Arts and Culture Center for Encinitas

Conceptual image of a yarn bombed art center by Patricia Frischer

I am not a patient person in general. I like immediate gratification. But some projects are more like life-time dreams. Many of you know, I have been working toward bringing back a San Diego County Arts Council, but some might not know that I have also been waiting for an Arts and Culture Center to come to the City of Encinitas.

Although the entire region of San Diego is important to me, as I age, I want to make sure that my own neighborhood is well served by the arts. That is why I joined the Encinitas Friends of the Arts (EFA) when it first started in 2014. The EFA has a stellar record and this week, after 8 years, we finally got the go ahead to make the Pacific View school property, a stunning site, into that arts and culture center.


It was an unanimous vote from the entire city council which is most gratifying. Our thanks go to Mayor Catherine S. Blakespear and City Council Members Kellie Hinze, Tony Kranz, Joe Mosca and Joy Lyndes. The city which owns the property, will pay for the renovation and be responsible for maintenance, security, staffing and the EFA will help with fundraising and programming along with the city staff and the Encinitas Commission for Arts and Culture.

Imagine a place where seniors pass on skills to the young who in turn help their elders learn about technologies. Where the design of a garden is not only for physical sustenance, but for spiritual joy. Where the discarded trash is given new life. Where diversity is celebrated and healing is non-verbal. Imagine an art center full of these small miracles that bring communities together, defines them, makes them stronger. Imagine such a jewel in the middle of our art district, an ace in the hole for prosperity and growth. This is our vision for the Arts and Culture Center Encinitas as a Center for Innovation through Art.

Having an arts and culture center for Encinitas will define the Cultural life of our community. At the heart of this new development is Art Education for all.  We are prioritizing Communal experiences and Cross sector development with a strong need to encourage Innovation by creating a gathering place for both locals and cultural tourists. We want to activate this much-loved building into a valuable art education resource; 

*Create the economic growth for which the arts are well known.
*Add value to our community by celebrating 500 artists and 90 arts organizations willing to contribute their expertise. 
*Create new jobs for a state-of-the-art facility
*Take advantage of state and national funding for the arts as never before. 

Naimeh Woodward, the president of the EFA says, “The EFA has been a solid partner for the city for over 7 years. In fact, we just renewed our MOU with the City for the next two years and recently agreed to take on the task of promoting cultural tourism including calendar of events for the community.”

The activation of the site which originally cost $10 million, could be anywhere from approx. $4 to $8 million, but Woodward has Assembly Member Tahsa Boener Horvath word to consider matching the City’s funding up to $3.5.  With that sort of backing, other funds should be forthcoming.

There has been lots of controversy and rumors about delays in this activation. But now is the time to do what the arts are best at…bringing a community together to heal and prosper.

Sad, sad, sad

You can read the EFA full vision of the Arts and Culture Center in Encinitas at this link: https://www.sdvisualarts.net/sdvan_new/pdf/ACCVision22.pdf

Gator Aid

 by Patricia Frischer

Alley, happily ever after in all her upcycled glory.

Alley in situ

We walked down our alley and saw the saddest road kill ever. It was a completely squashed and mangled green mess. I took a photo and posted it to some friends. I got so much feedback on the formerly plush creature, that on our walk the next day I brought a body bag.  Beyond believe, there was a pulse. This was an Intensive Care Unit case. Blind and missing a limb, emaciated beyond belief, amazingly, our little alligator had not bled out. 

The following treatments were administered: 

• cataract surgery so our patient can now see
• bionic leg replacement 
• Botox and plastic surgery on various wounds especially the tail and belly 
• reverse liposuction i.e. putting the fat back in
• complete spa treatment including bubble bath, hot rocks and massage, organic dye job i.e. food coloring. 
  
  Alley the Alligator now resides on my car dashboard with a much higher view of the world.

Alley in body bag.

Alley covered in dirt, cobwebs and various unidentifiable crude front

Alley covered in dirt, cobwebs and various unidentifiable crude reverso

Spa treatment begins with a paint brush.

The whole process with music to celebrate the rebirth!

 

 

Alley, wet but clean.

Alley, fluff dried.

 

Alley in all her glory, new eyes, legs and stuffing. 

