West Hollywood economic development staff showcase arts, business and transit programs during Civic Leadership Academy tour

Laura Byrie, West Hollywood’s director of economic development, led a Civic Leadership Academy session and trolley tour on the city’s arts, business and transit programs, highlighting upcoming activations tied to major sporting events and new funding opportunities for local artists and businesses.

The presentation included a detailed account of the arts division’s activities from 2025: staff reported 802 new artworks, 606 artists engaged, 180 programs presented and an audience exceeding 34,000. Rebecca Eman, the city’s arts manager, said the city distributes a modest arts-grant budget of $227,000 each year and typically supports 40–50 grantees. Applications for the grant cycle open in spring and close July 1, Eman said.

Eman announced a new two-year special project grant that will replace the previous art-project grant and tie into a three-year creative plan designed to support programming for upcoming events including NBA All-Star Weekend, the FIFA World Cup and the 2028 Olympic Games. She also described a pilotsupported Moving Image Media Art (MIMA) program for professional moving-image artists; submissions are reviewed by the Arts and Cultural Affairs Commission during May and November review cycles.

The session also reviewed the Sunset Arts and Advertising Program, an initiative that places artwork on digital billboards along Sunset Boulevard. Eman said the program requires about 10.5 minutes of city art or content per hour on each digital billboard (roughly 17.5 percent of airtime) and currently operates on seven boards with plans to expand to as many as 28. Revenue from the billboards funds artist exhibitions and the city’s review process produces a prequalified artist list.

On the business side, Paulo Kasperit, business development manager, described city partnerships that support local commerce, including the Design District, Visit West Hollywood, the Sunset Strip Business Improvement District, Emerald Village (a cannabis-marketing consortium), the West Hollywood Chamber of Commerce and WeHo Works (a jobs and employer-connection program hosted at the West Hollywood Library). Kasperit said business-development staff provide concierge services for permits, retention check-ins, relocation/site-selection assistance and exit interviews to learn why businesses close or transition.

Kasperit highlighted a recent local marketing program, WeHo Loves Locals, and a companion gift-card promotion run in collaboration with Visit West Hollywood. He said Visit West Hollywood provided $100,000 for the gift-card bonus, more than 60 businesses participated, and the initial allotment of gift cards sold out rapidly.

Staff also reviewed transit services overseen by the department until their imminent transfer to Public Works. Those services include Cityline local and commuter routes, a dial-a-ride program and the free WeHo pickup; Byrie and Eman invited Civic Academy participants to ride the pickup during the tour and noted the service celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2023.

During audience questions, a participant said holiday parking citations had deterred shoppers; city staff responded that on-street meters are not enforced on federal holidays (meter stickers list exempt days), that the city offers validated and free parking at some garages, and that citation contesting includes a free first-level review under the California Vehicle Code. Staff also noted a temporary “We Happy Wednesdays” program that provided free parking to encourage business visits.

The trolley portion of the session toured the Design District, Robertson Boulevard and the Sunset Strip, with staff pointing out new and flagship businesses, seasonal light displays, and public-art installations planned for Santa Monica Boulevard and other corridors. Byrie said West Hollywood has 20 hotels and that tax revenue from hotel occupancy and sales taxes are a major part of the city’s general fund; she urged attendees to consider the city’s small geographic footprint (1.9 square miles) and outsized cultural influence as context for planning events and activations.

The Civic Leadership Academy session concluded with staff inviting questions after the tour and offering contact information for grant and program inquiries. The session emphasized free participation in arts events, ongoing opportunities to apply to billboard and MIMA exhibitions, and forthcoming activations tied to the city’s multi-year creative plan.