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. Use the following 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.

This year’s ACCM programming and activations are shaped by the theme “Art Work is Real Work.” Artists play an essential role in our daily lives with critical contributions across a variety of impact areas including health, education, housing, climate, youth development, and the economy. Help us amplify the message that artists and creatives are essential to California's well-being and economic prosperity.

Download our resources, amplify our #ArtsWorkisRealWork social media campaign, and sign up for advocacy opportunities across the state with the goal of raising awareness of the need to invest in creative workers and creative solutions. From press conferences, online conversations, to legislative meetings, we invite you to engage with us all month long! 

Become an ACCM Sponsor

ACCM Sponsors are our vital partners in elevating the visibility and impact of ACCM, developing and activating arts advocates, and educating the public and elected officials on the value that arts, culture and creative workers create in our state. With direct reach to over 20,000 engaged arts advocates in the State and networks to hundreds of thousands of arts organizations, creative businesses, arts workers, cultural bearers, elected officials, funders and arts patrons– your sponsorship puts you in front of committed and influential arts, culture and creative industries leaders. 

If you want to reach motivated arts, culture and creative industry enthusiasts and if celebrating the creative workforce aligns with your values, then join us as a sponsor of one or all of our many activities throughout the month of April. Our dynamic suite of programming offers a multitude of opportunities to visibly align your company or organization with Arts, Culture, & Creativity Month. For more information on sponsorship opportunities please contact Nefesha@caforthearts.org.

More Information below on how to be a sponsor in the sponsorship package below:

ACCM 2024 Sponsorship Package

Arts Champion Awards

We are bringing back the Arts Champion award where we recognize state arts and culture policy leaders.

Past Legislative Arts Star Award recipients include:

• 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

*Note: in 2020-21 : No awards were issued