Last month, I had the honor of sitting on a panel at the California Economic Summit, speaking with State Senator Anthony Portantino (25th District), Julie Baker, CEO of Californians for the Arts, Kristen Dolan, executive director of the California Desert Arts Council and Yaya Ortiz, co-founder of Culturas Music and Arts.

This panel was the first time the Creative Economy had been talked about from the plenary stage at this high-profile annual event. How strange is that? It's strange because the creative economy contributes between 7.5 to 23 percent of the state’s annual economic output depending on what you include in that category.

Art Work is Real Work

Let’s build a more creative California. We’re helping every Californian become an advocate for the arts – from raising awareness on why the arts are so important, to providing programs and services that make our state’s creative sector stronger than ever.

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Eduardo Robles
eduardo@caforthearts.org 
Senior Manager of Communications
916. 520.6049 ext. 102

Back by popular demand! California for the Arts, a leading statewide arts advocacy organization, presents the second annual CA Arts & Culture Summit and Arts Advocacy Day in Sacramento, building on creative sector momentum around the essential role of artists in workforce development, climate change, health + wellness, and the economy.

Sacramento, CA - Join CA for the Arts for the second annual CA Arts & Culture Summit in Sacramento on Tuesday, April 16. The Summit will take place during CA for the Arts 6th Annual Arts, Culture & Creativity Month (ACCM) with this year’s thematic focus “Art Work is Real Work.”

The Summit produced in partnership with Unseen Heroes, a Sacramento based community driven events and marketing agency, will bring together over 350 arts advocates, cultural policy thought leaders, public and private arts funders, artists, creatives, educators, culture bearers, teaching artists, students, public officials, and creative industry representatives from across the state to reinforce the movement to prioritize arts, culture, and creativity as essential for California’s key initiatives including, equity and justice, education, workforce development, health, climate resilience, and economic mobility. The summit will also address thriving working conditions for artists, culture bearers, and creative workers.


With the creative industries contributing 225 billion + dollars to the California economy, it is up to the creative sector to ensure policies are in place for the sustainability and growth of its industry and to build public awareness of the intrinsic value of arts, culture, and creativity as not only a public good – transforming communities and individuals – but also its role as a driver of prosperity for the California state economy. 

This CA Arts & Culture Summit isn't just another event; it's a transformative experience tailored for arts leaders across disciplines and practices. By facilitating exchange between fellow professionals who share a passion for creativity, we are fostering a movement of arts champions dedicated to impact and change through innovative strategies and solutions.

Summit panel discussions will cover diverse topics from leading voices in the field, including arts & health, economic justice, climate change, artists on artist’s work, youth engagement, affordable housing/work space, cultural equity, civic engagement, public art, and more with an emphasis on the public policies and advocacy needed to support the creative industries and workforce.

CA for the Arts is pleased to announce Nataki Garrett as this year's distinguished keynote speaker. Nataki Garrett brings a wealth of expertise and visionary leadership as co-Artistic Director of One Nation/One Project and the national Arts and Health initiative #ArtsforEveryBody. 

Featured panelists include: Deborah Cullinan, Chris Appleton, Indre Viskontas, Ph.D., Tamaira “Miss Tee” Sandifer, Heather Heslup, Arianna Chavez, Roshaun Davis, Nikko Kimzin, Nurit Siegel Smith, Nicole Hendrix, Marcus Mitchell, Tiara Amar, Jamie Hand, Penelope Oliver, Josiah Bruny, Can Foster, Clarity Cooper, Jaya King, Megan Van Voorhis, Sharmi Basu, Ken Ikeda, Keith McNutt, Sean Fenton, Sam Bempong, Venecia Prudencio, Christina Simpson, Silvi Alcivar, and Jennifer Laine.

Workshop leaders include: Tasha Golden, Ph.D., Letty Kraus, Jessica Mele, Adelaide Kuehn, Abe Flores, Lena Wolff, Miriam Klein Stahl, and Jackie Melendez. And featured presenting organizations include: California Arts Council, Arts in the Parks, City of San Diego & SDRACC, Measure P, Fresno, and Creative Corps/Kern Dance Alliance. 

