Nic Cha Kim

Kim was born in Lakewood, California but was raised in Arcadia, California. After graduating from Arcadia High School in 1992, Kim studied English at University of California, Berkeley but dropped out in 1998 and moved to Los Angeles.

In 2003, Nic Cha Kim presented a proposal with friend Kjell Hagen to create an arts and culture district called Gallery Row through parts of Civic Center, Historic Core, and Fashion District in Downtown Los Angeles. Co-sponsored by Jan Perry and Antonio Villaraigosa, Los Angeles City Council voted unanimously to designate Gallery Row on July 23, 2003 (Council File Indes: 03-1571).{{cite news | url = https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-nov-04-et-mcnamara4-story.html | title= If you bill it, they will come | newspaper = LA Times | date= 4 November 2003 | access-date= November 4, 2003}}{{cite web | url = http://www.ladowntownnews.com/news/row-revelry/article_66b14efc-8455-53c5-b306-8938d1b5fb2c.html | title= Row Revely: Gallery Cluster Emerges in the Historic Core, but What's Next? | date= 10 May 2004 | publisher = Downtown News | accessdate= May 10, 2004}}

Once the City of L.A. approved the district, Kim started Gallery Row Organization with a mission to create a thriving, pedestrian-friendly, culturally abundant, urban neighborhood. Gallery Row spans north–south along Main Street and Spring Street from 2nd Street in the north to 9th Street in the south.[http://discoverlosangeles.com 2012-2013 Official Visitors Map], Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board, 2012 There are now over 40 art galleries in Gallery Row and the monthly Downtown Art Walk attracts over 30,000 visitors.{{cite web | url = http://iamkoream.com/a-walk-on-th-artsy-side/ | title= A Walk on the Artsy Side | publisher = KoreAm.com | accessdate= January 6, 2010}}{{cite news | url = https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2005-oct-16-ca-artsnotes16.1-story.html | title= Spotlight will be on Caltrans | newspaper = LA Times | date= 16 October 2005 | access-date= October 16, 2006}} Gallery Row Organization brought new art galleries into Downtown Los Angeles through economic development programs, introduced new signage to promote the Gallery Row district, produced cultural events with local community leaders, and curated the first TAP Card design competition for the Los Angeles Department of Transportation.{{cite news | url = https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2006-apr-23-me-artwalk23-story.html | title= Downtown Exhibits Its Eclecticism | newspaper = LA Times | date= 23 April 2006 | access-date= April 23, 2006}}{{cite web | url = http://la.streetsblog.org/2013/11/14/ladot-announces-tap-card-design-contest/ | title= LADOT Announces TAP Card Design Contest | date= 14 November 2013 | publisher = LA Streetsblog | accessdate= November 14, 2013}}

In 2005, Kim opened the first art gallery in Los Angeles dedicated to video art. Based in Gallery Row, Niche.LA Video Art exhibited over 50 art shows curating video art, digital art, 3D mapping, glitch, dadamoshing, cyberart, nanoart, fractal art, and light art.{{cite web | url = http://artforum.com/print.php?id=9371&pn=picks&action=print | title= Digital World: Oz | publisher = Artforum.com | accessdate= August 8, 2005}} A regular participant of the monthly Downtown Art Walk, Kim often used his gallery to convince creative entrepreneurs to open art galleries in Gallery Row to become part of the Downtown L.A. art scene.{{cite web | url = http://www.ladowntownnews.com/entertainment/a-black-and-white-world/article_5d4dbbca-96fd-5073-909a-91dd8b4d43d7.html | title= A Black-and-White World | publisher = Downtown News | accessdate= September 8, 2007}}{{cite news | url = https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2006-apr-23-me-artwalk23-story.html | title= Downtown Exhibits Its Eclecticism | newspaper = LA Times | date= 23 April 2006 | access-date= April 23, 2006}} Kim closed the gallery in 2012 to pursue documentary filmmaking.{{cite web | url = http://iamkoream.com/nic-cha-kim-makes-the-case-for-why-art-matters/ | title= Nic Cha Kim Makes the Case for Why Art Matters | publisher = KoreAm.com | accessdate= September 9, 2014}}

Produced by Nic Cha Kim, Art Battle L.A. is a 52 min. street art documentary that chronicles graffiti artists Mear One, Man One, Inkie, and Eine as they spend a week together painting murals all over Los Angeles under the direction of L.A. Freewalls to support Hollywood Arts, a nonprofit dedicated to helping emancipated foster children living in the streets by teaching them employable arts skills. Art Battle L.A. premiered on KCET's Open Call and is currently available on Snagfilms.

