Arts, Culture, & Creativity Month 2026
2026 marked the 8th annual ACCM. Centered on the theme of Boundless Culture & Creativity and the sub-theme of Building Joy, Action + Power, the month-long initiative encompassed media campaigns, community programming, and statewide advocacy to celebrate the indispensable role of arts and culture in California life.
What is Arts, Culture, & Creativity Month?
In 2019, CA for the Arts successfully campaigned for the state to recognize and celebrate the arts by declaring April as Arts, Culture, & Creativity Month (ACCM) through a concurrent resolution passed in the California Senate. In 2021, an additional resolution was declared to recognize artists as second responders.
CA for the Arts directs this annual month-long spotlight on the arts to raise visibility and awareness about the value of our sector, to empower arts advocates to take action, and to spur greater investments in our industry and workforce.
Our goal is to activate the state and make it easy and educational for you to participate in ACCM. In the months ahead we will release FREE toolkits and resources to generate a social media campaign, get your local government to proclaim April as Arts, Culture, & Creativity Month, learn how to conduct a visit with your legislator and leverage local media to support getting your community talking about the value of the arts.
News
ACCM Resources
Organizers Toolkit
Proclamation Toolkit
Captain's Toolkit
Amplify ACCM Media Toolkit
CA Arts & Culture Summit 2026
Our inaugural Pre-Summit and 4th Annual CA Arts & Culture Summit were hosted Sunday, April 19 & Monday, April 20, 2026, in Sacramento, at both the Memorial Auditorium and the SAFE Credit Union Convention Center.
Arts Advocacy Day 2026
Arts Advocacy Day took place on April 21, 2026 at the Safe Credit Union Convention Center and was a vital moment to raise our voices and take action. We kicked off the day with an energizing rally featuring dynamic speakers and performances, and then marched to the Capitol together to talk policy with state lawmakers.
Arts Champion Awards
Every year, we present the Arts Champion award where we recognize state arts and culture policy leaders. Past Legislative Arts Star Award recipients include:
2026
Jaya King
Senator Angelique Ashby
Assemblymember Chris Ward
Assemblymember Sharon Quirk-Silva
Senator Ben Allen
2025
Senator Lola Smallwood-Cuevas
Assemblymember Mike Gipson
Rick Stein
2024
Senator Anthony Portantino
Assemblymember Wendy Carrillo
Mayor Darrell Steinberg
2023
Speaker Emeritus, Anthony Rendon
Senator Toni Atkins
Assemblymember Tasha Boerner Horvath
2022
Governor Gavin Newsom
Assemblywoman Sharon Quirk-Silva
2019
Assemblymember Richard Bloom
Senator Scott Wilk
2018
Senator Ben Allen
Senator Jim Nielsen
2017
Assemblymember Ian Calderon
In the Archives
2025
ACCM 2025's programming and activations were shaped by the theme "Health, Healing, Hope," exploring the vital intersection of arts with community wellness and recovery while also emphasizing that Art Work is Real Work – building on our successful advocacy for artists as essential workers in our communities.
2024
ACCM 2024's theme was "Art Work is Real Work." Artists play an essential role in our economy and our health with critical contributions across a variety of social impact areas but often are without the services and conditions they need to thrive due to the ongoing undervaluing of their work.
2023
CFTA is honoring the fifth year of ACCM by building a program for April 2023 that will continue to expand upon our successful program that engages arts advocates across the state and raises awareness of the impact of the arts within communities of all sizes through free events, resources, and advocacy opportunities offered all month long.
Thank You to
Our Sponsors
Find Out How You Can Become a Sponsor
This package outlines all the ways you or your organization can help support this statewide celebration of arts, culture, and community. With flexible sponsorship opportunities to match every level of giving, there’s a place for everyone to contribute and make an impact in the arts. For more information, please contact NeFesha Yisra'el, Director of Programs, at nefesha@caforthearts.org.