Growing up in New York City not far from Lincoln Center, Julie Baker was immersed in the arts. Her father, a German-Jewish refugee, was very engaged in culture and brought her to many events. The family also had a home at an artist colony in Woodstock.

But she knew early on she wasn’t an artist herself. “I don’t agree that everybody’s an artist,” she said. “I think I’m a creative person in business models and strategy but I’m not someone who is compelled to make art.”

Today, she devotes her considerable energies to helping artists thrive. She is chief executive officer of both California for the Arts, a statewide arts advocacy organization, and California Arts Advocates, a lobbyist group that works to increase state investment in the arts.

It’s an uphill battle despite California’s leadership in the entertainment industry. The state ranks 35th nationally in per capita arts funding. “Arts are still not seen as essential,” Baker said. “It’s still seen in some circles as elitist.”