COMMISSIONERS
MISSION
The mission of the Arts & Culture Commission is to enrich the human experience, reinforce Glendale’s identity and civic pride through arts and culture, and to recognize the importance of arts to our quality of life and to the local economy. This is accomplished by consciously integrating arts and culture into the daily life of the people of Glendale through urban design, planning, economic development, and education.
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The Arts & Culture Commission meets every third Thursday of the month from 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM in the City Council Chambers located at 613 E. Broadway. If you are interested in seeing previous Commission Meetings and agendas for upcoming meetings, please click this link.
MEET YOUR COMMISSIONERS
Chairperson Sevana Zadorian; Term Expiration: Election 2028
Sevana Zadorian is a lifelong resident of Glendale and an attorney with a strong commitment to public service and civic leadership. She has served as a campaign strategist for various political campaigns and as Executive Director of a Glendale-based nonprofit, where she focused on community engagement and public-facing initiatives. She currently holds the position of Co-Chair for the City’s Annual Armenian Genocide Commemorative Event. Her background also includes experience as a judicial extern with the Los Angeles Superior Court and as a policy intern in the Los Angeles Mayor’s Office. With a passion for the arts and experience in curating, Zadorian is dedicated to promoting and supporting the vibrant creative and cultural life of her community.
Vice-Chair Inessa Kasumyan; Term Expiration: Election 2026
Inessa Kasumyan is a professional figure skating coach with a lifelong passion for film, music, and the performing arts. As a coach, she has more than a decade of experience nurturing the artistic expression of both children and adults. Her love of film has also seen her work behind the scenes on major productions for HBO, Netflix, Warner Media, and Amblin Partners. As a line producer and stage manager she seamlessly oversaw concert productions, creating vibrant experiences for talent, crew, and audiences. With her nonprofit initiatives, Kasumyan is passionate about inspiring communities to connect with arts and culture.
Commissioner Mark Marat Hay; Term Expiration: Election 2028
Dr. Mark Marat Hay is a beloved member of the Glendale community. He is a musician, singer, composer, symphonic conductor, musicologist and Doctor of Arts. His previous job in Arts & Culture was adviser to the minister of culture of Armenia where he advised on making decisions involving activities of theaters, concert halls, art schools, movie theaters, and exhibitions; promoting cultural workers; nominating art workers for state awards; assisting the minister with cultural activities; organizing events; and leading art delegations to other countries for cultural events while supervising those events on behalf of the minister. His other previous job in Arts & Culture was as a cultural adviser to the consul general of Armenia in Los Angeles where he advised on arts and culture both in the City of Glendale and in the state of California, giving reports about workers of arts & culture living here in the US, suggesting names of those for recognition and awards, and assisting in organizing cultural events in city of Glendale and in the state of California.
Dr. Hay received extensive education in music, painting and acting classes, and sang in 2 different choirs. He graduated from Yerevan State Conservatory with a Masters Degree in musical composition and another Masters Degree in symphonic conducting. He then became a post graduate student in musical composition and musicology and afterwards defended his PhD thesis in 2010 at the Institute of Arts of the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia. Supreme Certifying Commission of Armenia by the resolution of the council of Institute of Arts has been awarded him the degree of Doctor of Arts.
Commissioner Arlene Vidor; Term Expiration: Election 2026
Arlene Vidor is serving her third term on the Glendale Arts & Culture Commission. She currently serves on the Board of the Adams Hill Neighborhood Association and The Glendale Historical Society (TGHS) Advisory Council. She is President Emerita of Brand Associates and coordinates the Associates’ REEL ART Film Series. Arlene has received both the TGHS Zelia Blanton Preservation Award and the Carol Dougherty Lifetime Achievement Award. She has given more than 10 public presentations on Glendale’s historic architecture and history and created an Art Deco bus tour and the popular Adams Hill walking tour. Arlene is a past president of both TGHS and the Associates of Brand Library & Art Center and previously served on the boards of the Museum of Neon Art and Antaeus Theatre Company. She served two terms on the Glendale Historic Preservation Commission and during her tenure she successfully nominated four City-owned properties to the Glendale Register of Historic Resources including Wallace House, Brand Park Entrance Gates, Brand Cemetery and the Adams Square Richfield Gas Station, now a public art space. Vidor has been an advocate for both the arts and historic preservation for over 20 years. She is a practitioner of digital photocollage and plays violin with the Cantabile Chamber Players.
Student Ex Officio Commissioner Lianna Akop; Term Expiration: 2026
Lianna Akop is a college student with aspirations of becoming an attorney. An Armenian American born in Glendale, she has been immersed in music from a young age, playing both the guitar and piano. Driven by both creativity and advocacy, Lianna hopes to combine a career in law with the creative and strategic world of real estate. She is also the author of the children’s book Anoush and the Magic Nour, a project that reflects her passion for storytelling and cultural expression. In her free time, she enjoys exploring photography, finding creativity through cooking, keeping up with fashion, getting lost in a good book, discovering film, and drawing inspiration from music.
Student Ex Officio Commissioner Anais JosephLynch;
Term Expiration: 2026
Anais JosephLynch is a junior at Hoover High School and longtime Glendale resident. A lifelong student of the arts, Anais studied under Hideki Okuda, a miniature artist, from 2017-2022, and hyperrealist painter Abelina Galustian from 2019-2023. She has participated in a total of five theater productions, working as student director and participating as an actress. Anais continued her interest in the performing arts through her role in the Hoover Tornado Marching Band’s colorguard, working with 50+ other performers to create musical and visually engaging shows from 2023-2025. She is currently in her third year of studying ceramics, and spends her free time developing her painting skills. She has experience with leadership as a member of the GUSD Student Advisory Council, where she works to connect the ideas of students in her community to the district council. Anais is committed to uniting her community through Glendale’s defining culture and artistic involvement.
APPLY TO BE A COMMISSIONER
Those interested in serving on a board or commission are encouraged to complete an application form from the office of the City Clerk, which also accepts the completed forms and maintains a list of applicants for all boards and commissions. Individuals who are interested in applying to serve on a city board or commission may download, print, and complete an application from the City’s website or pick up the application from the City Clerk’s Office at City Hall located at 613 E. Broadway, Room 110. When a vacancy occurs, a press release is issued advising of the filing period established to receive additional applications. The City Clerk verifies voter registration and sends all qualified applications to City Council for review and nomination.
Effective September 17, 2024, a two member panel of councilmembers will be identified to nominate an individual to fill a vacancy on a board or commission, with exception to the Civil Service Commission, which is an individual Councilmember nomination. All members must then be appointed by City Council. An applicant may serve no more than two four-year terms per board and commission. Those who are currently serving on a Board or Commission and are interested in being reappointed should also submit the application form above with an updated resume. Applications are accepted at any time, on a rolling basis.
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All City Board, Commission and Committee members (except Glendale Housing Authority) serve without compensation. No individual shall serve on more than one Board, Commission or Committee at the same time. Individuals may serve on other Boards, Commissions or Committees after serving two terms on a prior Commission. All applicants must be an elector of, and actually reside in the City of Glendale, with exception of the Audit Committee (GMC Section 2.82.030). An elector is someone who is registered to vote in the City of Glendale.
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For more information or to submit an application, please email the City Clerk's Office at CityClerk@GlendaleCa.gov or call (818) 548-2090.