California Arts Council
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The California Arts Council is a state agency headquartered in Sacramento. Its eleven council members are appointed by the Governor and the state Legislature. The agency's mission is to advance California through the arts and creativity.
The California Arts Council was established in 1975 and signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown,[2] who dissolved the existing 15-member California Arts Commission, which had been in existence since 1963.[3]
Contents |
[edit] Role
As a state agency, the California Arts Council encourages widespread public participation in the arts in all areas of the state, helps build strong arts organizations at the local level, assists with the professional development of arts leaders, promotes awareness of the value of the arts, and directly funds arts programs for California citizens, emphasizing arts in education and reaching rural and under-served communities. Arts Council members and staff come from many walks of life and have experience in the arts, creative industries, arts education, community development, state and local government, and the nonprofit and for-profit sectors of California's economy.
Members of the public are welcome to attend the meetings of the California Arts Council to offer support, voice concerns, and share ideas about the arts in California. Meetings are held throughout the state on a rotating basis. Each meeting's agenda is posted on the California Arts Council's website a minimum of ten days prior to the meeting.
The California Arts Council provides valuable information for artists and the public on its website at www.cac.ca.gov. In addition to detailed information about the California Arts Council's various grants and programs, the website includes arts jobs postings, arts news and links to articles of interest, special initiatives such as the California Poet Laureate, descriptions of additional art-related grant opportunities, competitions, festivals around the state, events such as California Arts Day (which occurs on the first Friday of October, which is National Arts & Humanities Month) and Arts Education Month in March, and much more.
Although California dedicates fewer tax dollars per capita to support the arts than any other state or territory of the United States, California has more arts-related businesses and more people employed in the creative industries than any other state. In 2004, the nonprofit arts sector alone provided $5.4 billion in economic activity, supporting more than 160,000 jobs and generating $300 million in local and state revenue.
[edit] Arts License Plate
In 1994, through special legislation, the California Arts Council and the California Department of Motor Vehicles began offering the first specialty license program in the United States to directly benefit the arts. The image on the plate, Coastline, was created by renowned California artist Wayne Thiebaud[1], who retains copyright to the image but gifted its use to the California Arts Council for the production of the Arts License Plate. The license plate is available to California car owners for a modest fee, with the bulk of the proceeds dedicated to the California Arts Council to fund their programs. The funds received from sales of the Arts License Plate represent approximately sixty percent of the arts council's budget each year.
[edit] Current Council Members
- Michael Alexander
- Eunice David, Vice Chair
- Malissa Feruzzi Shriver, Chair
- Adam Hubbard
- Charmaine Jefferson
- Chong-Moon Lee
- Fred Sands
- Karen Skelton
- Susan Steinhauser
- William Turner
[edit] Directors
Each director is appointed by the Governor of California.
- Muriel Johnson (2005-Present)
- Juan Carrillo (2004-2005 Interim Director)
- Barry Hessenius (2000-2004)
- Barbara Pieper (1993-2000)
- Joanne Kozberg (1991-1993)
- Robert Reid (1986-1991)
- Marilyn Ryan (1982-1986)
- Bill Cook (1979-1982)
- Gloriamalia Flores (Perez) (1978-1979 Acting Director)
- Clark Mitze (1976-1978)
- Eloise Smith (1976)
