From the Advocate: Art work is Real Work
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. Read More.
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Sacramento nonprofit arts organizations gather to discuss the challenges of filling venue seats
Many businesses were affected by the economic downturn spurred by COVID lockdowns and social-distancing mandates. Especially hard hit were local performing arts organizations including theater, dance and music.
“The nonprofit performing arts sector is facing an existential crisis like never before,” said Julie Baker, CEO of Californians for the Arts. “During COVID, we were the first to close and the last to reopen.” Read More.
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Uber escaped AB5. Theaters didn’t. Now the state is finally helping — a little
California Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed a budget trailer bill allocating an estimated $11.5 million to small performing arts organizations to help them recover from the pandemic and comply with AB5, the 2019 law requiring more workers to be paid as employees instead of independent contractors. Read More.
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Arts & culture funding remains stagnant as CA Budget is signed for 23-24
On June 27, 2023 Governor Gavin Newsom signed the $310 Billion dollar 23-24 budget with Senate Bill 101. While the headlines captured the challenge to balance a $30 billion dollar budget deficit to protect funding for social services and education and negotiations related to infrastructure and clean energy, the arts were largely overlooked in the discussion. California’s arts and culture production drives 7.7% of the state’s economy, producing over $261 billion in direct impact and supporting 742,421 jobs. Read More.
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Funding for Coachella Valley artists is vital; our local partnership helps
Arts, Culture, & Creativity Month (ACCM) is statewide celebration organized by Californians for the Arts and arts advocates across the state to uplift 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 state economy.
What better time to speak of opportunities for prosperity in the Coachella Valley? California Desert Arts Council, along with Inland Empire Community Foundation, Arts Connection – the San Bernardino Arts Council, and Riverside Arts Council have all collaborated with California Arts Council to bring a state-funded, pilot workforce development project to Riverside and San Bernardino counties. Read More.
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Opinion: Here’s why supporting San Diego’s arts and culture organizations is a good investment
Artists and arts and culture organizations struggling financially before the pandemic saw their livelihoods threatened and pushed nearly over the ledge. Read More
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CA Arts and Culture Summit
Californians for the Arts and Create CA are presenting the inaugural CA Arts & Culture Summit today! It's taking place during California’s 5th Annual Arts, Culture & Creativity Month, and Ashley Williams is checking it out!
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Arts industry sees big wins at state level, but still struggling
About a week ago, the statewide arts advocacy organization Californians for the Arts hosted a regional conversation for the North Coast — including Del Norte, Mendocino and Lake counties — at the Morris Graves Museum of Art in Eureka to share successes and hear regional concerns. Julie Baker, CEO of Californians for the Arts, pointed to $600 million invested in arts recovery, $30 million invested in cultural districts and $25 million invested in arts in parks. Read more.
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Can arts education help kids heal from the trauma of the pandemic?
“There has never been a more important and relevant time for the arts,” said Julie Baker, executive director of the California Arts Advocates, “to go to work to heal and provide empathy, hope and joy for a nation divided and recovering from the dual traumas of systemic racism and a global pandemic.”
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Tune In on KSFP 102.5FM to Voices of the Community
KSFP 102.5FM will broadcast on April 23, 2022 at 6pm, April 24 at 7am, and May 1at 7am, the Arts Economy Panel show with featured guests Julie Baker (Californians for the Arts, Executive Director), Ralph Remington (San Francisco Arts Commission), and Jason Blackwell (Yerba Buena Center for the Arts).
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Julie Baker Interview: Celebrating Arts, Culture and Creativity Month in Sacramento
(KTXL) – The arts and all they do to motivate and inspire are some of what we missed most during the height of the pandemic. On Thursday April 7, the city of Sacramento acknowledged and celebrated that with the mayor, declaring April Arts, Culture and Creativity Month. Hopeful Olympic breakdancer and Sacramento raised B-Boy Morris was one of Thursday’s featured performers. Julie Baker, with Californians for the Arts, joined Sonseeahray Tonsall live. Watch recording.
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Amid Omicron Surge, SF Arts Venues Left with Little Guidance or Financial Relief
The omicron surge is hitting San Francisco arts groups, presenters and venues of all sizes just when they were starting to get back on their feet.
“A year ago, people expected to be shut down and they didn’t anticipate revenue when they did their budgets,” says executive director for Californians for the Arts and California Arts Advocates, Julie Baker. “Whereas now people had made budgets anticipating that they were going to have revenue, that they were going to start seeing back-to-business kind of income. And so now all of a sudden, it’s ‘Oh no, I’m not meeting my budget.’” Read more.
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CFTA Board Member Tamaira "Miss Tee" Sandifer named Forbes' The Culture 50 Champions
Our For(bes) The Culture 50 Champions are models of business excellence in their own various industries who also uplift Black and Brown communities through their crafts and philanthropic efforts. Championing the community takes many different forms. But whether it’s being intentional about the hiring process, investment and mentorship practices, driving discussions around access or effecting change through advocacy — we all know it when we see it. Read more.
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Bill Seeking to Improve Pay for a More Diverse CA Arts Workforce Lands on Governor's Desk
If Governor Gavin Newsom signs SB628 into law—he has until Oct. 10 to approve or veto it—it could eventually mean more career opportunities for Californians who might otherwise feel excluded from pursuing arts and culture careers because of financial or other constraints, and allow creative sector employers to employ arts professionals and pay them a living wage.
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The arts in the pandemic saw unprecedented challenges, historic support
The pandemic has hit the arts and culture sector hard. Restrictions on large gatherings meant artists and the institutions that host them had nowhere to perform or present. But with the crisis also came unprecedented financial support, especially from the federal, state and local governments.
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Arts in California Could See a Renaissance Thanks to Huge Influx of State Funding
The devastation wrought by the pandemic has paved the way for a once-in-a-lifetime windfall for the arts in Orange County and throughout California, thanks to a fiscal year state budget for 2021-22 which allocates some $615 million in funds, including more than $120 million in funding for the state’s designated arts agency, the California Arts Council (CAC).
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Federal officials formally announce plans for COVID-19 booster shots/State tightens vaccine proof requirement for large events
State public health officials touted support for the new guidelines from entertainment event giants like Live Nation Entertainment and AEG as well as Californians for the Arts.
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COVID-19: California will require vaccine proof or testing for indoor events with 1,000 people or more
“We are pleased to see the Newsom Administration take proactive steps to support the arts and live events industries to keep audiences, performers and workers safe as we continue to battle the spread of COVID," said Julie Baker, executive director of Californians for the Arts, in a statement.
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Leticia Buckley Joins the Arts Commission
"It is deeply meaningful to me to join a Commission whose members recognize the arts are a catalyst for social and civic change," Buckley said. "I am grateful to Chair Solis for the opportunity to serve the residents of Los Angeles County, working alongside leaders and colleagues I deeply admire and supporting a Department of Arts and Culture that I deeply respect, as we all continue to advocate for increased accessibility, inclusion, equity and representation in the arts, and more arts resources across the region."
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Leticia Buckley Joins L.A. County’s Arts Commission
“I am excited to be reunited and work with Leticia again. She brings an incredible passion for the arts and years of lived experience forming partnerships at the intersection of government, the cultural field, and the LA community. She is a timely addition to the Arts Commission, whose support is invaluable as we strive to reach more people, more deeply, in more diverse ways,” said Kristin Sakoda, Director of the Department of Arts and Culture.
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