In the aftermath of the devastating Los Angeles fires, Santa Ynez-based Artist Advocacy Foundation knew it wanted to help — but wasn’t quite sure how.
That changed when a musician living over 2,000 miles away and a school principal in the heart of the damage zone reached out, and an unexpected chain of support began to unfold. Ken Kozora, a musician from Manchester, Michigan, had received an Artist Grant from AAF the previous summer. Inspired by the foundation’s mission to support artists and spark creativity, Kozora followed a social media post by AAF board member Beth Robinson asking for donations to assist L.A. artists affected by the fires. Moved to act, Kozora reached out to AAF Executive Director Ron Colone with an offer.