Songs in the Key of Los Angeles: The Bedrock Sessions is a multi-platform collaboration between KCET, Library Foundation of Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Public Library, and USC professor Josh Kun that brings to life the Library's Southern California Sheet Music Collection. Consisting of sheet music pieces that range from the 1840s through the 1950s, the Collection offers a singular portrait of Los Angeles history and culture rendered in music and visual art. Produced by Nic Cha Kim, KCET presented a 5-part short documentary series featuring musicians Aloe Blacc, Petrojvic Blasting Company, Julia Holter, I See Hawks in L.A., and La Santa Cecilia that aired together as a special on KCET's transmedia arts and culture series, Artbound.{{cite news |title='Artbound Special Episode 'Songs in the Key of Los Angeles'' Revisited |author=Josh Kun |publisher=KCET |date=October 29, 2013 }}

Co-Directed and Co-Produced by Nic Cha Kim, Teatro Jornalero Sin Fronteras follows deported and displaced Guatemalans as they reintegrate back into their home country. Day Labor Theater Without Borders is a program of Cornerstone Theater Company where they perform plays based on stories from day labor communities.{{cite web | url = http://www.kcet.org/arts/artbound/counties/los-angeles/day-labor-theater-without-borders.html | title= From L.A. to Guatemala: Day Labor Theatre Without Borders | date= 18 June 2014 | publisher = KCET | accessdate= June 18, 2014}} Teatro Jornalero Sin Fronteras was nominated for the 67th Los Angeles area Local Emmy in 2015 in the Feature Segment category.{{cite news |title='67th Los Angeles Area Emmy Award Nominations Announced' Revisited |author=Liz Korda Smith |publisher=Emmys |date=June 5, 2015 }}{{cite web | url = https://variety.com/2015/tv/news/variety-actors-on-actors-emmy-nomination-1201512053/ | title= Variety's 'Actors on Actors' on PBS SoCal Nominated for Emmy | work = Variety | date= 4 June 2015 | accessdate= June 4, 2015}}

Kim works at KCET as a television reporter for the weekly news series SoCal Connected and is the winner of 2 L.A. Emmys from the Television Academy, 3 Golden Mikes from the Radio & Television News Association, and the National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Award and a SoCal Journalism Award from the L.A. Press Club.{{cite web | url = http://www.kcet.org/about/pressroom/press-releases/kcets-award-winning-weekly-series-socal-connected-begins-may-14-at-8-pm-with-a-new-format-and-multim.html | title= KCET's Award-Winning Weekly Series 'SOCAL CONNECTED' Begins May 14 at 8 p.m. with a New Format and Multimedia Production Team | date= 30 April 2014 | publisher = KCET | accessdate= 2014-04-30}}{{cite web | url = http://rtna.org/GoldenMikeAwards/16winners.asp | title= 67th ANNUAL GOLDEN MIKE AWARDS® 2016 WINNERS LIST | publisher = RTNA | accessdate= 2016-12-12}}{{cite news |title='67th Los Angeles Area Emmy Award Nominations Announced' Revisited |author=Liz Korda Smith |publisher=Emmys |date=June 5, 2015 }}{{cite web | url = http://www.kcet.org/about/pressroom/kcetlink-press-releases/kcetlink-media-group-receives-19-southern-california-journalism-award-nominations-presented-by-the-l.html | title= KCETLink Media Group Receives 19 Southern California Journalism Award Nominations Presented by the Los Angeles Press Club' Revisited | publisher = KCET | accessdate= 2014-04-30}}{{cite web | url = http://www.kcet.org/about/pressroom/kcetlink-press-releases/kcetlink-media-group-receives-12-los-angeles-area-emmy-award-nominations.html | title= KCETLink Media Group Receives 12 Los Angeles Area Emmy Award Nominations | date= 4 June 2015 | publisher = KCET | accessdate= June 4, 2015}}

