Governor Newsom Proposes Arts and Cultural Investments as Part of New Economic Recovery Package

This week, Governor Gavin Newsom submitted his $100 billion California Comeback Plan to the Legislature, a comprehensive recovery package tackling the most persistent challenges facing California. The package includes several proposed investments in arts and cultural projects of the California Arts Council.

"We really believe that what makes California unique and special is our creativity, our innovation," Governor Newsom said. "We have so many extraordinary artists that have struggled over the last year in particular and want to bring that arts back into the public sphere, back into the public space, and that's a big part of this (Clean CA) proposal."

The Governor's proposal, also known as the May Revision, will be reviewed by the legislature in the coming weeks. At the conclusion of the legislative process, a final budget will be signed by Governor Newsom before June 30, 2021. The budget will take effect July 1, 2021. Highlights of the Governor's proposal include:

INVESTMENTS IN THE ARTS

California Arts Council

The California Arts Council's mission is strengthening arts, culture, and creative expression as the tools to cultivate a better California for all. The Arts Council administers grants and programs to support the state's arts and cultural communities through the development of partnerships with the public and private sectors to enhance the cultural, educational, social, and economic growth of California. The Arts Council supports local arts infrastructure and programming statewide through grants, programs, and services. This year, the California Arts Council is prioritizing grant funding to nurture and heal our communities through the arts; keep the doors of our arts and cultural institutions open; protect jobs in the creative field; and to preserve our cultural heritage, our stories, and our culture bearers.

CALIFORNIA CREATIVE CORPS PILOT PROGRAM

The Governor's January Budget included $15 million one-time General Fund ($5 million in 2020-21 and $10 million in 2021-22) to implement the California Creative Corps Pilot Program to fuel positivity and inspire safe and healthy behavior across California's diverse populations through a media, outreach, and engagement campaign to increase vaccine adoption. The May Revision includes a total investment of $60 million one-time General Fund in 2021-22, to be spent over three years, to implement the California Creative Corps Pilot Program. This includes shifting the $5 million proposed in 2020-21 to 2021-22, and increasing the total amount available in 2021-22. This additional investment will allow the Arts Council to expand the media outreach and engagement campaign to include: (1) public health awareness messages to stop the spread of COVID-19; (2) public awareness related to water and energy conservation, and emergency preparedness, relief, and recovery; (3) civic engagement, including election participation; and (4) social justice and community engagement.

CREATIVE YOUTH DEVELOPMENT GRANT PROGRAMS

The Arts Council has several grant programs that support creative youth development through arts education and arts workforce development. These programs include Youth Arts Action, Artists in Schools, Arts Education Exposure, JUMP StArts, and Arts Integration Training. In 2020-21, the Arts Council awarded more than $12 million to 705 grantees in these programs. The May Revision includes $40 million one-time General Fund in 2021-22, to be spent over three years, to support the Arts Council's existing Creative Youth Development programs. The Arts Council will use partnerships between community-based organizations, educators, and local artists to expand participation in these programs statewide.

CLEAN CALIFORNIA

As referenced in the Transportation Chapter, the May Revision includes the new Clean California initiative to clean and beautify the state's transportation network. Among other things, the initiative provides resources to beautify the state highways and local roads with regional art and other projects. The Department of Transportation will collaborate with the Arts Council to distribute funding to artists, schools, and students to install art projects in transportation areas that can serve as gateways to communities and can enhance the character of a community, while creating new safe public space.

View the full May Revision summary at www.ebudget.ca.gov. (Arts Council listing can be found on pages 193-194.)

View the latest announcements from Governor Gavin Newsom at www.gov.ca.gov.