fiNding A Future

Director Annette Ciketic discusses the San Pedro art center

Update: when the new projected closing of Warner Grand Theatre was announced, Ciketic reported that the Ukrainian show will return to fiNdings at the end of June when the current exhibit closes.

The Warner Grand Theatre was supposed to be closing this year for renovations. June was the original estimated date but that has now been extended to January 2024. The fiNdings Art Center, which is adjacent to the theater, will be evicted by collateral happenstance. And it will have its final show, Thank You for the Journey, to close out its tenure in its current space in June 2023.  

I recently spoke to fiNdings director Annette Ciketic and Ukrainian curator Nadiia Nikolaieva also joined us to talk about this time of transition for fiNdings. Ciketic placed special emphasis on the word “Journey” in the show title, indicating that the eviction does not mean the end of the work of fiNdings Art Center. 

Indeed, one of its most important projects,  Shows for Causes — a monthly exhibition intended to raise funds for worthy causes — gives permission to an organization or nonprofit to put up a show supporting their program. Ciketic noted that the monthly exhibition has been going on for the past 15 years. 

She noted that the show’s most dominant and beautiful professional exhibit was the Ukrainian exhibit, which was curated by Nadiia Nikolaieva. The exhibit ran from May 2022 to January 2023 while part of the sales proceeds went towards art supplies for a Ukrainian orphanage.

Ciketic, an acolyte of Sister Mary Corita Kent at Immaculate Heart College in the 1960s, is no stranger to this kind of work. 

Back when Ciketic was a student, Corita headed the school’s art department. Through her innovative approach to design and education, Corita’s vibrant serigraphs (silk screen designs) drew international acclaim. Corita’s work reflected her concerns about poverty, racism and war. 

Her artistic mission was to seek joy and beauty in ugly places. She was also influenced by her faith, politics and other artists, including her close friend Andy Warhol. Ciketic, describing the former nun’s impact on Pop Art, noted that Corita was called the religious Andy Warhol. Ciketic is one of several prominent LA Harbor Area alumni of Immaculate Heart College who continued Corita’s legacy in San Pedro.

fiNdings’ Legacy

Today, fiNdings Art Center works in three capacities. The community gallery annually hosts a number of shows for a variety of artists. The fINdings women’s project helps immigrant women of diverse heritage build entrepreneurial skills and discover their creative capabilities through designing art pieces and textiles that enrich their lives and benefit society. And in honor of Sister Mary Corita Kent, the center has a variety of her artwork on hand at all times.

Before starting fiNdings, Ciketic was director of the Family Literacy Center. It’s a national program sponsored by Toyota: National Centers for Families, wherein family literacy programs help parents improve both their parenting and literacy skills while providing children with early childhood education. Ciketic said children came to school with their mothers to learn English. When she retired from the center, fiNdings formed a group of immigrant women which evolved into the fiNdings Women’s Project.

“That group is still strong today,” said Ciketic. “It’s part of who we are. The whole idea was to help [the women] get jobs and continue practicing their English and making money. So most of them have jobs now but they still make products. For example at The Corner Store, we have a whole display of old-fashioned aprons they made.”

Ciketic said, besides displaying, promoting and showing Corita artwork, fiNdings also has an artist studio workshop at Angels Gate Cultural Center which has become an upcycled art center where people bring art supplies that they don’t need anymore and the center gives those supplies back to the community and any organizations that need it.

“We like to be considered a network,” Ciketic said.

Looking Forward

Nikolaieva said Annette has a special talent for connecting people.

“I met a lot of people because Annette has the energy and power [to connect people]. It’s important because it’s a cultural center.”

Right now Nikolaieva said she’s trying to find a museum to show her Ukrainian exhibition. She is also helping Ciketic with her project to open a museum.

“When Annette needs me, I’m involved,” Nikolaieva said. “I teach art to kids, just two times a week.”

Nikolaieva dreams of opening a Ukrainian museum one day where art and Ukrainian culture are taught.

Ukrainian culture is very rich. People would enjoy it because it’s quality art, Nikolaieva said. She said it was also her dream to start a Ukrainian center in San Pedro.

After finding herself to be a refugee following the Russian invasion of her country, Nikolaieva has found a place to belong in San Pedro, noting that she has met very good people here. 

“I really appreciate this,” Nikolaieva said. “I love San Pedro and I love the people.”

But the Ukrainian artist and curator pitied the lack of cultural life happening in San Pedro. In the past six months since she has worked here, people have not been going to the galleries. All the downtown galleries are closed.

“In Kyiv, in wartime, galleries are open, cafes are open, people are working, people want life and life is happening,” Nikolaieva said. “This cultural life, it’s most important. It’s important to tourists too.”

Ciketic added San Pedro has a lot of work to do in that area. fiNdings wants to bring artists back to San Pedro. The art center offers internships now and Ciketic said internship projects for high school students will be one of its big pushes going forward.

Nikolaieva expressed gratitude to Ciketic for opening fiNdings to her.

fiNdings doesn’t yet know where the new art center will be located. Ciketic said they are working with CD15 Councilman Tim McOsker on this transition. She added that he is a very big supporter of fiNdings. 

“We’re waiting on the ‘go’ from Tim McOsker to see if the city has an empty building that we could work [on] with the city. Especially if we’re going to open the cultural heritage museum. My concept is that San Pedro is built on multi-cultures, not just one or two.”

Ciketic said the work the art center is doing is to promote Corita’s work here in the South Bay.

“We have a lot of Immaculate Heart college graduates up on the hill mostly and so Corita is not a stranger to this neighborhood,” Ciketic said. “That’s how we fit in here. The Corita tradition is a unique method of education.

“Corita’s concept was to show up and be there and you will create art,” Ciketic said. “If you’re absent, nothing happens.”

Details: http://new.findingsartcenter.com