 

State of the Arts 2022: Hurry up and Slow Down

by Patricia Frischer

I have been pushing to re-form a San Diego County Arts Council since I found out that there used to be one that did not survive. Now, it appears that will happen in my lifetime! The Reimagine Vibrant Communities Through Arts & Culture report has now been made public and is in the hands of the SD County Supervisors. It advises that criteria be set for Commissioners to be chosen and so we are heading in the right direction to bring back an art commission or art council for the county of San Diego.

But perhaps San Diego should not adhere to any existing outline for a county-wide arts and culture commission even if it is deemed “best practice”.  Don’t we need to create a new structure suitable to our own population? San Diego has an arts scene like no other community that I have experienced.  There is no central power structure and I deem that a good thing. A re-formed county arts and culture administration should not rush in to fill that void. In fact, most agree that we can’t see this step as a panacea for all our problems. Let’s manage our expectations and allow time for some creative failure along with much needed aid.

I really applaud that equity will be the cornerstone of that revised organization. And a big part of what needs to be done is not only broadcasting successes, but to also support well intentions experimentation even when not successful. The question is, how do you assure both of those goals will be reached.

When forming any organization, it is essential that all involved have a basic agreement on their shared values and beliefs. So that is a starting place; artistic excellence, accessibility to all, inclusivity for all regions, ethical and professional behavior, enabling and empowering, collaborative and cooperative, seeking economic viability, respectful equity.

Do we need another layer of administration to assure eventually agreed upon objectives, goals and strategies?  My answer is yes, but I don’t see this as an either/or proposition, but one with potential added value. Just like there is a big push for the arts to be help social services, there is also a place for art to simply be that thing that adds immense joy to our lives.

Yes, we have waited a long time for the county to add more to the conversation about the arts. Now we have to hurry up and slow down to get it right.

This year for my State of the Arts report I decided to take a look back at all of the support for the arts that was mentions in our RAWcolumns in 2021. This is just a snapshot and is not every call for applications or every funding report. Can you see some trends?

Jan
Good news for the creative industries and artists from the CA’s $227 billion budget. CA is in good shape financially with a $15 billion projected surplus. Preliminary proposal for creative industries state arts agency includes a one-time $15 million CA Creative Corps pilot program and no decrease overall in ongoing funding for the CA Art Council plus $25 million for Cultural Institutions in grants in the next round of $575 million for small businesses recognizing the disproportionate impact of the shutdown to our sector. It is a great start now its need to get it through the legislature. Arts advocates, be ready, you’ve got more work to do.

Congratulation to the California Arts Council Administrators of Color Fellows and Host Organizations which include Luisa Martínez from the Museum of Us who is a transfronteriza cultural organizer, artist, and educator. Her practice develops from the trans-border context of Tijuana-San Diego, but looks to understand borders, and their imminent destruction, beyond geographical parameters.

Feb
Building on the longstanding partnership between the California Alliance for Arts Education (the Alliance) and Create CA and their shared mission to make sure that a quality arts education is part of every student’s life, they are merging into a new, united organization using the Create CA name. By coming together, they will join the power of Create CA’s dynamic communications and innovative data project with the Alliance’s proven policy and advocacy track record and statewide network supporting districts and counties to provide a full arts education to all students.

March
We all know how bad it is out there for the arts, but here are four links put out by USD research team: 2020 Annual Report: State of Nonprofits and Philanthropy in San Diego, Nonprofit Sector Response for COVID-19 March 2020 , Unprecedented Disruption: COVID-19 Impact on San Diego Nonprofits May 2020, 2020 Culture Shift: Measuring COVID-19 Impact on San Diego Arts and Culture Nonprofits. Nope, we are not going to summarize these for you, but we asked and they did it for us.

Arts Advocacy Week is April 19-23.  Hundreds of advocates will meet (virtually) in Sacramento to illustrate the creative industries and artists impact on our economy and wellbeing, and to meet directly with elected officials to encourage them to support increased public funding for the arts and legislation and policies that are pro-arts, arts education, culture and the creative sector.  We hope you will engage in advocacy and for you to be inspired to participate but you must sign up with Californians for the Arts. Raise your voice for the arts and join us for advocacy week April 19-23 by becoming a delegate. Attend ACCM Virtual Convening – April 27.  The keynote speaker is our own Todd Gloria!