We are especially excited to offer a unique workshop, “Arts on Prescription: Move You from Idea to Action”, led by Dr. Tasha Golden, Ph.D., Director of Research at the International Arts + Mind Lab. In this interactive workshop, participants will explore the integration of arts and health, focusing on the concept of "arts on prescription" and practical applications in healthcare. Emphasizing the transformative power of arts and culture, the session aims to inspire creativity, foster collaboration, and develop innovative healthcare approaches through actionable activities and discussions. Tasha will also be a featured panelist on our “Arts and Health” Panel. 

View all Summit panel and workshop offerings here

In addition to the Summit on Wednesday, April 17, CA for the Arts invites the public to join arts advocates from around the state for a rally at the capitol for Arts Advocacy Day. The rally will feature dozens of speakers and performers before participants meet with state legislators to build momentum from the 23-24 legislative session with the passage of AB 812, a bill to ensure artists affordable housing in cultural districts; and a budget inclusion of $1million for a multi-agency creative economy task force and strategic plan to lift up the issues facing the sector in 2024 and beyond.

About California for the Arts (CA for the Arts)

California for the Arts is a comprehensive, multidisciplinary advocacy service organization focused on building resources and public awareness of the value and impact of arts, culture and creativity across California.

Summit Press Release: 2024

April is California’s Annual Celebration of Arts, Culture, & Creativity Month 


Art Work is Real Work - Invest in Creative Workers

CA for the Arts is pleased to announce the sixth annual Arts, Culture, & Creativity Month (ACCM). A statewide celebration honoring the intrinsic value of arts, culture, and creativity as not only a public good – transforming communities and individuals –  but also as a driver of prosperity for the California state economy. This year’s thematic focus is “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. 

CA for the Arts is excited to spotlight this month-long spotlight on the arts to raise visibility and awareness of the value that artists, culture bearers, cultural organizations and creative workers generate for Californian’s economy and communities. 

The creative economy contributes $507.4 billion dollars to the state’s Gross Regional Product (GRP) and employs over 1.8 million workers, nearly 7.6% of the state’s workforce. And yet, despite one-time historic investments for relief funding due to the impact of the COVID pandemic on the cultural sector, ongoing arts funding in CA to the state arts agency has remained at stagnant levels since 2018. With only .67 cents per person investment, CA ranks 32nd in the United States for arts funding putting CA behind states such as Florida, New York, and Minnesota.

With 15,000 new jobs on the line for teaching artists in schools as a result of Prop 28, and a one-time now expended $60 million invested in the state arts agency pilot program Creative Corps, embedding artists in communities to provide solutions around California’s Healthy Places Index, it’s a fact that arts workers are beginning to be seen as an essential workforce across government agencies. Continuing on the momentum from the 23-24 legislative session and passage of AB 812 (Boener), allowing up to 10% of affordable housing in cultural districts to be reserved for artists and a budget inclusion of $ 1 million for a multi-agency creative economy task force and strategic plan, CA for the Arts will continue to advocate for policies to support thriving working conditions for artists, culture bearers and creative workers. 

“California must create favorable conditions for artists to live and work here if we want to retain our standing as the leading creative state with 25% of the creative economy workforce. We need policies and investments for good-paying jobs with benefits, worker protections for independent contractors, affordable housing and live-work spaces, healthcare, and much more. It is high time that artists are recognized as an essential workforce and that their contributions to communities are met with the sustained economic security they need to thrive, not just survive,” says Julie Baker, CEO of CA for the Arts.

ACCM programming is also designed to empower arts advocates to take action and to spur greater investments in the arts. In addition to statewide activations including social media campaigns, local proclamations, and programming, ACCM 2024  also includes events in Sacramento.  On April 16, ACCM comes to California’s Capital City with the CA Arts & Culture Summit. On April 17, advocates will meet in the Capitol Park for a press conference and rally before they meet with their legislators. 


Join leaders and practitioners in Sacramento to celebrate, exchange knowledge, and advocate for arts education, arts workers, and the creative economy.

Wednesday, April 17 |  9am Rally followed by Legislator Meetings | FREE

Arts Advocacy Month |  Virtual and In-person DIY legislator meetings throughout April. Learn more.

