At least seven staff members and teaching artists of the Armory Center for the Arts in Pasadena have lost their homes to the Eaton fire sweeping through Altadena, Pasadena, and greater Los Angeles, the arts institution said.
In a statement, the Armory Center said it has launched the Armory Fire Relief Fund to provide immediate assistance to affected employees, emphasizing that donations of any size will help meet immediate short-term needs.
“Armory Center for the Arts is heartbroken by the devastation and loss facing many of our staff, teaching artists, students, board, and all the members of our treasured community in Altadena, Pasadena, and across greater Los Angeles,” the statement said.
The institution emphasized that all proceeds from the relief fund would be distributed directly to impacted individuals, who it described as “the heart of our community,” inspiring creativity and connection through their work.
In response to the crisis, the Armory has postponed all winter studio classes for one week, with sessions now scheduled to begin on Tuesday, Jan. 21, promising to communicate any further schedule changes.
The institution directed potential donors to visit armoryarts.org/fire-relief, while those seeking information about schedule changes were advised to contact information@armoryarts.org.
“Pasadena and Altadena are special communities made of generous, creative, and caring people, where the power of place is strong,” the center’s statement continued.
The Armory pledged to maintain its role as a creative sanctuary, committing to provide “our communities with a home for essential creative care and a space to express the complex range of emotions that come with grieving.”
The statement concluded that the Armory Center is sending “strongest, healing thoughts during these extremely difficult times” to affected community members.