Of the $78 million awarded in the first winter 2021 cycle of the Conrad Prebys Foundation, $8,517,500 was granted to Visual and Performing Arts organization. These grants requested $28,767,500.00, but at least 41 different grants were given out.

California Arts Council is changing the name of its Arts in Corrections to Transformative Arts. This is its prison arts program and the change is in honor of its participants & the possibilities creative expression provides. 

April
A big pat on the back to the Commission for Arts and Culture for their newsletter that is lively and informative about happenings at the commission. They also have a data-driven, interactive map that shows the impact of 160+ partner organizations.

May
Of the 11 San Diego County arts organizations who received a combined $203,000 in grants from the National Endowment for Arts in San Diego only two were for visual arts: Outside the Lens in San Diego, $10,000 and the San Diego State University Foundation’s Prison Arts Collective program, $35,000.

Bonita Museum & Cultural Center (BMCC) will join museums nationwide in the Blue Star Museums initiative, a program that provides free admission to currently-serving U.S. military personnel and their families this summer. The 2021 program begins on Armed Forces Day, Saturday, May 15, 2021, and end on Labor Day, Monday, September 6, 2021. Find the list of participating museums at arts.gov/bluestarmuseums. 

June
The Balboa Art Conservation Center (BACC), welcomes new staff member Andrea “Angie” Chandler as Cultural Strategist, to support the organization's recent shift into Inclusion as its Audience and Engagement Specialist. Chandler has already made an impact in the Southern California region with her project, Culture Mapping: San Diego, a community informed initiative to identify the Black, Indigenous, and People of Color cultural sector and ultimately connect them with much needed resources such as funding and space. Chandler from Brooklyn, New York, most recently served as the Education Manager at the San Diego Museum of Art where she oversaw a department that included a museum art school, adult and youth programming, the museum’s library and more. For more info: Leticia Gomez Franco 619.236.9702.

July
The City of San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture recently announced 174 funding awards for the fiscal year 2022. More than $7.7 million will be distributed to nonprofits that make meaningful impacts in communities and expand access to arts and culture throughout the city. See the award at these two links: Organizational Support Program (OSP) and Creative Communities San Diego (CCSD). P.S. We love seeing the Commissioner Spotlights in the newsletter as this gives us a chance to know more about this select group of citizens supporting the arts in San Diego. Contact them for more info: arts@sandiego.gov

Did you know that the previous federal government promised the arts and culture industry $16 billion in emergency funding? They have received 14,000 applications for a total of $11 billion and as of June 22 have only given out $834 million to 1400 applications. Not only that but each application was 30 to 100 pages long. Does anyone else see a flaw here? Read more from the New York Times.  There is emergency federal, state and county funding for the arts. 

State funding included in the main budget bill has now been signed by the state governor and include an historic investment of over $600 million dollars to arts, culture and live events in California with $128 million to California Arts Council of which $40 million is for Creative Youth Development, $60 million for CA Creative Corps Pilot program and remaining for local assistance programs and staffing. Read more in our summary: California Arts Council Funding Update: July 2021 by Patricia Frischer

The California Arts Council is officially launching  DREAM, the state arts agency’s new arts and culture magazine. The annual publication features voices and stories from across the state, sharing a glimpse into the depth of impact of creativity and cultural expression in a region as large and diverse as California. The premier issue explores what it means to dream, introducing artists and culture bearers from communities throughout the state. Subscribe to DREAM magazine and receive your free copy in the mail, followed by subsequent yearly issues. A digital edition of the magazine, with both English and Spanish versions, is available also for free on the California Arts Council website at www.arts.ca.gov/dream. 

Aug
The Commission of Arts and Culture for the City of San Diego is trying to move mountains of policy to bring in a new era of equality. Led by Jonathon Glus, the executive director, the proposal which still has to be passed the city council, aims to make the grant process easier for small organization with less stringent auditing and more importantly access to money before the project instead of after the fact.  Individual artist or even one-off campaigns, as long as they use non-profit fiscal agents, will now be eligible. Although inclusion will be emphasized, project that serve the city but are located elsewhere will no longer be permitted.  This makes it even more important for communities like Chula Vista, Lemon Grove and Poway to have new funds by bringing back a county wide office of arts and culture. BTW, the City has made a call for fiscal agents to step forward and be pre-approved to offer a choice for these underserved groups.