Join other arts advocates in your community to meet either in-person or virtually with your state representatives throughout the month of April. CA for the Arts will provide the resources and training you need to organize your very own meetings.

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 is a comprehensive, multidisciplinary advocacy service organization focused on building resources and public awareness of the value and impact of arts, culture, and creativity across California.

Press Release: Arts, Culture, & Creativity Month 2024

Admission to an art museum in the US might set you back $15 or $25 or nothing at all, depending on where and who you are. But a new study that sets out to measure the societal value of museums in monetary terms estimates that a single visit will pay dividends many times over in benefits to your well-being, equivalent to more than $900 per adult visitor.

Eleven medium to large US art museums participated in the study, conducted by the Oregon-based Institute for Learning Innovation, including the Barnes Foundation; Cleveland Museum of Art; Denver Art Museum; Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens; Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; Milwaukee Art Museum; Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art; New Orleans Museum of Art; Oakland Museum of California; Saint Louis Art Museum and Walters Art Museum. The findings were presented at the American Alliance of Museums (AAM) annual conference in Denver last month.

US Art Museums Generate $52 Billion in Well-Being Benefits Annually

We assess communities’ vibrancy through a data-driven approach using data available in all U.S. communities to remove influences of opinion or geographically-limited data on the final results. The vibrancy assessment consists of rubrics covering aspects of supply, demand, and public support for arts and culture.

The results of this analysis are not based on a simple counting exercise that might benefit areas with higher populations or the most arts and cultural institutions. Adjusting values on a per capita basis as well as accounting for differences in costs of living enable this analysis to level the playing field as much as possible. Large cities and small communities alike can showcase their vibrant characteristics compared to all other communities across the country.

2023 Arts Vibrancy Index ranks San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, CA as the #1

The arts have long been recognized for enriching our lives, but they can also play a powerful role in our health. In recent years, a growing body of research suggests that arts-based interventions can help tackle noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) – from cardiovascular diseases to cancer. A new report from WHO/Europe, which builds on the “Learning from the arts” conference held in Budapest, suggests how arts can be integrated into health systems to supplement NCD treatment and prevention. 

“As if the chemotherapy had disappeared for that period”

During the Budapest conference held in December 2022, Christopher Bailey, Arts and Health Lead at WHO, shared his experience of struggling with obesity and cancer. Christopher recalled how the stories he used to share in his personal blog, and plays he wrote for theatre, helped him to get through his fight with cancer, recover from chemotherapy and rethink the way he perceives what being healthy is like.

New WHO Report Shows How Arts Can Help Beat Noncommunicable Diseases

Save The Music’s old tag line was “Music Equals Brainpower.” But how does music improve the mind? How does playing music affect the brain? Is it actually true that playing an instrument makes you smarter?

Amongst musicians, teachers and parents, there is a strong intuitive sense that music education and academic performance are linked. But are there studies on music and learning or music and intelligence? How does music help the brain? How does music help you learn? What music makes you smart?

Here are three very rigorous research pieces and music articles for students on how music helps you learn, plus links and additional resources on music and intelligence if you want to dig in more.

How Does Music Improve The Mind

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Environmental Protection Agency will assign artists to treasured bodies of water in the United States under a new program announced Tuesday at a White House-sponsored conference on exploring ways to use the arts and humanities as another instrument for problem-solving.

Leaders from government, the arts, academia and philanthropy gathered in Washington for “Healing, Bridging, Thriving: A Summit on Arts and Culture in our Communities.” Panel discussions focused on turning to the arts and humanities to solve challenges, from improving health to bridging divides.

The National Endowment for the Arts and the White House Domestic Policy Council hosted the daylong conference, which was the product of a September 2022 executive order from President Joe Biden.

White House-hosted arts summit explores how to incorporate arts and humanities into problem-solving

"Music," said U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, "can, in a matter of seconds, make me feel better." He spoke from the Constitution Center in Washington, D.C., continuing, "I've prescribed a lot of medicines as a doctor over the years. There are few I've seen that have that kind of extraordinary, instantaneous effect."

