A California arts funding bill reaches crucial stage

Arts institutions in California need all the money they can get at this point, and a new bill currently making its way through the halls of Sacramento is poised to help.

If it can only make its way out of committee, that is.

AB 700, better known as the Creative Industries & Community Economic Revitalization Act 2010, is designed to funnel 20% of the sales tax from the sale of art and art supplies to the California Arts Council.

The bill is set to go in front of the Assembly Appropriations Committee on Wednesday. As our friends over at the LA Stage Alliance have noted, however, this is the committee that has killed similar bills in the past two years and acts as a gatekeeper to a full Assembly vote.

To encourage committee members to nudge the bill along, the LA Stage Alliance has set up links through which people can e-mail and/or fax their support of the plan to Kevin de Leon, who is chair of the Appropriations committee.

-- David Ng

Photo: The Capitol building in Sacramento. Credit: Los Angeles Times

Comments

[Danielle Brazell]

AB 700 acknowledges the huge economic impact of the arts to California's state economy and re-invests a portion of those dollars back into our creative industry.

It takes just two minutes to your voice count by taking action today.

http://capwiz.com/artsusa/ca/issues/alert/?alertid=13039201&PROCESS=Take+Action

[Lisa Caretto]

AB 700 is an investment in the arts and the creative industries and can revitalize neighborhoods and communities by accomplishing all of the following:

Stimulating the economy
Engaging residents
Drawing tourists
Providing a sense of community
Serving as a gathering place
Encouraging creativity
Creating life-long learning opportunities
Stengthening community partnerships
Promoting the arts
Developing a positive image for the city/county/region/state
Enhancing property values
Capitalizing on local cultural, economic and social assets
Creating jobs

For more information about AB 700, visit http://californiaartsadvocates.org/ab700.html

[Rick Stein, Executive Director, Arts Orange County]

Arts-related businesses depend upon a creative workforce and on a customer base of artists, so it makes perfect sense to allocate a small portion of what those businesses currently generate in tax revenue to be invested in the arts ecology of our state.

That's what Assembly Bill 700 does.

It also helps remedy the disgraceful rank of California in arts funding among the states--50th.

In Orange County, the nonprofit arts organizations alone employ 5,000 and contribute $500,000,000 to the local economy, according to the last economic impact report from the OC Business Committee for the Arts.

Arts funding isn't a handout--it returns many times its investment in tax revenue to the state, economic impact to the local communities, and enriches the lives of all our citizens.

Please communicate your support for AB700 immediately to your Assembly Members and the Governor.

[Dalouge Smith]

In the City of San Diego the non-profit arts sector annually accounts for more than $180 million in direct economic activity, including employment of 6,300 people. This doesn't even count the thousands of vendors, restaurants, and hotels that thrive because of the economic power of arts and culture.

AB 700 will ensure that the arts are an important part of California's economic recovery.

I echo the calls above to contact your assembly member immediately urging him or her to support this bill.

[Michelle Weger]

My two cents on this subject - oh, heck, make it THREE cents. After all, that's what the state of California annually spends per capita on the arts. Paradoxical, isn't it, that a state which relies so heavily on creativity and innovation to attract visitors and to develop and export goods can't find enough change between the metaphorical cushions to keep feeding the engine of our economy for the long term. Continuing indefinitely under these circumstances is risky to the future of the entire state.

[Donald Frazell]

If the arts communicty was so large, important and healthy in California, you would think that there would be no problem getting funding. But most of those in your numbers dont support any, why? Because they are in entertianment, not the arts. Movies and music has little artistic component, they are, in Hollywood anyway, stricktly for show, to amuse and deflect people from dealing with real issues.

Creative art is the opposite, and complementary force, to entertainment. It is a rare thing, and the line between the two was errased long ago, with the rise of Contemporary art. pop art which is truly mass media, to make the viewer feel better about themselves, where art was always to lose oneself in the world, to become one, of mind, body and soul. To find peace, where entertainment values the indivdual, to exhalt him, so the viewer feels bigger and more important than they truly are. The aphrodeisa, if not opiate, of the people. And so we are drugged, and dont know whats what. And so at the mercy of teh marketing forces that seperate one from their money, and body from nature and soul. One is born every minute, every second it appears in California.

And you count porn and pop music in your numbers. people who couldnt give a damn about museums, unless they are given a show. Sorry, art once again stilting numbers to show something that dones exist, now thats Entertainment!

art collegia delenda est

[Christopher Stevens]

With reference to Dalouge Smith's claim that 6300 people in the arts are "employed" in San Diego, does that number include only full time? Contract people? Community theater actors? I worked in the arts in San Diego for 20 years and it's difficult to believe that in any given year, especially this year, there are "6300" people employed in the arts.

[Rick Stein]

Re: Christopher Stevens
I can't speak for San Diego, only the OC, which is roughly the same size. The numbers I cited are from an independent study conducted by Chapman University & the OC Business Committee for the Arts, which have been doing this for many years. I do know that the employment number they calculate does not include contract artists, however I think it includes part-timers.

Re: Donald Frazell
Your confused & confusing comment may convey some accuracy in perception, but not in fact, when it comes to the figures cited. That being said, one of the most frustrating things that artists and arts organizations in California face is the dominance of the film industry--an industry that should be more supportive of the arts ecology of the state since it depends so much upon it. That's not a new observation, but a renewed effort to persuade them that they have much to gain by getting behind the rest of us is something I think is worth pursuing.

[Donald Frazell]

I do have to agree i could have written that more clear, but the truth is still there. Been blogging from The Guardian to Winkleman to LACMA. Its time to take sides, A true culture war is here. between decadent arts and entertainment, controlled by the wealthy for their own amusement and purposes, vs that of mankind, god and nature, where it is about US, not I.

The red vs blue state stuff was a distraction, while each side consolodated their holds. both are based on lies. It is about us, what defines who we are, that binds us unifies us, makes us human. As we integrate into nature, and god.

Its time to take sides. Where do you stand?

art collegia delenda est