California Arts Council Round 8, the Nonprofit Cultural Institutions Program, will open on August 27, 2021. If you have already received a CA Relief Grant, you are not eligible to receive another one. ONLY one award per organization/individual/business. For more information, sign up for the FREE webinars to learn more.

Sept
The Carlsbad Arts Commission approved the Fiscal Year 2021-22 Community Arts Grants Funding Plan on Aug. 5, 2021 including 29 arts projects and capacity building projects for local schools and arts organizations taking place in Carlsbad through Aug. 31, 2022. This includes $8461 for North County Arts Network.

In August, the Creative Economy Revitalization Act (CERA) bill was introduced. CERA is a $300 million dollar program that will mitigate creative worker displacement, stimulate local creative workforce growth, strengthen connections for local creative small businesses and networks, create a pipeline for new creative jobs, enrich communities, increase access to culture, and invest in creative workers and local economies harmed by COVID-19. Ask your member of Congress to sign on to H.R. 5019 as a cosponsor to support the creative economy in your community. This is the 21^th century version of the WPA.

Oct
It is time to apply for your City of San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture funding. Organizational Support Program (OSP): Provides general operating support to arts and culture nonprofits and Creative Communities San Diego (CCSD): Provides support for projects in a variety of artistic and cultural forms, from film and video screenings, art exhibitions and performances to festivals and parades (projects produced by organizations that do not hold tax-exempt nonprofit status may be eligible for funding using a fiscal sponsor) RFQ Application Timeline: September 27, 2021 – October 31, 2021. Access all application materials HERE.

Reminder: Non-profit Neighborhood Reinvestment $5000 to $25,000 ($2 million per supervisor) and Community Enhancement ($1 million per supervisor) County Grants $5000 to $40,000 are available from your own district. District 3 is concentrating on green issues, those with disabilities, equity issues, emigrants help, youth resources, but there are still county stimulus grants for small businesses including non-profits who have suffered from the effects of the pandemic. These are all available every month until the money runs out.

We are thrilled to announce California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed SB-628 The Creative Development Workforce Bill introduced by Senator Ben Allen and co-authored by Assembly members Sharon Quirk-Silva and Laura Friedman and Senators Susan Rubio, Josh Newman and sponsored by California Arts Advocates, the lobbying arm of Californians for the Arts and, Arts for LA. Here is a link to the article I wrote on California Creative Corps Pilot Program Development Update A+ Art Blog by Patricia Frischer. I waded through the 217 page document for the Sept 22 California Arts Council meeting to summarize this and it contains a time line for the new program.

Nov
The San Diego Foundation gave a total of $11,094,777 to Arts and Culture this year. Of that over $2 million went to our museums. Orchestas and Symphonies got over $4 milliion but arts education only $193,606. Can anyone else see an lack of balance here?

The California Arts Council (CAC) announced that it has awarded a total of $2.185 million in support of 182 recipients who applied for an inaugural 2021 Individual Artist Fellowship. These are the 13 who were awarded  from San Diego County and mix of performing and visual artists: Victor Orozco Ochoa (muralist), Alyce Smith Cooper (story teller, actor) (Legacy $50,000) Bhavna Mehta, Cat Phillips, Angelica Tolentino, Macedonio Arteaga, Karla Cordero, B. Deaton, Josemar Gonzalez, Anishka Lee-Skorepa (Established $10,000) Dia Bassett, Yasmine Kasem, Maxwell Lofano, (Emerging $5,000). About 75 went to Los Angeles applicants and only 18 and no legacy award for those in San Francisco.  We think perhaps that is partly due to “…themes such as race, diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility…” in the requirements of those applying. San Diego simply does not support enough BIPOC artists so they don’t exist or didn’t know about this award. Remember only 182 out of probably a huge number of applicants even got a cash award.

The County of San Diego Board of Supervisors approved a Regional Film Office presented by Nathan Fletcher. Right now, only the city of San Diego has a Film Office as the SD Commission for Film was abandoned in 2013. The proposal is to negotiate the creation of a Regional Film Office with the City of San Diego and the Port of San Diego, among others in the county.

