First, I want to say how important it has been this year to
recognize all the people who may not have gotten as much respect as they
deserve. Inclusion, diversity and equality are not just politically correct
words, but together they bring us together by recognizing that every person
deserves their place in the sun. I am lucky to be a cheerleader for those in
the visual arts. But whatever your interests are, I urge you to be a champion
for those you know and admire.
It has been booming time for government funding.
I am struck by the amount of money that it is pouring into the arts. At first,
I thought it was due to the pandemic and the arts being struck so severely. But
I had another idea. Do you think it is possible that people are gaining confidence
that the arts actually can bring solutions to so many of the current social issues?
Those of us in the arts have always known that arts and culture can go where
others cannot. Still, I am impressed with how much money is being directed our
way, much of which is earmarked for the underserved and for education.
Making sure it is fairly
distributed is another matter. Grass roots organizations are now truly being
recognized for how essential they are, and how collaborative they know they
have to be to survive. Grass roots organizations have always had to be nimble
to survive and excel. Now large organizations like American for the Arts are
going through a transformation process and seems to be jumping on that band
wagon. Just look at the old corporate logo and the new more open logo above
with more emphasis on the arts and less on who is an American.
Here are just some examples sums coming to the
arts:
Federal
Funding: A 15% funding
increase to both the NEA/NEH of $27 million to bring the total to
from the Senate to $207
million. A $26.8 million increase to the Institute of Museum and Library
Services (IMLS). A first-time ever budget allocation of $10 million in the
Department of Defense to support creative art therapy programs at the
National Intrepid Center of Excellence. More than $66 million in direct project
funding, also known as congressional earmarks, was awarded to over 68 arts organizations
across the country. Level funding of $36.5 million was allocated to the
Department of Education’s Assistance for Arts Education programs.
California: California Arts Council is pushing for $1 per capital for
the arts which would bring them from $26M to $40M per year allocation from the
state. Over $600 million was spent so far on pandemic recovery. Cultural
Districts will get $30M plus Art in Parks $25M. There is also $20 in Cultural
Institution relief funding still to come and an upcoming $925,000 for Artist
Fellowships. Biggest news is for art education with the passing of Prop 28 =
$800M for school districts through Create
CA .
Much of this money will trickle down to San Diego!
San Diego and Imperial Counties: $4.5M
for Creative Corp.
Encinitas: $7M Pacific View Art
Center
And you can’t complain about the fact that Women are still
trending in the Visual Arts in San Diego. There are a whole new crop of women taking
important positions in the Visual Arts in our County: Jessica Berlanga
Taylor, new director of UCSD Stuart Collection, Jessica York new Executive Director of
the Mingei, Elizabeth Yang-Heelewell
new EEO of New Children Museum, Felicia Shaw new Executive director of
San Diego Regional Arts and Culture Coalition, Lauren Lockhart new
Executive Director of the La Jolla Historical Society and Gina Lopez new
Chief Executive Officer for California
Center for the Arts Escondido and Christie
Mitchell new executive director of the
Athenaeum Music & Arts Library,
They are joining Women Museum Directors Maria
Mingalone at OMA, Roxana Velásquez at SDMA, Deborah Klochko at MOPA, and Kathryn Kanjo at MCASD. There are so many
women running municipal and sales galleries in the county including Sonya
Sparks at Sparks Gallery, Ellen Speert at PHES Gallery, Karen McGuire
at Cannon Gallery, Alessandra Moctezuma at Mesa College Gallery, Melissa
Inez Walker at Distinction Gallery, Julie Weaverling at Front Porch
Gallery, Lynn Susholtz at Art Produce, Blanca Bergman at Art
Unites, Sandi Cottrell at Art Walk, Jennifer de Poyen at
Space4Art, Julia McMeans at ArtsBusXpress, Wendy Wilson at the
Bonita Museum, Julie Fister at Studio Ace and Dinah Poellnitz
at Hillcrest Country Club. Both Madison
and Adelman Galleries are run by women.
There are women writers in the arts like Julie Dixon
Evans, Lonnie Burstein Hewitt, Lisa Deaderick, and Elizabeth
Rooklidge, plus lots of great curators like Daniella Susella and
Chi Essary and PR agents like Toni Robbin. There are legions of women art
administrator who are working for the SD County cities, and libraries and the
airport like Bonnie Domingos at the Central Library, Giang Myers
at the new County Office of Art and Culture, Lara Bullock at the City of
SD Commission for Arts and Culture and recently appointed curator for
the SD Art Prize. Naimeh Tahna
Woodward runs the Encinitas Friends of the Arts and Collette Murphy does
arts admin at the City of Encinitas. Let’s
not forget Naomi Nussbaum who runs Synergy Arts Foundation, and their sister
non-profit The San Diego Visual Arts Network coordinated by me, Patricia
Frischer.
