Bilingual Foundation of the Arts

The Bilingual Foundation of the Arts (BFA) has a 38-year history of commitment to all people in the greater Los Angeles area, presenting the finest Hispanic literary culture for both Spanish- and English- speaking audiences.  BFA's presence is an integral part of the Los Angeles cultural scene, and provides an added dimension of understanding between the diverse cultures of the area by emphasizing the similarities of the human condition, which serve to unite us.   The Bilingual Foundation of the Arts occupies a building that was once the Lincoln Heights Jail. In 1951, the unprovoked beating of seven prisoners (known as “Bloody Christmas”) occurred here, and the spooky setting has led to its use in many films and music videos. Among them, L.A. Confidential (whose story was inspired by the Bloody Christmas incident), the boiler room scenes in Nightmare on Elm Street and music videos for “Feeling This” by Blink-182 and Lady Gaga’s “Telephone.”