World Design Organization has announced that the cities of San Diego-Tijuana (USA/Mexico) have been jointly named World Design Capital® 2024 as a result of their commitment to human-centered design and legacy of cross-border collaboration. The theme is HOME,  and the US-Mexico border cities win historic designation to become first binational World Design Capital

Dec
Good news! The Reimagine Vibrant Communities Through Arts & Culture report has now been made public and is in the hands of the SD County Supervisors. It advises that criteria be set for Commissioners to be chosen and so we are heading in the right direction to bring back an art commission or art council for the county of San Diego.

A very nice summary of this year’s accomplishments for the arts comes from the Californians for the Arts: Historic investment of the Arts of $600 million nationally, first state creative workforce act (SB 628), senate resolution of artists as second responders, double amount of CAC California Arts Council funding for 2021 to $12 million, federal venue grants for CA of $1.3 million, guidelines for re-opening. 

SDVAN New Normal Cookbook: Eating Your Art In

To celebrate the kind generosity of our supporters, we have put together THE NEW NORMAL COOKBOOK  for you to  share and enjoy. This is a  is a compilation of recipes contributed by artists in support of San Diego Visual Arts Network.

During these years of the pandemic, many of us have been spending more time in our kitchens. The artists we know embrace the creativity of the culinary arts as well as the visual arts. We are presenting here a set of recipes by local and artist ranging around the world, because the silver lining of the pandemic has been the broadening of our world though the internet.  Often our priorities have been shaken up, but the need to feed and to share is so primal that it is a joy to see the variety of recipes and images included. For the sake of this project, we hope this is a New Normal and that artists and friends continue to share their inspiration. Eat Your Art Out may not be possible but Eat Your Art In is just a click away.

Great thanks go to everyone who contributed to the New Normal Cookbook 2021.  

Bibbi Lee – cook, author, translator of Norwegian texts, gardener – tells us how to shop once every two weeks and still present yummy goodies every day.
Cheryl Tall – ceramic artist, painter, art book creator – baked pears just waiting for the partridge in the tree to celebrate the season.
Deanne Sabeck – glass light and color artist- she is a sweetheart who gives us a savory tart.
Dion Frischer – psychologist, recipe competition winner, grandmother – the absolute best brownie recipe honed over many years.
Irene Abraham – artist, academic, arts commissioner – the perfect hot fudge sundae for the zombie apocalypse.
Irene de Watteville – ceramic surreal, Dadaist artist with a fondness for the absurd – an amuse-bouche as a starter or sweet ending from the most amusing woman we know.
Kira Carrillo Corser – Compassionate artist, photographer, videographer, founder of Post for Peace and Justice – The caterpillar from Alice in Wonderland would be lucky to sit on these mushrooms.
Kitty Morse - cookbook author and recipe demonstrator and lecturer - Moroccan memories of almond, cinnamon custard with pomegranate jewels.
Lonnie Burstein Hewitt – journalist, lyricist, singer, hiker – hot stuff like curry, creamy as butter and healthy as a vegetable can be.
Lori Escalera – street painter, historian, healthy eating advocate - lactose/dairy-free, gluten-free, IBS safe, and absolutely DELICIOUS pancakes.
Marisa Cooper – artist teacher and executive director of COTA (Collaboration of Teaching Artists) gets to the heart of the pandemic with quick relief…wine and popcorn.
Maurice Hewitt – artist, photographer and war veteran – Salmon ramen, not your standard cup of noodles, but a whole new experience.
Naimeh  Woodward – artist, director, Encinitas Friends of the Arts – Eggplant dip making mouths smile and beaks rejoice.
Nancy Atakan – Turkish conceptual artist – pickles are our spice of life.
Naomi Nussbaum – artist, sister board member for San Diego Synergy Arts Network, arts planner – happy anchovies make a delightful Caesar salad.
Patricia Frischer – painter, sculptor, curator, writer, teacher, SDVAN coordinator – Grilled chicken with three different sauces that can be used with a variety of other dishes so you are never bored.
Peter Logan – British kinetic sculptor, giver of large dinner parties – twice-baked souffles so you never need to worry about your timing.
Ralyn Wolfstein - painter, jeweler, dancer, deep sea diver, interior decorator, nine decades of experience -  a recipe created for a charity project to raise funds -  lemonade, ‘cause who doesn’t need a glass and a rocking chair?
Rosemary KimBal – her Zen brushes dance – flip your pear tart, beware the hot syrup and cool any wounds with ice cream.

