Contact:

Eduardo Robles
eduardo@caforthearts.org
Director of Communications

For Immediate Release

March 13, 2026

Arts and Culture Leaders from Across California to Gather in Sacramento for Arts, Culture, & Advocacy Convening

SACRAMENTO, CA – March 13, 2026 – California's creative sector leaders are set to attend the 8th annual Arts, Culture & Creativity Month convenings, hosted by CA for the Arts, from April 19–21, 2026, in Sacramento. The CA Arts & Culture Summit, a highly anticipated, annual gathering, is a key part of the month-long celebration. It brings together artists, cultural workers, advocates, and policymakers from across the state to strengthen collaboration, advance cultural policy, and reaffirm the critical importance of arts and culture to California's economy and civic life. This year’s Summit opens with a dynamic panel featuring Civil Rights leader Dolores Huerta with former National Endowment for the Arts Chair Dr. Maria Rosario Jackson, acclaimed playwright Luis Valdez, and musician and activist Hector Flores.

The convening reinforces the city’s role as California’s premier hub for arts leadership each spring. Visit Sacramento, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting tourism and leisure travel throughout the region, is a proud sponsor. A limited number of scholarships for the 2026 CA Arts & Culture Summit are available, thanks to the generous support of the City of Sacramento’s Office of Arts & Culture, which covers the cost of one Summit registration. Applications from City of Sacramento residents will be accepted until funds are fully dispersed or until Friday, March 20, whichever comes first.

CA for the Arts is also pleased to oversee production of the 50th Anniversary Awards Ceremony on April 20, 2026, honoring distinguished artists, cultural leaders, and institutions whose work has shaped California’s cultural and civic identity for half a century. This awards ceremony will happen after the CA Arts & Culture Summit at the Sacramento Memorial Auditorium at 6 pm.

Dr. Maria Rosario Jackson, Former Chair of the National Endowment for the Arts, in conversation with  Julie Baker, CEO of CA for the Arts, during the 2025 CA Arts & Culture Summit 

Below, participants can find details on each day’s highlights:

Events

CA Arts & Culture Summit | Register

The CA Arts & Culture Summit will take place Monday, April 20, 2026, at the Sacramento Memorial Auditorium and the SAFE Credit Union Convention Center. The Summit convenes leaders across sectors to exchange ideas, build power, and shape a shared vision for the future of arts and culture in California.

This year’s theme, Boundless Culture & Creativity: The Essence of Freedom, explores the essential role of creative expression in democracy, with a sub-theme of Building Joy, Action + Power. This event sells out annually, so register early.

Left to right: Dolores Huerta, Hector Flores, Luis Valdez, Dr. Maria Rosario Jackson

Keynote Fireside Conversation: Art, Resistance, and the Long Arc of Justice

Civil rights leader Dolores Huerta will headline a keynote conversation with former National Endowment for the Arts Chair Maria Rosario Jackson, acclaimed playwright Luis Valdez, and musician and activist Hector Flores, exploring how art and culture have shaped America’s movements for justice. Spanning labor rights, immigrant justice, and contemporary struggles for equity, the discussion will highlight creative expression as a driving force for organizing, shifting narratives, and strengthening democratic participation across generations.

East Bay advocates and CA for the Art’s GAAP cohort shows up for Arts Advocacy Day in 2025.

Arts Advocacy Day at the Capitol | Register

On Tuesday, April 21, advocates from across California will gather at the Capitol for Arts Advocacy Day, rallying and meeting with elected officials as part of the “50 in 50” campaign—a movement calling to increase funding for the California Arts Council to $50 million in honor of its 50th anniversary. Participants will share stories, build momentum for public investment in the arts, and connect directly with lawmakers. Register today to be part of this important event.

Arts Advocacy Day honorees include Senate Arts Champion Angelique Ashby, Assembly Arts Champion Chris Ward, Artist Champion Jaya King, and Legacy Award recipients Senator Ben Allen and Assemblymember Sharon Quirk-Silva.

David Mack presented during the “WHISTLEBLOW: Protecting Artists from Harm in the CA Arts Community” breakout session during the 2025 CA Arts & Culture Summit.

Pre-Summit Convening | Learn More

New this year, CA for the Arts will host its first-ever Pre-Summit Convening on Sunday, April 19. This full-day gathering will create space for deeper dialogue, strategy-building, and relationship-centered learning ahead of the Summit. Participants will engage in focused conversations on the most pressing issues shaping California’s arts and culture field today, including arts education, the creative economy, and public policy.

About Arts, Culture, & Creativity Month
In 2019, CA for the Arts successfully led a statewide campaign to declare April as Arts, Culture, & Creativity Month (ACCM)  through a concurrent resolution passed by the California State Senate. In 2021, an additional resolution recognized artists as Second Responders, acknowledging their critical role in community resilience and recovery.

About CA for the Arts
California for the Arts is a comprehensive, multidisciplinary advocacy service organization dedicated to building resources, awareness, and public will around the value and impact of arts, culture, and creativity across California. Learn more at www.caforthearts.org

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