COMMUNITY ORGANIZING AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
The positive transformation of languishing communities is key to our collective
future. This cannot be achieved by merely "importing" outside consultants, planning
templates and development projects. Local involvement in every aspect of the
transformation is crucial to long-term economic sustainability and growth.
Our approach to sustainable development is based identifying and empowering local
talent, supporting grassroots initiatives and providing the resources to launch
creative locally-driven entrepreneurial ventures. The emphasis is on education,
training and mentoring, coupled with resource development and marketing strategy.
By nurturing a new generation of young artist, artisans, creative professionals
and enthusiastic entrepreneurs, a region can mitigate brain- and talent-drain
while protecting and preserving unique regional attributes, traditions and cultures.
Boards and Community Activity
NEW MEXICO
Montibon has been engaged in public policy work across New Mexico with NM First. That work is focused
on food insecurity, more efficient food distribution systems and strengthening New Mexico agriculture.
Food, Hunger & Agriculture Policy Workgroup 2021: Policy Priorities
He also serves on the Economic Development and Agri-Tourism Committee for the Agri-Futures projects in
the Village of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque and the Los Ranchos Agri-Nature Center.
Los Ranchos de Albuquerque: Aligning our Agrifuture
Roy was recently named Chair of the Los Vegas Police/Community Partnership Advisory Commission.
He has served on the Commission for years, working with six LVPD Police Chiefs, Deputy Chiefs and their
Command Staffs. Roy does not want to live in a community where the citizens and police are at each others
throats. The best way to engender positive relationships between residents and police departments is
through open and continuous two-way dialog.
He has also served on the City of Las Vegas, Police, Fire Department and City Employees Union Board and
the Las Vegas Campaign and Ethics Committee.
Roy is a founding member of SPACE: Special Projects in Arts, Culture and Education. SPACE is a New
Mexico-based independent community arts network.
Roy recently served as Chair of the New Mexico Arts & Cultural District | Las Vegas Steering Committee.
He was instrumental in drafting the new Las Vegas Cultural Plan and the Arts & Cultural District boundaries
and Master Plan Ordinance. He was also selected by the Mayor to serve on the Steering Committee for the new
City of Las Vegas Downtown Master Plan. His partner, Julie Tumblety has served on the Mayor's Commission on Film.
In 2007, Roy drafted the SPACE | Las Vegas (Strategic Plan for an Arts & Culture Environment), a grassroots
community initiative, with a group of over 21 community advisors.
SPACE | Las Vegas: Strategic Plan for an Arts & Culture Environment
The SPACE document was used as the backbone of an application for an Arts & Cultural District Designation
from the State of New Mexico. The application was selected, and the designation was awarded by Lt. Governor
Diane Denish and three Cabinet Secretaries. The selection committee included the New Mexico MainStreet / Economic
Development Department; Historic Preservation Division of the Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA); New Mexico
Arts Division (DCA); New Mexico Tourism Department; New Mexico Museum Foundation; McCune Foundation; and New
Mexico Arts Commission.
During his time as Chair of ACD | LV, Roy with ACD Coordinator Adam Caldwell initiated the Second Saturday Artwalk,
which he directed for a consecutive 25 months, which grew to involve over 130 artists and businesses during the high
season; produced the first Traditional Hispanic Arts Show at his gallery Royal Mastodon Society with Cruz Flores and
Lawrence Quintana; and concieved and co-designed a user-driven interactive community website to promote the talents
and events of local artists and businesses. This database-driven site was co-designed and developed by Adam
Caldwell.
Las Vegas New Mexico: Second Saturday Artwalk
Roy also served as lead, along with a dozen community cultural leaders, to develop the Cultural Plan for the City
of Las Vegas, and served on the committee to draft and finalize the City of Las Vegas Downtown Action Plan
Las Vegas Arts & Cultural District: Cultural Plan
Las Vegas: Downtown Action Plan
Roy and Julie hosted numerous community art exhibitions and events at their gallery, Royal Mastodon Society,
including four New Mexico Highlands University graduate one-person shows; the first graffiti show, Vexing Messages
in the region; two traditional Hispanic art exhibitions, Celebraciones de las Artesanos Nortenos; and a number
of community workshops on water, acequias, and film production.
DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES
Roy Montibon and Julie Tumblety founded the original Old Bank District Artwalk in the Historic Core
of Downtown Los Angeles in early 2002, with a handful of Old Bank District neighbors including: Jose Caballer,
Russel Brown, Tom Burrows, Lorraine Molina, Michelle Chin and others. This was done in coordination with
Tom Gilmore, Trish Keefer, Jerri Perrone and Peter McLaughlin of Gilmore and Associates, the owners and
renovators of the historic bank buildings, the San Fernando, the Hellman and the Continental Buildings (the
first "skyscraper" in Downtown Los Angeles). Tom Gilmore and his team were the first developers to take a big
risk on the renovation and adaptive reuse to successfully bring these century old bank buildings back to life.
Old Bank District
In 2001-2002, the area was still raw and desolate after decades of decline with vacant storefronts and buildings
in a wrecked state and empty. Once the new, modern skyscrapers were built on Bunker Hill, the Old Downtown area
emptied out and restaurants, cafes or shops in the area moved or went out of business. It was a no-man's land.
However, the bar, Craby Joe's (one of poet Charle's Bukowski's favorite watering holes that was featured in the
film, Bar Fly) was still open and operating about a block away.
The epicenter for the Old Bank District Artwalk is located on the edge of Skid Row, but is also, arguably,
the most filmed corner in the United States. The very first Artwalk featured live music and at the corner of
Fourth and Main plus street food vendors, many studios and an art exhibition in the San Fernando building.
The two-day event was open to everyone, including homeless residents of Skid Row. The first Artwalk featured
the soft-opening of Pete's Cafe and Bar and the coffeehouse, Acapulco Gold on the ground floor of the San Fernando
Building, where Roy and Julie lived in a sixth floor loft. The very first Artwalk drew 1,600 guests. Roy and
Julie moved to a top floor loft (808) and produced the Artwalk for the next four years. During that time the OBD
Artwalk expanded to all three Gilmore buildings and adjacent buildings (the Canadian, the Barklay and others)
and was produced in coordination with the City of Los Angeles, the LAPD, the LAFD, the Midnight Mission and
our local businesses, SROs and BIDs. After leaving Los Angeles, the Artwalk was taken over by a dedicated
group including Qathryn Brehm and several others. This team built up the Downtown Art Walk into the largest
and most successful Art Walk in the nation, with 25-40,000 visitors per monthly event.
Los Angeles Times: The New Faces
While living in Downtown Los Angeles, Roy was elected to the Center City Redevelopment Project Area Committee
for the Community Redevelopment Agency of Los Angeles (CRA/LA). CRA/LA currently oversees $342.2 million of
CRA/LA investment plus $6.8 billion from other sources for pubic improvement projects including urban parks,
affordable and mixed use housing, commercial, retail and industrial development and other revitalization
projects. As a representative of the Center City area (including the Arts District, the Fashion District,
Skid Row and the LAPD Central Division), Roy's mission was to balance the many conflicting interests of
developers, urban planners, architects, arts and educational institutions, homeless advocates, property
owners, local residential hotel and loft residents, the LA Conservancy, the City of Los Angeles, local TIFs,
BIDs, the ACLU, and the LAPD.
Redevelopment Plan for the City Center Redevelopment Project
Montibon has served on the board of LA Freewaves, a media arts organization that hosts the largest independent
international media arts festival in the U.S.; and Roy has served as the Mission Statement Ad Hoc Committee,
Chair for the Arts, Aesthetics and Culture Committee and was an Alternate Arts / Culture / Education Representative
for the Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council.
Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council
DLANC: An Explosive History
Roy and Julie have hosted events in Downtown Los Angeles for AIGA (American Institute of Graphic Arts);
the Urban Land Institute; and UCLA.
Roy and Julie have also hosted numerous community art exhibitions and events at their live/work studio and gallery,
Studio 808, including San Fernando building group shows for the Old Bank District Artwalk and a
number of community holiday shows.
PRO BONO WORK
Roy has contributed time and expertise to pro bono projects for The Museum of Contemporary Art (for the
Streb/Ringside Dance Company of New York), Mozart Camerata, Opera Pacific and The Orange County Performing
Arts Center.
Contact us via LinkedIn to discuss your project needs:
LINKEDIN: THE MONTIBON COMPANY