It is only with your help that SDVAN has thrived over the last 20 years. thank you so much to our 2021 donors for their tax-deductible contributions. You all know by now that this is the time of year that we ask for your support once again. You can do this in so many ways. To make a donation to SDVAN with no cost to you use  SmileAmazon.com and designate SDVAN as your charity of choice. This is especially true on: 

Black Friday  Nov 26th  
Cyber Monday  Nov 29th, 
Artist Sunday,  Nov 28th 
(which is also Museum Store Sunday) 
or  whenever you  buy your holiday gifts.   

Giving Tuesday is  Nov 30,  our once a year  DONATION CAMPAIGN so remember us in your gift giving list and, please forward this message with the FREE Cookbook on to a friend who might want to support San Diego Visual Arts Network.  

We continue with our programs highlighting the best of the best with our SD Art Prize. We have produced a variety of other programs including our ongoing, Business Scholarship for Emerging Artists at Mission Fed Art Walk which enable a free booth and mentoring marketing skills. We give featured event status to hundred of events a year, mention art professionals, art activist and art opportunities in our RAW column and post reports on dozens of art exhibitions in our Picked RAW Peeled blog. We now have an Ongoing Events page and a Virtual Events page besides our Upcoming Events page which also scrolls on our home page.

San Diego Visual Arts has positioned itself to be of optimum support for the visual arts community In 2022. with our. SD View Art Now, smart phone app which pin points local arts events from the San Diego Visual Arts Network calendar on a GPS map identifying the viewers position. . Our calendar is free and accesses the events in our directory of over 2500 visual arts resources. All of these projects are moving San Diego in the right direction for innovative economic growth.

Don't see your name on our  2021 donors list? Please donate now or donate again. 

Selling the Soul

 

Patricia Frischer, Bottomless Budha, Mixed media, 2016

When I was running a gallery in London in the mid 70’s, we put labels on all the work with titles, medium and prices because we were in the business of selling work to people who came into the gallery because they were interested in the art on the walls. The gallery specialized in master drawings from the 20^th century. At the time these were underpriced because the print boom was in full swing and it was more economical to promote a limited edition of 100 prints than one original drawing. We helped people to learn about these artists and tried to get them to trust us to introduce them to some contemporary artist. I put on the first show of Judy Chicago in London. A show of California artists (now all of note like Sam Francis, Roy de Forest, Sam Richardson, Joan Brown, William Whiley) traveled to many of the capitols of Europe with the aid of the American Embassy which actually had a gallery at that time.

There were galleries, also in the West End, which were dealing in very high end art both modern and contemporary. Sometimes there were no labels or prices as they depended on the snobbery of a patron worth cultivating that would know the artists and his/her worth (mainly his at that time!). This was before installation or video art was much of a thing in London. These galleries often made new collectors buy emerging artist before they were allowed to buy what was presented as a limited number of works by the current art stars. (for example: David Hockney, Patrick Caulfield, Peter Blake, Andy Warhol).

Museums were supposed to supply education about the artists at that time but of course, pricing is never mentioned in those august institutions. The world of art marketing and art collecting was pretty much shrouded in mystery.  In the late 70’s I wrote a book on art marketing for artists just to try to help them understand how this world worked. My hope was that they would not be so frustrated once they knew the system that existed then. At the highest end, this system pretty much still exists. But the times have changed dramatically. You can see art on the internet without having to go to a gallery or an international art fair. The marketplace is at once more available and more confusing.

In this anything goes world, you have to make your own aesthetic decisions. This is true not only of the buyers of art, but for the artists as well. There are gallery owners, private dealers, curators, and art critics to guide you, but there are so many types of art out there and so many ways they are being promoted, that you have to hone in on what you like first to start finding those who might advise you. Here are just a few things I am noticing now in San Diego:

1.     The rise of the artist curators. A curator finds a point of view and then gathers artist around a theme, shops the idea to venues and help administer the relation between the venue and the artist. There are a number of professional curators but we are also seeing artists step forward and put on shows that will include their own work as well as others that supports a certain topic. This might be a one off, or a continuing job for an artist capable of bringing these skills together.

