How’s the scene in L.A. arts?

The Times asked Los Angeles leaders to discuss the state of the city’s arts and culture scene. Here’s what some readers had to say about the article at latimes.com/arts:

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The city would really be a cultural metropolis of the U.S. and the world were it not for the accursed way we must get around. By the time we factor in traffic, cost of gas, parking. . . a lot of us just give up.

-- Daniella

The strength, uniqueness and appeal of the L.A. arts scene is, with all due respect to its large and small art organizations, driven by the vitality, desire to discover and openness of its artists and citizens. It would have been perhaps more interesting to hear their voices.

-- Emily

“World-class,” “Tourism,” “Outreach,” “Rais[ing] the bar.” Same bilge, different year. All of these . . . swine will use their present positions to get their next ones. And not in Los Angeles.

-- Arnie

I often forget how much we have here in Los Angeles . . . It’s absolutely phenomenal the number of world class institutions we have now.

-- David

With the value of the dollar continuously decreasing and cuts in government spending, we need an edge to attract tourist and investors. We have too many people in L.A. who don’t consider this their home but live and work here. We need more investment in our museums and events to attract tourists to spend here and to attract more business here.

-- Mark D.

This city has an incredibly vibrant arts scene, with many centers of activity. If anything, we need to provide more opportunities for people to connect across their geographic and demographic boundaries. We do our part in relation to the Arab/Middle Eastern arts community. . . . However, we’d like more Americans unfamiliar with these cultures to come out and explore a region of the world in which Southern California is increasingly implicated.

-- Jordan Elgrably, Levantine Cultural Center

I teach music to kingergarten through fifth grade at a charter school in the Valley. 98% of the school’s population is Latino with poverty probably the chief thing of all our concerns. Education does seem to be the key when it comes to the arts. Very few students had taken up instruments when I started teaching music, and now a huge number. . . . seem eager to learn an instrument, sing, or both.

-- Joe