November 10, 2025 

The Honorable Gavin Newsom 

Governor, State of California 

1021 O Street, Suite 9000  

Sacramento, CA 95814 

Re: California Arts Council Budget Request 

Dear Governor Newsom,

We urge you to increase the California Arts Council's (CAC) ongoing funding to $50 million. As you know, arts and culture are powerful forces for healing, fostering individual well-being and strengthening community bonds. They are also vital for freedom of expression, a cornerstone of our democracy that faces increasing threats. Furthermore, the economic impact of arts and culture on every community in California is undeniable, generating jobs, stimulating local economies, and attracting tourism.

At its current $21 million in annual local assistance grant funds, California, a state celebrated for its rich cultural diversity and heritage, paradoxically ranks 35th nationally in per capita arts funding. This significant underfunding severely strains our state arts agency. In the most recent grant cycle, the California Arts Council (CAC) faced an overwhelming demand, receiving nearly $90 million in eligible applications with less than $20 million available. This forces appointed council members to make difficult choices among nonprofits, community-based organizations, and individual artists vying for access to extremely limited resources. 

Despite significant growth in state budgets and revenues, the agency's budget has not seen a similar increase in ongoing funding.  In fact, its current funding is lower than it was 25 years ago. To illustrate, the agency's budget in 2000-01 was over $30 million, which, when adjusted for inflation, would be equivalent to $59 million today. 

In 2026, the California Arts Council (CAC) will mark its 50th anniversary. For five decades, the CAC has provided equitable programs and grants, reaching every county in California through a juried grant process. You have a unique opportunity to celebrate this state milestone and leave your legacy as the “Arts Governor” by making a budget proposal to increase ongoing funding to the agency to $50 million. 

The Creative Economy is named as a strategic sector in the State Economic Blueprint and having actively supported the CA Jobs First Initiative, our organizations encouraged the creative sector's regional involvement. Our review of regional reports reveals a consistent demand for greater investment in the arts. Eight of the thirteen regions identify arts and culture as a strategic economic sector, finding that it drives tourism, generates trade, spurs entrepreneurs, builds cross-sector collaboration and provides needed social infrastructure. Plans from North State, Sierra, Kern County, Bay Area, Central Coast, Los Angeles County and Southern Border regions specifically call out that a lack of local, state and federal funding needs to be addressed to move the needle on their strategic goals. Increased investment in the CAC Local Assistance Grants, including the 58 county state local partners (SLP) program, will help ensure that our arts and cultural infrastructure is strengthened and sustained in every region of California. 

Investments in the arts align with your Administration's priorities in several ways. Access to the arts increases social connection and reduces loneliness, which supports your administration's focus on the mental health of young men. Arts participation also aligns with the priorities outlined in the CA Master Plan for Career Education. Given the rapidly changing workforce due to AI, climate change, and other factors, building career pathways grounded in creativity, innovation, and imagination is crucial.

Furthermore, the California Arts Council's signature program, CA Creative Corps, aligns with both workforce development goals and the California Service Corps. This regions-based investment initiative created over 7,000 jobs for artists, addressing civic issues such as climate change, social justice, and public health. Continued investment is warranted for this proven and transformative model, as is the currently unfunded mandate for the cultural districts program (AB 189, 2015-16), an evidence-based model for culturally rooted economic and community development.

Finally, we are excited to see the release of the first CA Creative Economy Strategic plan. This comprehensive plan is poised to serve as a roadmap for fostering growth, innovation, and sustainability within the state's vibrant creative sectors. However, the successful implementation and execution of the plan's recommendations are contingent upon the allocation of sufficient resources and dedicated funding to the agency responsible for its oversight. As the plan states, “Investing in culturally rooted creative infrastructure — especially in under-resourced communities — should be viewed as a public safety intervention, a mental health strategy, and a vehicle for civic belonging. “

California has a unique opportunity to lead by example for the entire United States. By significantly investing in and celebrating our vibrant culture, we can demonstrate how a state can truly champion the arts and unlock their full potential for the benefit of all Californians. We urge you to prioritize increased funding for the arts in California and increase the California Arts Council’s ongoing appropriation to $50 million.

Thank you for your time and consideration of this important matter.

