2019 Highlights & Accomplishments!

WHAT WE DO

As the only comprehensive arts advocacy organization for the state, Californians for the Arts and our partner lobbying organization, California Arts Advocates, our primary mission is to increase funding for the arts in order to see arts accessible for every Californian. 

Californians for the Arts (CFTA) builds statewide advocacy programs for the arts including Arts, Culture & Creativity Month in April. We partner, support and build coalition with statewide arts organizations and artists, monitor legislation and budget allocations, bring California perspectives to national arts advocacy by serving as the group selected by Americans for the Arts to lead the state’s delegation to the annual Arts Advocacy Day in Washington, DC and by serving on AFTA’s State Arts Action Network (SAAN), an alliance of statewide advocacy groups. 

 CFTA also serves as the California advocacy link to the Western States Arts Federation (WESTAF), representing California at WESTAF’s convenings. Additionally, CFTA serves on the Policy Committee of California Alliance for Arts Education (CAAE), helping to steer CAAE’s strategic direction and coordinating efforts between the two organizations. CFTA builds public will for the arts and engages arts leaders, artists, citizens and elected officials in support of this issue.

2019 HIGHLIGHTS

In October of 2018, we hired our first Executive Director, Julie Baker, and we’ve never been busier!

Arts, Culture & Creativity Month (ACCM), Senate Concurrent resolution (SCR 33) declares every April in California to be Arts, Culture & Creativity Month (ACCM) to recognize and celebrate the significant impact the arts have in California.

ADVOCACY

 Public Funding: California Receives Largest Increase in State Arts Budget in 20 Years

We were delighted to see our advocacy efforts pay off when in early July, Governor Newsom signed the 19-20 budget to include an ongoing $10 million increase in the general fund to the California Arts Council. This represents an increase in state funding for the arts from $16 million to $26 million, the largest increase in funding since 1999! 

Recently the CAC, California’s State Arts Agency, announced it has made its largest investment in grants in nearly two decades, after a 12 year period in which the entire funding for the agency was only $1 million statewide! This did not come about by accident—

CFTA has worked very hard for the past six years, aggressively advocating for funds from the Governor and Legislature.

LEGISLATION

Our work is also focused on legislation that serves artists and arts organizations.
This last legislative session we worked on:

• SB 748: CA Youth Poet Laureate SUPPORT/ADOPTED

•  SB 736: Creative Economy Incentive Act, CFTA ED served on Stakeholder group/Held in committee

• AB 398: VAPA standards, SUPPORT/held in committee

• AB 5: SUPPORT/ but with exemptions: Procured Exemption for "Fine Artists”

We will continue to work on educating the legislature about the impact of AB5 on our industry as they develop technical corrections to the bill and will be offering multiple workshops and a webinar on how to implement the changes to be in compliance with the Dynamex Decision and AB5.

PROGRAM

 Produced Arts Advocacy Day, Sacramento, CA, April 23, 2019

•  Registered over 250 Delegates.

• Conducted 76 legislative visits (over 65% of the legislature).

• Organized a rally with 36 presenters, live performances and inspiring speakers with twelve Elected Officials including Speaker of the Assembly Anthony Rendon and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond and seventeen artists including 2 Poets Laureate, high school thespians, filmmakers, dancers, East-Indian singer, Land recognition and more artists performing live.

• Gathered and shared Arts Impacts stories from Arts Leaders and community members on arts education, affordable housing, art and aging, homelessness, corrections, mental health, social peer support, public safety, arts and health.

Launched Inaugural Arts, Culture & Creativity Month (ACCM)

•  Presented 11 free advocacy trainings across the state and a free webinar.

• Received 335 Press mentions & media shares 750 Unincorporated cities engaged online.

•  Eight proclamations across the State

• Ten Op-Eds across the State

• Hundreds of events labeled ACCM

• Over 16,500 reached on FB/close to 300 new Instagram Followers

• 35 impact stories submitted and shared in a blog

Communication Platform – Educating the Field

• Produced monthly newsletters alerting the field to critical issues, and action alerts, state and national issues. 

• Shared valuable content on social media platforms: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram.

• Speaking Engagements at: Arts For LA, State of the Arts Summit; California Lawyers for the Arts annual conference; Americans for the Arts annual conference.

In 2020, we will announce an Arts Impact Summit April 13-14, Arts Advocacy Day on April 15, and overall increased programming for  Arts, Culture & Creativity Month including a Virtual Advocacy Day which will be held throughout the state. 

Together we can bring arts and culture to everyone in California. 

Please make your donation today!

2019: A Year In Pictures