It was exactly the kind of message organizers of "Healing, Bridging, Thriving," wanted to convey.

The summit was organized by the White House Domestic Policy Council and the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). Policy makers, arts and community leaders, funders and artists attended.

The arts span every facet of life – the White House just hosted a summit about it

Over the past decade, philanthropic leaders and others working for progressive social change have increasingly focused on culture. This growing interest in culture comes from a dual understanding that achieving systemic, lasting change requires a shift on a cultural level—our worldviews, lifestyles, norms, social relations, and values—and that cultural strategies and methods can help catalyze and accelerate change.

Culture and Community Power Building

In case you hadn’t noticed, it’s an election year. So, what does it mean for art and culture? Well the hard truth is, culture never makes the cut. Despite how much we value it, when it comes to elections, people want their leaders to solve crime, fix housing and sort the environment. All incredibly important of course — but we only have to imagine a world without creativity to understand how much it means to us.

Culture matters. So why is it always treated as an optional extra?

Tatyana Kim and her husband Anatoliy O immigrated to Los Angeles from Almaty, Kazakhstan, 12 years ago in pursuit of the Hollywood dream.

When the filmmaking duo first arrived in the United States, they scraped by, living in small rooms and back houses in Pasadena while studying their crafts at L.A.-area arts colleges.

They eventually upgraded to a rent-controlled apartment in Hollywood, where they paid $1,500 a month to share a single bedroom with their infant daughter. At the nearby TCL Chinese Theatre, the couple would eat oatmeal for dinner while waiting in line for movie screenings.

But even that relatively low housing cost was a stretch for independent artists trying to make it in an increasingly challenging industry while taking care of a young child and juggling extra film and commercial producing gigs to pay the bills.

“Let’s just be transparent,” O said. “Most artists who I know are having a day job. That’s the reality of it. There’s no way around it.”

These entertainment workers could barely make rent. A Hollywood housing complex offers relief

The California Arts Council (CAC)  Programs Policy Committee has made their recommendations public in the CAC packet published today in advance of the virtual council meeting on October 25. To read just the committee report, please download here. 

CAC Programs limit the size of eligible groups to organizations with budgets under $3 million

Limiting SLP funding to those organizations with budgets under $1.5 million

Ending the State and Regional Networks as currently configured

Implement three pilot programs: Native American Initiative, Emerging Cultural Districts (10), and a Multicultural Anchor Institutions Project

Forming an advisory group to design a new Touring and Presenting Program in the future.

Integrating the Cultural Pathways Program into Tier 1 of General Operating Support in its next cycle

While this is a committee recommendation, the council has the final vote on programs. This will be a discussion item at the October 25 meeting with a vote on the programs for 2024 grants at the November 17 meeting.

CFTA recommends that you read the packet in advance of the meeting and should you like to make your opinion heard on these recommendations please visit this page to submit written comments or to learn how to make a public comment during the meeting.

We will continue to monitor developments on program recommendations and keep you informed as the council debates and makes their final decisions.

CAC Programs Policy Committee recommends significant changes of long standing programs

Campaign to Voice Opposition to Significant Program Changes at the CAC

First, we want to thank everyone who took the time to sign the letter to the California Arts Council (CAC) urging them to reconsider proposed changes to field-serving programs. You can read more about the issues we took collective action on and the signed letter at our #FundCAarts webpage.

Almost 1,400 advocates signed on and your advocacy worked! The committee released an updated memorandum ahead of their Nov. 17th meeting, and their amended proposals and subsequent discussion at that meeting reflect that the council members are listening and responding to the needs of the field. The Notes from the Field meeting summary provides more details on the CAC deliberations as they design next year’s grant programs.

For those tracking this process, please let us know how proposed changes to CAC grant programs may positively or negatively affect your work or organization. Email our Director of Field Engagement, Tracy Hudak at tracy@californiansforthearts.org

CAA understands difficult decisions need to be made based on the limited funds available to the agency and yet we firmly believe that the CAC, one of the only statewide funders for arts and culture, should remain an agency that serves the entire ecosystem including all regions, all budget size organizations, and all artists and culture bearers across the state. We know that what is most needed now is multi year general operating support. We recommend that instead of offering new programs at this time of the agency’s transition, the council focuses on expanding the general operating support category. 

