THE MARY PICKFORD
ARTS ALLIANCE
Empowering art communities by uniting nonprofits through a collaborative digital platform.
Our Mission
The Mary Pickford Arts Alliance empowers LA’s arts community by uniting local nonprofits through a collaborative digital platform. We foster resource sharing, project collaboration, and volunteer engagement, amplifying our members’ collective impact and driving meaningful social change. By connecting organizations and streamlining collaboration, we help build a stronger, more vibrant arts community.
How Our Platform Works
CREATE A PROFILE
Set up your profile and become a part of a collaborative network of artists.
Build Partnerships
Set up your profile and become a part of a collaborative network of artists.
Engage & Collaborate
Find projects that align with your mission and team up with others who share your passion.
Showcase Your Projects & Events
Whether you’re hosting an event, launching a project, or running a workshop, you can explore new ways to support and be supported.
Share & Exchange Resources
Access and offer valuable resources within a supportive community. Request what you need, offer what you can, and help bridge the gap.
Inspire & Recruit Volunteers
Post volunteer opportunities for your events, projects, or workshops while also discovering meaningful ways to volunteer and foster a culture of reciprocity.
OUR LEADERSHIP TEAM
KeITH LAWRENCE
Founder & CEO, MPAA
Since 1994, Keith Lawrence has been a dedicated leader in the nonprofit sector, driven by the belief that artistic expression is one of the most powerful tools for social change and community growth. With over 35 years of experience, Keith has focused on the intersection of mental health and the arts, specifically building upon the philanthropic legacy of the Mary Pickford Foundation. As the Founder and CEO of the Mary Pickford Arts Alliance (MPAA), he is committed to creating a collaborative ecosystem where Los Angeles arts organizations can share resources, bridge funding gaps, and amplify their collective impact.
Keith brings a unique, deeply human perspective to nonprofit leadership through his background as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and his Master’s in Gerontology. This clinical foundation allows him to lead with heightened empathy and compassion, particularly when developing programs that serve vulnerable populations addressing mental health, aging, and substance abuse. By blending his decades of clinical supervision with strategic organizational growth, Keith mentors the next generation of community leaders to ensure that the future of the arts in Los Angeles is as supportive and inclusive as it is sustainable.
Vida Patricia Rodriquez
MPAA Board Chair
Vida Patricia Rodriguez is a cultural strategist, curator, and Chairwoman whose work has been recognized by the Los Angeles Times, Angeleno Magazine, Interview Magazine, and Spectrum News. She is the founder of SO.LO-Arts in Long Beach and F.Y.T. Creative Arts Agency, where she develops cultural environments that bring artists, thinkers, and communities into meaningful dialogue. With expertise spanning the luxury and creative markets, Rodriguez has built a multidisciplinary career that includes international television hosting with Fox Sports, Univision, and Telemundo, collaborations with global brands including AT&T, Jaguar, Avon, Dove, and PepsiCo, and leadership across fashion and cultural production. Through her curatorial leadership, Rodriguez cultivates spaces where artistic narratives spark inquiry, deepen perception, and invite cultural dialogue that expands how we understand ourselves and the world around us.
Jack Hillbrand
MPAA Board Member
Jack Hillbrand, Architect is currently President of Studio1323 Inc. and now based in Santa Monica. with over forty years of practice that has centered on the question of how institutions and communities sustain what matters most to them across time. He contributed to restoration projects for historically significant buildings across the country, and works extensively on the infrastructure of the built environment — the systems that allow cultural institutions to remain resilient and relevant, and carry the living memory of a community. With his diverse practice including residential, hospitality, restaurant, and mixed use projects, he champions the same conviction that has guided his practice: that preserving the places and works where art was made is an act of civic love. These commitments are brought to the growing hub for the Los Angeles arts community employing the strategic rigor that has defined his practice — ensuring the arts we support are built to endure, as a gift to generations of artists and audiences to come.
