4C LAB was founded in 2016 by Marissa Herrera and Darci-Manzo Piron, two Latina/Native American women and artivists born and raised in Los Angeles, California, each with careers in the arts spanning over two decades.

In Marissa's experience working with high school and early college-aged youth, she observed that many students were starting to find their voice through the arts in high school or early college, just as many of them were aging out of no-cost public arts programming. She saw a need for more arts programming for teens and young people.

Marissa's vision and passion for creating original multi-disciplinary work seeks to amplify personal and social issues through the lens of young people in our communities to inspire necessary dialogue as a way to move the needle towards social justice.

The work of 4C LAB isn't just "art for art's sake." We strive to give our young creative visionaries and emerging community leaders the safe space to share their stories through the arts. We provide tools for self-care, mental health, mentorship, and support to thrive in their emerging creative careers. Ultimately, creating a sense of "family" is at the heart and soul of everything we do.