire. 

“Los Angeles is a vibrant and thriving center for arts and culture—home to many artists, culture bearers and creative professionals, as well as historic sites, cultural landmarks and arts organizations. It's devastating to see such a beautiful city in such ruins.” – Lord Senior Consultant Erica Rawles, who was born and raised in Los Angeles and is currently based in the city.

“At the ceremony at the National Holocaust Monument in Ottawa today, marking both International Holocaust Remembrance Day and the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, my beloved 97-year-old mother, Ruth Gottlieb Katz, may well be the sole Ottawa survivor still able to attend and participate.”

“Virginia Key is one step closer to establishing a museum dedicated to African American history and civil rights, two decades after voters approved funding for it, as a trust moves to wrap up financial agreements and bring the long-awaited project to life.”

Lord Cultural Resources has been involved in planning for a new museum at Virginia Key Beach for decades, supporting efforts to preserve and interpret this historic site central to the civil rights movement in southern Florida. In Fall 2024, we completed a visitor experience strategy, museum concept plan, and business framework to ensure the park’s rich African American heritage is honored and shared with future generations.

Lord Director Holly Shen presented ¡Somos Uno! A Cultural Heritage Strategy for Tucson to Mayor Regina Romero and Tucson City Council Representatives on Jan 22. ¡Somos Uno! is a ground-breaking initiative launched in 2023 to develop the city’s first-ever plan to manage its vast cultural heritage assets. At its heart, ¡Somos Uno! which translates in English to 'We Are One,' seeks to champion the rich convergence of histories and cultures in Tucson and amplify its creative communities.

Watch Holly’s presentation at the link below, starting at 18:00.

“It’s a fitting year to mark the organization’s history, as the art gallery completes a review of its facility with an eye on the future. A $200,000 Facility Master Plan and Future Needs Feasibility Study started last year to review potential renovation or expansion of the existing building, and the possibility of a new facility. Lord Cultural Resources, a multidisciplinary planning firm, is leading the project in collaboration with architectural firm Brook McIlroy.”

“In this role, Roberts will lead the North Carolina Division of State History Museums comprised of its flagship North Carolina Museum of History in Raleigh, which is currently undergoing renovations, and seven regional museums.”

Through its Strategic Plan, NCDNCR prioritized goals for enhancing diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion (DEAI) across its establishments. Lord Cultural Resources was engaged to assess 13 key sites regarding their DEAI efforts. The evaluation of these initial sites serves as a blueprint for fostering DEAI practices across all DNCR locations. Given their significance in North Carolina's history and heritage, these sites will serve as beacons of inclusive practices, guiding other establishments within the department toward diversity, equity and accessibility.

“Canada’s Theatre Museum is thrilled to welcome Claire Hopkinson, M.S.M. as Consulting Director. The former CEO of Toronto Arts Foundation and Toronto Arts Council joins the leadership team as the Museum prepares for its inaugural exhibitions in 2025 at its permanent home in Toronto’s historic Elgin and Winter Garden Theatres.”

“There are several eagerly awaited new museums opening in 2025, from art galleries and natural history collections to venues exploring social history and even food.

It promises to be a landmark year for museums and attractions worldwide, with new additions to the sector redefining how we engage with art, culture, history, science and more.

“A Russian military officer and three Russian-appointed officials from occupied Crimea illegally removed more than 33,000 historical artifacts and artworks from two museums in the Ukrainian city Kherson in the fall of 2022, the Kyiv Independent reported Thursday, calling it the largest museum theft in Europe since World War II.”

“The Edinburgh institution is leading the way for cultural institutions to reduce their environmental impact with a deeply embedded, long-term strategy.”

“In the wake of a newly released report warning of censorship pressures faced by museum directors across the US conducted by the Association for Art Museum Directors, PEN America, and Artists at Risk Connection, the National Coalition Against Censorship encourages cultural leaders to incorporate its Museum Best Practices for Managing Controversy into museum policies.”

“From delicate cleaning to forklifts, the unseen, but crucial, investment often goes unnoticed.”

“The presentation includes a preview of the digital platform, a pioneering contribution by a team of Eastern African art historians who tell the history of Eastern African art from their perspective. The platform comprises educational narratives, a digital gallery, and an archive. Professors George Kyeyune and Angelo Kakande (Makerere University) and Kenyan curator Muhunyo Maina will lead the discussion. International experts will contribute to the follow-up discussion.”

“With the launch of Hoa Cultural Society, founder Igi Lola Ayedun wants to address inequality within the industry on a “more impactful” level”

“A new list released by the Department of Cultural Affairs highlights dozens of free or pay-what-you-wish museums and institutions.”

“The feminist art collective’s commercial debut in their hometown, at Hannah Traore Gallery, is intended to introduce their activist work to a new generation.”

“Archaeologists discovered the second known example of Medieval Nubian tattoos in Sudan, bringing us closer to unraveling the art form’s longer history.”

“Amid these challenges, the wildfire has spurred widespread reflection at local and global levels. Discussions have emerged on topics such as the insurance system, firefighting infrastructure, water resources, global warming's role in high-wind fire conditions, and the impact of landscape design, particularly the use of non-native vegetation.”

“This year's theme challenged designers to explore how Winter Stations can adapt, grow, and metamorphose in the coming years, shaping the urban landscape in imaginative and innovative ways.”

“The Free Our Feeds campaign, launched by a group of tech entrepreneurs, aims to put digital platforms back in the hands of users.”

“Grief apps introduce a new wrinkle to the ongoing conversation about which experiences can and should be mediated by apps and the companies behind them. Like almost all other apps, grief apps collect personal data.”

“The hosts of Uncanny Valley spent the week following the advice of AI chatbots when it came to shopping, fitness, and parenting. Here’s how it went.”

“Under former president Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who in October was replaced by Claudia Sheinbaum, 14,000 artefacts were returned over a period of eight years."

'Anything we can reach back and pull forward from our ancestors is important to our people," says Squamish Nation hereditary chief Janice George

“Five big questions about the world of repatriation and restitution this year.”