Contact:

Eduardo Robles
eduardo@caforthearts.org
Director of Communications

For Immediate Release

February 3, 2026

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

SACRAMENTO, CA – February 2, 2026 – CA for the Arts today announced that registration is now open for its flagship Arts, Culture & Advocacy Convening, returning to Sacramento April 19–21, 2026, as part of Arts, Culture, & Creativity Month. Now in its eighth year, the sell-out annual gathering brings together artists, cultural workers, advocates, and policymakers from across the state to strengthen statewide collaboration, advance cultural policy, and affirm the vital role of arts and culture in California’s civic and economic future. The convening also significantly boosts Sacramento’s local economy, reinforcing 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.

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 

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. Consistently selling out, 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.

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

Civil rights icon Dolores Huerta will headline a keynote fireside conversation examining how art and culture have shaped America’s movements for justice. Spanning labor rights, immigrant justice, and contemporary struggles for equity, the discussion highlights creative expression as a driving force in organizing, narrative change, and democratic participation across generations.

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.

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 for Arts Advocacy Day at the Capitol, rallying and meeting with elected officials to advance policies that support the creative sector, including a call to increase funding for the California Arts Council to $50 million in honor of its 50th anniversary.

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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