Three Things You Need to Know

by Patricia Frischer

Founder and Coordinator SDVAN

Nuestra Frontera: Our South Bay Families at the Border from June 29 - August 24, Gala on Sat, June 29 from  5:30pm-8:00pm  (reservations required $100.00) at Bonita Museum and Cultural Center: 4355 Bonita Road, Bonita CA. 91902

1.The Arts are alive and well in south and east San Diego counties. After a rough couple of year, James Halliday has brought Arts: A Reason to Survive back to a stable base in National City. Bonita Museum and Cultural Center is thriving under the new management of Wendy Wilson. Gerda Govine and Luis Ituarte  have come back to San Diego to build an arts camp and retreat complex in Jamul.  Lynnette Tessitore has renewed support from the city council as the cultural arts manager in Chula Vista.  Studio C run by Carlos Castrejón has a new show opening in July in El Cajon and is currently showing Street Whispers.

2.  There is a new umbrella organization forming called South County Arts Network (SCAN) that aims to pull together all the arts resources in both east and south county.  This will be a collaboration of top leaders not only to work together to promote events in this region, but to be a united voice for the arts. If you are interested in joining in there is a meeting on July 6 from 10 am to noon at the Bonita Museum and Cultural Center.  

Tiffany Bociek at North Coast Rep from May 29 to June 23 

3.  North County Arts Network (NCAN) was the pilot program for this second southern network. Since 2015, NCAN has created a website with a directory and  a growing Events Calendar with 17,000 visitors and 48,000 visits;  presented the Arts & Economic  Summit in collaboration with the North County Economic Development Council and Americans for the Arts;   Received grants including San Diego County Neighborhood Reinvestment and Community Enhancement; Formed a Steering Committee of arts leaders in North County to establish 501(c)3 status: created a successful arts month called  Open Your hearts to North County Arts and is in the process of creating web hooks for 7 major art orgs to automate calendar entries.

SCAN and NCAN together with an envisioned Central County Arts Network (CCAN) could all come together someday to form a San Diego County Arts Council.  Did you know that we are the only county in the entire state that does not have a County Arts Council? Larry Baza served as executive director of the county of San Diego's Public Arts Advisory Council 20 years ago and he is now the Vice Chairman of the California Arts Council. He would like to see this happen.

At the heart of these goal is collaboration with existing organization. For example the San Diego Regional Coalition for Arts and Culture  (SDRCAC)  is a great advocate for the arts.  I believe as we are making real progress in an authentic way to serve the arts in our county, there is a possibility of a SD county Arts Council if each of these organizations grows and prospers.