Mission

Advancing the knowledge, appreciation, and preservation of the arts and culture of indigenous people of Africa, Asia, Oceania, and the Americas, past and present.

Who We Are

Founded in 1966, the ETHNIC ARTS COUNCIL (EAC) of Los Angeles is a non-profit, 501(c)3 organization dedicated to advancing the interest in and knowledge and appreciation of non-Western art. The EAC focuses primarily on the arts of Asia, Africa, the Pacific, and the Americas. The membership represents a rich mix of recognized collectors, dealers, scholars, museum reps, and enthusiastic supporters of ethnic art, both ancient and contemporary. The EAC is a volunteer-driven organization where 100% of monies raised are earmarked for its educational and grant-giving programs. A Board composed of 15 members leads this premier arts organization.

A Brief History

In the early 1960s, the founding members of the EAC – collectors, scholars, and art dealers – recognized the need for more education and exchange of information in the emerging field of ethnic/tribal art. Museums were not focused on the subject and little literature existed about Pre-Columbian, Oceanic, or African art.  Seizing the initiative, the energetic group began funding, writing catalogues, and loaning/donating artifacts from their own collections to museums. Today, the EAC is a vibrant organization of nearly 250 members who engage all year in  programs and activities focused on non-Western art, both ancient and contemporary.

Important CONTRIBUTIONS of the EAC include:

  • Authored two publications, Art of Vera Cruz (1970) and Anecdotal Art of West Mexico (1972), and underwrote the first Pre-Columbian Animals exhibition (1974) at the Natural History Museum.
  • Helped establish the Pre-Columbian Hall at the Natural History Museum (NHM) through donated and loaned materials.
  • Provided the foundational collection of African art (Fowler Museum) and Pre-Columbian art (LACMA) through donations and sales.
  • Created an ambitious grants program that has dispensed more than $250,000  over the past 15 years to support research, publications, exhibitions, travel, and arts-related projects.