Making the case for the creative economy, panel discusses funding, education and advocacy
Over one hundred members of Sacramento’s creative community turned out Thursday night for a town hall style forum on creative economy, education, arts advocacy and arts funding. The event was co-hosted at the Atrium, a creative co-working space near Sacramento State University, by Mayor Darrell Steinberg and UpCyclePOP.
The panel largely focused on the need for organized and coordinated advocacy among the creatives in Sacramento and some of the challenges associated with organizing the arts community. Mayor Steinberg stated in his opening remarks, “I want you to think of yourself as fierce advocates, I want you to be fierce and organized in your advocacy, because I will tell you, everyone else is.”
The panel was a first in a series of community conversations the Mayor intends to hold over the next year on various topics important to Sacramento residents. Bill Blake of AMS Planning & Research moderated the panel and was joined by Niva Flor, Interim Chief Giving Officer of the Sacramento Region Community Foundation, Jack Mitchell, Chief Visual and Performing Arts Coordinator for the California Department of Education, and Julie Baker, Executive Director of Californians for the Arts.
“Be powerful and be organized… fill the arts bucket in your elected official’s office… there is a large group of people who care deeply about this issue, and they are going to elect or not elect you if you don’t address this issue. That’s what you need to be doing as advocates.”
In 2018, the City released the Creative Edge Cultural Plan, which offered a road map based on resident feedback and case studies from other cities on how Sacramento could meaningfully invest in the arts and increase the cultural vitality of the region. The plan recommended an investment between $6 million to $8 million dollars a year to reach the goals expressed by the community during the outreach process.
