L.A. as Subject, KCETLink's ARTBOUND Present "Monomania L.A."

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

CONTACT:

Ariel Carpenter or Rachel Coulson

KCETLink Communications Department

747-201-5243, acarpenter@kcet.org

747-201-5707; rcoulson@kcet.org

 L.A. as Subject, KCETLink's ARTBOUND Present "Monomania L.A."

Short documentary films on obsessive collectors of L.A. history to air March 17 at 8 PM

Los Angeles & Burbank, Calif. - March 9, 2015 - What happens when collecting becomes more than a hobby? In an ongoing partnership with the USC Libraries, and the libraries' L.A. as Subject partners, KCETLink's Emmy® award-winning arts and culture series, ARTBOUND presents "Monomania L.A," which profiles five L.A. as Subject collectors and their monomaniacal obsession with a particular aspect of Los Angeles history. The episode premieres Tuesday, March 17, 2015 at 8 p.m. PT on KCET in Southern California and Monday, March 23 at 8 p.m. PT / ET on Link TV nationally.

Collectors spotlighted in this episode have documented disparate subjects--a Mexican rancho, African American photographers, the California orange, sci-fi reading circles, political posters--but their stories share one thing in common: a passion for history that has enriched our understanding of Southern California's past.

The diverse group of collectors featured includes:

• David Boulé, whose collection documents the rise of the citrus industry and its role in defining the California dream through commercial boosterism.
• Carol Wells, executive director and founder of the Center for the Study of Political Graphics, who has amassed the nation's largest collection of post-World War II protest posters.
• Ernest Marquez, who has devoted decades to researching and collecting materials related to his family's 244-year history in Mexico and California.
• Kent Kirkton, who directs CSUN's Tom & Ethel Bradley Center has amassed some 800,000 images by L.A.-area African American photographers.
• Joseph Hawkins, director of the ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives at the USC Libraries, who discovered hidden harmonies between sci-fi fandom and the early LGBTQ rights movement in the personal collection of Jim Kepner.

The collectors are members of L.A. as Subject, a collaborative of 250 libraries, museums, and private archives hosted by the USC Libraries. Currently, several "Monomania L.A." videos and articles are featured onARTBOUND's website, with more to be added in the near future. The short films were produced with support from the Cal Humanities Community Stories Program.

"The significance of passionate, private collectors and collections to the understanding of a place is simply inestimable," said Catherine Quinlan, dean of the USC Libraries. "These are the unheard family stories, the voices of marginalized communities, the hidden stories of what Los Angeles means and what it means to be part of Los Angeles. I'm proud to bring them to a tremendous new audience thanks to this partnership with Cal Humanities and KCETLink."​

"We're excited to showcase some of the rich, historical collections, many never before seen publicly, from some of Southern California's most preeminent collectors," said Juan Devis, KCETLink's senior vice president of content development and production. "It is through our ongoing partnership with USC Libraries and the L.A. as Subject team that we are able to offer our viewers a fascinating journey into history, nostalgia and art."

For more information including links to the articles and videos published, please visitwww.kcet.org/arts/artbound/projects/monomania/ or to learn more about L.A. as Subject, visit www.laassubject.org.

Producers of "Monomania L.A." include: Joris Debeij, the documentary filmmaker behind the acclaimed "I Am Los Angeles" series; David Kipen, proprietor of Libros Schmibros in Boyle Heights and former director of literary projects for the National Endowment for the Arts as host and humanities advisor; and the libraries' Nathan Masters and Liza Posas.

The project was made possible with support from Cal Humanities, a non profit partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities. For more information, visitwww.calhum.org. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in "Monomania L.A." do not necessarily represent those of Cal Humanities or the National Endowment for the Humanities.

ABOUT KCETLINK MEDIA GROUP

KCETLink Media Group, formed by the merger between KCET and Link Media, is a national independent, nonprofit, digital and broadcast network that provides high-quality, culturally diverse programming designed to engage the public in innovative, entertaining and transformative ways. With a commitment to independent perspectives, smart global entertainment, local communities, and opportunities for engagement and social action, KCETLink depicts people and the world through a lens unavailable elsewhere in U.S. media. A viewer-supported 501(c)(3) organization, KCETLink content is distributed nationally via satellite on Link TV - DIRECTV channel 375 and DISH Network channel 9410 - and on KCET in Southern and Central California via broadcast and cable, as well as through various digital delivery systems. For additional information about KCET and Link TV productions, web-exclusive content, programming schedules and community events, please visit kcet.org or linktv.org.

ABOUT USC LIBRARIES AND L.A. AS SUBJECT

The USC Libraries actively support the discovery, creation, and preservation of knowledge at the University of Southern California and beyond. The libraries serve as host institution for L.A. as Subject, a collaborative of more than 250 libraries, museums, official archives, and private collections with materials related to Southern California history.