At the end of the summer, Governor Newsom singed AB113, revising the 2026 Budget Act. The revisions included line-item augmentations to California Arts Council’s budget, including $4 million to support the Cultural Districts program. We were tremendously encouraged by this progress and grateful to everyone who spoke up.
But this is not the end of the story.
On Friday, October 23 California Arts Council will vote on how the newly allocated funding for the Cultural Districts program will be distributed.
Under the proposed timeline, funds would not be distributed until October 2027, following a peer review process. Even then, if we do receive the full amount available, it would only represent 40% of the initial state investment.
Now is your chance to advocate for the place you call home.
We invite you to join the California Arts Council meeting (see page 175 of meeting packet for the Cultural District item) at 10am on Friday, October 23 via Zoom to provide your comment (call-in options also available) OR you can click this link to submit a written comment for item #12. Written comments may be submitted in advance of the meeting and up until to two business days after the meeting’s end. This form will close for responses at 5pm on Tuesday, October 27.
Here is our suggested public comment:
Hello California Arts Council, my name is [xxx] and I live and/or work in the [Grass Valley-Nevada City or Truckee Cultural District]. I have seen the impact of the Cultural District designation directly benefit the many artists, arts institutions, and downtown businesses that make my hometown come alive. I am here in support of continued funding for the Cultural District program and urge you to move the timeline of funds distribution forward so that the momentum built will not be lost over the coming year. Rural districts have limited access to funds compared to their urban counterparts and this is critical to sustaining the infrastructure that has been established over the last three years.