Kim originally moved to Los Angeles to become a playwright before becoming a documentary filmmaker.{{cite news | url = https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2005-jan-23-ca-women23-story.html | title= 6 distinct voices with an L.A. link | newspaper = LA Times | date= 23 January 2005 | access-date= April 25, 2008}} He joined the East West Players where he participated in the David Henry Hwang Writers Institute and worked as Resident Producer for Lodestone Theatre Ensemble from 2005-2010. Kim joined Company of Angels in 2012 when he participated in the annual L.A. Views series. His plays Trapezoid,{{cite news | url = https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2008-apr-25-et-stage25-story.html | title= Caught up in 'Trapezoid's' A.I. | newspaper = LA Times | access-date= April 18, 2008}}{{cite web | url = http://www.laweekly.com/calendar/trapezoid-2153371 | title= Trapezoid | work= L.A. Weekly | date= 8 May 2008 | publisher = LA Weekly | accessdate= May 8, 2008 | last1= Klugman | first1= Deborah }}{{cite web | url = http://www.asianweek.com/2008/04/18/lodestone-theatre-ensemble-presents-world-premiere-of-%E2%80%98trapezoid%E2%80%99/ | title = Lodestone Theatre Ensemble Presents World Premiere of 'Trapezoid' | publisher = Asian Week | accessdate = April 18, 2008 | url-status = dead | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20140826072056/http://www.asianweek.com/2008/04/18/lodestone-theatre-ensemble-presents-world-premiere-of-%E2%80%98trapezoid%E2%80%99/ | archivedate = August 26, 2014 }} Like Yesterday, RE:verse,{{cite web | url = http://www.laweekly.com/arts/stage-raw-ten-to-life-2369995 | title= Stage Raw: Ten To Life | work= L.A. Weekly | date= 18 May 2009 | publisher = LA Weekly | accessdate= May 18, 2009 | last1= Morris | first1= Steven Leigh }} and Rise Up{{cite web | url = http://thisstage.la/2012/05/springtime-in-la-at-cafe-vida-and-on-april-29-1992/ | title= Springtime in LA, at Cafe Vida and on April 29, 1992 | publisher = This Stage LA | accessdate= May 7, 2012}} have all been produced for the stage.{{cite news | url = http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/la-ca-lodestone3-2009may03-story.html | title= Lodestone Theatre Ensemble is going out on its own terms | newspaper = LA Times | date= 3 May 2009 | accessdate= May 3, 2009}}{{cite web | url = http://www.backstage.com/review/la-theater/ten-to-life/ | title= Ten to Life | date= 20 May 2009 | publisher = Backstage | accessdate= May 20, 2009}}

Season 8

• “California Condors” (2017) - Reporter
• “Landfill Fight” (2017) - Reporter
• “Loving Joshua Tree to Death” (2017) - Reporter

Season 7

• “Simple Solution to Help the Homeless” (2017) - Reporter
• “‘Feathers of Fire’: A Spectacular Shadow Play" (2017) - Reporter
• “Hyperloop: Tube Travel at Near Supersonic Speed” (2017) - Reporter
• “A Great Use for UC Irvine’s Garbage” (2017) - Reporter
• “Urban Tree Canopy Benefits LA Communities, Some More Than Others” (2017) - Reporter
• “A Tiny House is a Work of Art” (2017) - Reporter

Season 6

• The Restoration and Revival of L.A.'s Hollyhock House (2015) - Reporter
• Bringing CicLAvia to South Los Angeles (2015) - Reporter
• Clare Graham's 'Warehouse of Wonders (2014) - Reporter
• Radio Personality Art Laboe (2014) - Reporter
• Grand Central Market: Past and Present (2014) - Reporter
• A Labyrinth of Books, Art, and Records (2014) - Reporter
• Art or Ad? L.A.'s Mural Law Written in Gray Ink (2014) - Reporter
• The Bottle Tree Ranch (2014) - Reporter
• The Future of Leimert Park (2014) - Reporter
• A Moveable Feast at the Brewery Art Colony (2014) - Reporter

• The Spirit of North Shore (2015) - Director, Producer
• Teatro Jornalero Sin Fronteras (2014) - Co-Director, Co-Producer
• My Moby Dick (2013) - Producer, Story Editor
• Songs in the Key of Los Angeles: The Bedrock Sessions (2013) - Producer, Story Editor
• Thank You For Coming (2013) - Producer, Story Editor
• Art Battle L.A. (2012) - Executive Producer, Producer, Writer

• Art Battle L.A. (2012) - Executive Producer, Producer, Writer
• Qwerty (2011) - Associate Producer
• The Mikado Project (2010) - Associate Producer

• Vignette (2012) - Executive Producer, Director, Producer, Writer
• Sketch (2012) - Executive Producer, Producer, Writer
• Equal Opportunity (2007) - Associate Producer
• Pollen (2006) - Executive Producer, Producer, Writer

• "a.l.a. (Asians in Los Angeles)"
• "Hyperbola"
• "Like Yesterday"
• "Point"
• "RE:verse"
• "Rise Up"
• "Taste of Home, A"
• "Trapezoid"
• "Tuba Player, The"

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.galleryrow.org Gallery Row Organization]
• [http://www.niche.la Niche.LA Video Art]
• {{IMDb name|2330196}}
• [http://www.doollee.com/PlaywrightsK/kim-nic-cha.html Nic Cha Kim on Doolee]

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Category:1970 births

Category:American dramatists and playwrights of Korean descent

Category:Living people

Category:American documentary film directors

Category:American people of Korean descent

Category:Writers from Los Angeles

Category:Film directors from Los Angeles