2.     The new artist rebels. There have always been the bad boys and girls of art, but previously a gallery dealer would be the buffer between them and the buyer and would make decisions about how the work was promoted. The artist might be belligerently pulled out of their own world and paraded on occasion and that was part of the mystique. The new rebel artist calls all the shots. No artist statement, no labels, even confusion about art pricing. You can almost hear them saying, “If you don’t understand my art, it is not for you. Fuck off.” By nature, these artists are unpredictable, but that is the attraction. The work is often challenging, even uncomfortable.

3.     New generation of master artists. These artists have been around the block. They are no longer emerging but are hitting their stride. The work is usually recognizable and they have shown so often that there is a great deal written about the work. Prices are more or less established and, with luck, rising. There is a maturity about the work which might change more slowly or become even more deeply invested in their style and interests. They have gallery representation, maybe even in more than one city and/or have connections with many museums.

4.     Transitioning artists. Once defined as emerging artists, I see these artists more concerned with defining themselves on an ongoing basis. The art world no longer demands a recognizable style, so these artists can search openly for what mediums and themes interest them. Their exhibitions might at first look like a number of different artists are showing. But they are free to explore their interest in a more holistic way.  

So as an art buyer, you can decide if you want a challenge, if you want something to match the couch, if you want to invest in an artist with a proven track record, if you want to follow an artist on the journey of discovery. And this may not be an either/or decision. All of these different artists can make work of excellence and so one of the main responsibilities you have is training your eyes to be discerning. This takes time and is your own journey of discovery.

You can see a series of in depth remote guest interviews with artists from the UCSD 2021/2022 series. The first was Every Ocean Hughes , a transdisciplinary artist and writer.

You can find more information about art collecting on our SmART Collector featured on San Diego Visual Arts Network.

California Creative Corps Pilot Program Development Update

 

California Creative Corps Pilot Program Development Update

Yes. I waded through the 217 page document for the Sept 22 California Arts Council meeting and sat through the delayed agenda item for the California Creative Corps Pilot Program (scheduled time 1:30 pm actually time 2:50 pm. Time spent on this item about 9 minutes.  I have included the relevant information below but what you need to know is that in October 2021 CAC staff will begins recruitment of  California Creative Corps Program Development Community Panel via a survey shared via social media, etc; Council and staff will be invited to reach out through their networks to encourage self-nominations. So watch for that announcement if you want to be involved.

Here is your summary but read the whole section starting on page 155: California Creative Corps Pilot Program Development

The 2021 State Budget included $60 million one-time General Fund for the California Arts Council to implement the California Creative Corps Pilot Program, a media, outreach and engagement campaign designed to increase: (1) public health awareness messages to stop the spread of COVID-19; (2) public awareness related to water and energy conservation, and emergency preparedness, relief, and recovery; (3) civic engagement, including election participation; and (4) social justice and community engagement.

Using all art forms artists will create public messaging to positively advance local community work. Projects will cultivate trust, belonging, community cohesion, and interdependence—particularly in communities that are most impacted.

These are regional messengers that are culturally rooted to advance civic communication and bring resources to a sector that has been disproportionately economically impacted by COVID-19, including artists who are Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) that have experienced the highest rates of unemployment in the arts sector (COVID-19 Pandemic Impact on the Arts, 2021).

Program Design: The CAC will implement a statewide grant program with an accompanying media, outreach, and engagement campaign.

·       This program will include training and technical assistance for grantees to apply for the grants.

·       Grants will provide economic support to artists, ambassadors, and cultural workers.

·       During the pilot, the CAC will welcome opportunities for private sector collaboration.

·       Looking to the future, the evaluation of the pilot’s impact may yield a process for future Creative Corps expansion.

·       The CAC Racial Equity Statement and Decision Support Tool practices will be used publicly for evaluation and data collection.

