Meet Mark Slavkin | Arts administrator & Advocate

We had the good fortune of connecting with Mark Slavkin and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mark, what’s the most important lesson your business/career has taught you?
For a long time I believed the most important thing for a leader is the outcome of our work. What programs have we created? What outcomes have we achieved? Over time I have come to conclude that our most important legacy is how we have served others. My greatest pride and satisfaction come from the success of people I have supported and mentored over the years. While any specific program or project may come and go,the people endure and can help change the world for the better,

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I grew up in the Golden Age of California public schools, before Proposition 13. The arts were part of a “regular” school experience. My love for big band music and whatever skills I have on clarinet come from my education in the band program at Palms Middle School and Hamilton High School. But I never considered myself and artist or musician. Somewhat by accident I shifted careers and entered the world of arts education and arts administration. I am passionate about the arts and have learned a great deal over the years to deepen my understanding and appreciation. But I am an example that the arts can have a place in all of us, not just those that we call “artists.” I try to remember that as we create programs for people of all ages and abilities at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
As I write, so many of my favorite places are closed and the air is filled with smoke from major wildfires. This feels like a rather sad time to tour Los Angeles. But when the air clears and the pandemic is under control, I would love to head to some of my favorite places. My list would include The Wallis in Beverly Hills, all of the cultural organizations along Grand Avenue in Downtown LA, the children’s section of the Central Library, the splash pad at Grand Park, the Getty Center, and Manhattan Beach pier. For food the Apple Pan would be high on my list.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My career pivot from politics and government to the arts happened because Leilani Lattin Duke took a chance on me at The Getty Trust back in 1996. Her mentorship and guidance were the equivalent of a graduate degree in arts education. Much of my success since then is a result of her believing in me.

Website: thewallis.org
Twitter: @markslavkin
Facebook: thewallisbh