We look forward to working in partnership with the Council and the arts sector to advocate for increased funding for the agency while also contributing the field’s perspective on best practices for equitable grantmaking and a thorough review of grant guidelines, application and reporting questions and the panel process.

In a letter dated November 21, Speaker of the Assembly Robert Rivas has announced appointments to standing committees. Below are excerpts from the letter that highlight committees we interact with for creative industries advocacy. If you have a strong relationship with any of the newly appointed chairs, live or work in their districts or want to strengthen your strategy to advocate directly, please contact Tracy Hudak, Director of Field Engagement. Tracy@californiansforthearts.org

Arts, Entertainment, Sports, and Tourism 

I have appointed Assemblymember Mike Gipson to replace Assemblymember Sharon Quirk-Silva as Chair of the Assembly Arts, Entertainment, Sports, and Tourism Committee. 

Assemblymember Buffy Wicks will replace Assemblymember Chris Holden as Chair of the Assembly Appropriations Committee.. 

I have appointed Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel to replace Assemblymember Phil Ting as Chair of the Assembly Budget Committee. I have also appointed Assemblymembers Sharon Quirk-Silva and Avelino Valencia to the committee.

I have appointed Assemblymember Isaac Bryan to replace Assemblymember Luz Rivas as Chair of the Assembly Natural Resources Committee. Assemblymember Luz Rivas has been removed from the committee. 

Budget Subcommittee No. 5 on State Administration 

I have appointed Assemblymember Sharon Quirk-Silva as Chair of Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 5 on State Administration. 

Every year, CAA works to influence the California budget process to invest more in artists and the creative workforce. With that, we keep a close eye on state budget forecasting so we understand the climate in which we are operating. Due to state income tax filing extensions until November 16, the outlook for the budget forecast for 2024 - 25 is still unknown. 

However, we do know that in October, according to a report in the Sacramento Bee, “The department projected that, because of an unprecedented six-month extension in the state’s tax filing deadline earlier this year, California would collect $42 billion in October. That figure represented nearly a quarter of this fiscal year’s total projected personal income tax and a third of the corporation tax. But, as of Oct. 25, California collected just $18 billion, according to new disclosures from the agency. Should the revenue collected and tallied by the state in the coming weeks fail to catch up to its forecasts, Newsom and lawmakers will need to fill a wider budget gap than anticipated next year.” Stay tuned for updates as the news continues to unfold.

What’s Next for CAC Advocacy - Partnering and Campaigning for a $20M Increase

We are working in partnership closely with CAC council members and staff to inform each other of the needs of the field and to identify state policy changes that might help improve agency function and better support their work. And we are knowledge-sharing and building coalitions between arts services organizations to better understand their role in strengthening the arts ecosystem. Stay tuned!


But the single biggest difference we can make as advocates is to increase funding levels to the CAC. The state funds the agency at $26M a year, which ranks California 23rd in the nation in per capita state spending on the arts. This low level of investment is not commensurate with the outsized impact that arts, culture and creativity have on our communities and economy. This is why we submitted a Letter to the Governor on [date], urging him to include a $20M increase to that funding in his January budget. CAA will be launching campaigns in the coming months and we will need your help.

The California Arts Council collectively announced today a series of leadership and personnel changes to both staff and Council determined by appointment and election processes that happened throughout the month of December.  

Governor Newsom Announces Appointment for Executive Director of the California Arts Council

Small arts organizations across San Diego, from theater troupes to museums and ballet companies, got a big financial boost Tuesday when the City Council voted unanimously to prioritize increases in arts funding.

Reviving a 2012 pledge called “Penny for the Arts” that has never been honored, the council voted to increase arts spending incrementally — but quickly — to nearly 10 percent of annual hotel tax revenue.

If the 11-year-old pledge had been fulfilled in the budget the council adopted last June, city arts funding this fiscal year would be more than double what it is now — $31.1 million versus $15.3 million.

San Diego Arts Groups Could Get a Big Funding Boost

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