Lupe Ramos-Silva
Senior Advisor – Development
Lupe Ramos-Silva is a seasoned development leader with 30 years of experience designing bold, values-driven fundraising strategies that respond to community needs. She played a key role in launching national Latino engagement campaigns at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, which have collectively raised over $160 million to support its mission. Lupe brings a grounded, relationship-based approach to fund development, with experience spanning both large-scale capital campaigns and grassroots initiatives across the country. Her work is rooted in equity, cultural relevance, and trust, and she has recently advised organizations at critical growth stages, including contributing to a $100 million capital campaign and supporting local efforts that integrate cultural storytelling with fundraising. As an overall advancement professional, she also offers valuable insight into how funders evaluate alignment and impact. Her approach is both strategic and human-centered—shaped by decades of real-world experience and grounded in the belief that strong relationships and clarity of purpose are essential to sustainable fundraising.
Brandon Dean Johnson
MPAA Board Member
Brandon Dean Johnson is an artist, creative entrepreneur, and nonprofit leader dedicated to expanding access to the arts for underserved communities. He currently serves as the CEO of Create Now, a Los Angeles–based nonprofit that has provided arts education and mentorship to more than 50,000 youth across Southern California since 1996. Brandon’s career spans visual arts, animation, motion graphics, and creative direction, with past work connected to projects with major studios including Disney, Warner Bros., Netflix, and Marvel. In addition to his nonprofit leadership, he is the founder of BigFooters, a multimedia creative studio developing original entertainment properties such as Hoodlin Mania. Brandon is passionate about building creative ecosystems that empower young artists, support workforce pathways in the arts, and strengthen communities through culture and storytelling.
Pamela Haddad
MPAA Board Member
Pamela Haddad is a Brainspotting Therapist, consultant, and MPAA Board Member whose life and work are grounded in the healing power of the arts. Her artistic journey began in Sweden, where she studied at Grundskolan för konstnärlig utbildning and later at Konst Högskolan, focusing on pattern design and weaving. She also apprenticed as a potter, and clay remains one of her favorite creative mediums. Throughout her life, movement and dance have played a central role in her personal and professional practice. She taught Belly Dance at Pasadena Community College and in community fitness settings, using movement as a tool for healing, self-expression, and connection.
Pamela’s commitment to creativity extends into media production, community service, and mental health. In Los Angeles, she co-produced the Los Angeles Women’s Theatre Festival and produced television and radio programming for KPFK. For many years, she volunteered in Los Angeles juvenile halls, using art to support healing among commercially and sexually exploited children, and today facilitates art-based support groups for frontline workers serving unhoused populations. As a clinician, she integrates Brainspotting with expressive arts—including movement, painting, writing, and sound—believing that creativity is a powerful pathway to healing and transformation.
KEVIN KIM
MPAA Board Member
“Kevin Kim is a Director of Deal Analysis at The Walt Disney Company, where he helps evaluate and guide strategic investments in film and media. He brings deep expertise in financial analysis, valuation, and capital allocation, with a focus on responsible stewardship of resources and long-term value creation.
Prior to Disney, Kevin held roles at Twentieth Century Fox and FTI Consulting, advising on financial strategy, valuation, and transaction analysis.
With a background at the intersection of storytelling and finance, Kevin is passionate about supporting organizations that expand access to the arts and foster creative opportunity. He holds a B.A. in Economics from UCLA and is based in Los Angeles.”
Judy Toretti
MPAA Board Member
Judy Toretti is a design strategist and consultant specializing in user-centered, research-driven innovation, bringing over 18 years of experience, including a decade leading initiatives for top-tier clients. Her work spans large institutions, government agencies, nonprofits, and entrepreneurs across the United States, complemented by experience teaching and mentoring emerging designers at the college level. Selected clients and collaborators include the Los Angeles Fire Department, the City of Santa Monica, the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, Sentient Research, and Designmatters at ArtCenter College of Design. Ms Toretti holds a Master of Fine Arts from ArtCenter College of Design, where her graduate research included collaboration with Intel Research Labs in Kampala, Uganda. Her work bridges research, strategy, and design to help organizations navigate complexity and advance thoughtful, human-centered innovation across civic, cultural, and organizational contexts.
OUR PARTNERS
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ABOUT
The Mary Pickford Arts Alliance is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that empowers LA’s arts community by uniting local nonprofits through a collaborative digital platform.
CONTACT
5150 Pacific Coast Hwy Suite 200
Long Beach, CA 90804