The City of Culver City is proud to announce Victoria Marks’ appointment as the new Culver City Artist Laureate. She will begin her two-year term on July 1, 2025. Marks, a multidisciplinary artist and choreographer/director, was selected following a comprehensive and rigorous two-phase application and review process.
Marks’ artistic practice centers on people and their relationships, which she considers her true medium. She creates movement-centered performances with and for groups of people, describing her work as a form of group portraiture. Defining choreography broadly as any set of conscious, intentional actions or movements, Marks’ work aims to make visible life’s vitality through movement, whether in public spaces like streets and parks, or on film or stage. She sees herself as a bridge builder, focusing on facilitating connection and creating safe and joyful spaces for people to come together.
A significant aspect of Marks’ work is her “Action Conversations,” a process she has undertaken with diverse groups, including teen mothers and older women, veterans and artists. These projects bring together groups who might not otherwise have a shared social anchor, using spoken conversation combined with movement to build deeper understanding and create performance portraits. Her work is driven by a need to build connection and shared purpose in an increasingly divided world.
“I am deeply honored to be chosen as Culver City’s Artist Laureate,” said Victoria Marks. “My work is strongest when I am in community, and I believe that art uniquely connects us across diverse experiences and knits us together. I envision using my tenure to make public spaces more vital and to collaborate with residents, allowing us to discover ourselves and who we can be together. I see the City as a canvas for projects that connect residents and build civic pride.”
The Artist Laureate Program is supported by the City of Culver City, and its Cultural Affairs Commission, with additional funding from the Culver City Arts Foundation. It is a civic appointment that recognizes artistic excellence, and the role artists play in a vibrant community.
Brenda Williams and Tania Fleischer, Co-Chairs of the Cultural Affairs Commission’s Artist Laureate Subcommittee, shared their perspective: “After a competitive selection process, we are exceptionally fortunate to have an artist of Victoria Marks’s caliber recommended for this role. Her artistic excellence, significant experience in community engagement, and compelling vision for connecting with our diverse community make her wonderfully suited to serve as the next Artist Laureate chosen from an outstanding pool of applicants.”
Culver City Mayor Dan O’Brien commented on the significance of the appointment. “Culver City has a rich history in the arts, and the Artist Laureate program is a testament to our ongoing commitment to celebrating creativity and its power to unite us,” O’Brien said. “Victoria Marks’ dedication to community-centered work and her insightful approach to human connection through art embody the spirit of this program. We look forward to the ways she will inspire and engage our residents and further enrich the cultural landscape of Culver City.”
Sally Unsworth, Culver City Cultural Affairs Manager, remarked, “We are delighted by the over 500% increase in engagement with the Artist Laureate program this year, receiving 47 letters of interest. This tremendous response is a direct result of updates based on our program evaluation, including expanding the geographic boundaries and conducting greatly expanded outreach efforts. It shows the program’s heightened profile amongst the larger Los Angeles artistic community and, crucially, reflects the excellent quality of the artists who applied from across the area.”
As Artist Laureate and Cultural Ambassador, Marks will seek to inspire diverse residents, represent the City through original works responsive to local communities, cultivate connections to the arts, increase accessibility, and explore the diversity, cultures, and histories of Culver City. She plans to attend community events, engage with the public, and collaborate with City staff and partners. An expanded orientation period will occur in July-September 2025 to facilitate introductions and networking before a formal workplan presentation in October 2025.
Marks’ appointment, the fourth in Culver City’s Artist Laurate program, promises a vibrant tenure focused on connection, community, and the power of art to illuminate shared human experience in Culver City.
City of Culver City