Sincerely,

Julie Baker

CEO, CA Arts Advocates

and Coalition of County Arts Agencies serving as State Local Partners

CC: The Honorable Jesse Gabriel, Chair, Assembly Budget Committee

The Honorable Scott Wiener, Chair, Senate Budget Committee 

The Honorable Speaker Robert Rivas, California State Assembly 

  The Honorable pro Tem Monique Limón, California State Senate

Danielle Brazell, Executive Director, California Arts Council 

The Honorable Christopher M. Ward, Chair, Assembly Arts, 

Entertainment, Sports, and Tourism 

The Honorable Sharon Quirk-Silva, Chair, Assembly Subcommittee 

No. 5 on State Administration 

The Honorable Christopher Cabaldon, Chair, Senate Subcommittee 

No. 4 on State Administration and General Government 

The Honorable Ben Allen, Chair, Joint Committee on the Arts 

Alameda County Arts Commission

Rachel Osajima, Alameda County

Amador County Arts Council

Meghan O’Keefe, Amador County

Arts and Culture Alpine County

January Riddle, Alpine County

Arts and Culture El Dorado

Terry LeMoncheck, El Dorado County

Arts Collaborative of Nevada County

Eliza Tudor, Nevada County

Arts Connection 

Alejandro Gutierrez Chavez, San Bernardino County

Arts Consortium

Ampelio Mejia Perez, Tulare County

Arts Contra Costa County

Jenny Balisle, Contra Costa County

Arts Council for Monterey County

Jacquie Atchison, Monterey County

Arts Council Napa Valley

Chris DeNatale, Napa County

Arts Council of Kern

Jeanette Richardson, Kern County

Arts Council of Mendocino County

Alyssum Wier, Mendocino County

Arts Council of Placer County

Jenny Darlington, Placer County

Arts Council Santa Cruz County

Jim Brown, Santa Cruz County

Arts Orange County

Patrick Brien, Orange County

Calaveras County Arts Council

Kathy Mazzaferro, Calaveras County

City of Sacramento Office of Arts and Culture

Jason Jong, Sacramento County

Colusa County Arts Council

Daniel LoPilato, Colusa County

Creative Sonoma

Tara Thompson, Sonoma County

Del Norte Association for Cultural Awareness

Meghan McLeod, Del Norte County

Fresno Arts Council

Lilia Gonzalez Chavez, Fresno County

Friends of the Arts

Ray Laager, Butte County

Humboldt Arts Council

Jemima Harr, Humboldt County

Inyo Council for the Arts

Sharon Freilich, Inyo County

Lake County Arts Council

Barbara Clark, Lake County

Lassen County Arts Council

Laura Medvin, Lassen County

Madera County Arts Council

Tamar Karkazian, Madera County

Marin Cultural Association

Tracy Bays-Boothe, Marin County

Mariposa County Arts Council

Cara Goger, Mariposa County

Merced County Arts Council

Colton Dennis, Merced County

Modoc County Arts Council

Kristin Chambers, Modoc County

Mono Arts Council

Kristin Reese, Mono County

North County Coalition for the Arts

Alanna Kruger, Imperial County

Plumas County Arts Commission

Christopher Rouse, Plumas County

Riverside Arts Council

Rachael Dzikonski, Riverside County

San Benito County Arts Council

Jennifer Laine, San Benito County

San Francisco Arts Commission

Ralph Remington & Ebon Glenn, San Francisco County

San Luis Obispo County Arts Council

Jordan Chestnut, San Luis Obispo County

San Mateo County Office of Arts and Culture

Aimee Shapiro, San Mateo County

Santa Barbara County Office of Arts and Culture

Sarah York Rubin, Santa Barbara County

Shasta County Arts Council

Nancy Hill, Shasta County

Sierra County Arts Council

Beverly Jordan, Sierra County

Siskiyou County Arts Council

Patricia Lord, Sikiyou County

Solano County Arts Council

Carmen Slack, Solano County

Stanislaus Arts Council

Dominique Johnson, Stanislaus County

Stockton Art League

Jessica Fong, San Joaquin County

Silicon Valley Creates

Alexandra Urbanowski, Santa Clara County

Tehama County Arts Council

Lisa DeFonte, Tehama County

Trinity County Arts Council

Jill Richards, Trinity County

Tuolumne County Arts Alliance

Laurie Livingston, Tuolumne County

Ventura County Arts Council

Craig Rosen, Ventura County

Yolo County Arts Council

Alison Darby, Yolo County

Yuba Sutter Arts

David Read, Yuba Sutter County