Grant guideline development will begin with the convening of a California Creative Corps Program Development Community Panel ("Panel") to include artists, culture bearers, creative individuals, and/or arts administrators that represent the priority populations to be engaged; representatives from other state departments and agencies engaged in public health activities; individual artists that are already working at the intersection of arts and  wellness, the environment, election participation, and social justice; and potential funding partners.

CAC staff is drafting a panel application form that will be distributed to Council before the end of this month. We hope the Council will use their networks to encourage the self-nomination of applicants as described above.

Timeline

September - October 2021: CAC staff begins recruitment of Panel via a survey shared via social media, etc; Council and staff will be invited to reach out through their networks to encourage self-nominations.

November - December 2021: Community Program Development Panel convenes to draft program guidelines and to discuss marketing and outreach.

January 15, 2022: Program guidelines and applications are released to the field.

January 15 - February 28, 2022: CAC staff markets the funding opportunity and provides technical assistance to potential applicants. Staff recruits panelists to adjudicate applications.

March 1, 2022: Deadline for all applications.

March - April 2022: CAC staff screens applications for eligibility. Staff facilitates the panel process, including applicant interviews and/or site visits, and identifies administering organizations.

May 1, 2022: Administering organizations are announced and contracts are awarded.

June 1, 2022 - May 31, 2024: Grant activity period. CAC provides ongoing support to administering organizations, particularly through marketing and media engagement of project activities.

May 31, 2023: Interim progress report due from administering organizations.

June - September 2023: Staff conducts interim program evaluation.

June 30, 2024: Final report due from the administering organizations.

July 1, 2024 - October 31, 2024: Staff conducts full pilot program evaluation.

The CAC is in the process of hiring a permanent, full-time researcher to lead a Program Evaluation, Outcomes, and Metrics as noted in the timeline above.  

While the Panel will be engaged in articulating specific, community-based metrics of success, the CAC has already identified the following as measurable outcomes for this program:

Qualitative Outcomes:
● Successful engagement of cross-sector partnerships at the state and municipal levels, and with community-based and grassroots organizations.
● Establishment of ongoing relationships with intergenerational community-recognized leaders to define needs and opportunities, and to develop strategies and infrastructure to respond to them.

Quantitative Outcomes:
● Total number of new communities served (counties and cities not strongly represented in prior CAC grantmaking).
● Total number of administering organizations engaged.
● Total number of artists employed.
● Total number of artists employed who identify as representing systemically marginalized communities (including but not limited to Arab, MENASA (Middle Eastern, North African, South Asian); Asian; Black, African American; California Native American, Indigenous, Tribal; Currently Experiencing Incarceration; Disabled; Elders, Seniors; Latinx, Chicanx; LGBTQIA+; Low Income; Neuro-Divergent; Pacific Islander; People of Color; Rural; Returned Residents, Formerly Incarcerated; Students of Color; Trans and/or Non-Binary People; Immigrants (Documented and/or Undocumented), Refugees, Asylum Seekers, Migrants; Unhoused, Transient; Veterans; or Youth.
● Total number of workforce hours.
● Total number of permanent positions created for artists in state and municipal government departments. 4
● Shift in attitude and readiness of community members to engage in healthy behaviors related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
● Shift in attitude and readiness of community members to engage in behaviors that support water and energy conservation.
● Shift in attitude and readiness of community members to participate in election activities.
● Shift in attitude and readiness of community members to engage in activities that support social justice outcomes.
● Total number of community listening sessions conducted.
● Total number of community listening sessions conducted in languages other than English.
● Total number of marketing and outreach collateral developed and distributed.
● Total number of marketing and outreach collateral developed and distributed in languages other than English.

P.S. While waiting for this topic to come up there was some discussion of the grants that were approved for individual artists. They funded 95 Emerging Applicants (2-4 years) that ranked 5.2+ ($475,000 allocation) 66 Established Applicants (5 to 10 year) that ranked 5.4+ ($660,000 allocation) and 21 Legacy Applicants (over 10 years) that ranked 5.2+ ($1,050,000 allocation) for a total of $2,185,000. This was out of 3108 applications received or only about 6% of the applicants got funding. For future funding they will look into raising the number of years spent by a legacy artist. There is a formal process of appeal online but all appeals and complaints are researched and could be found to be valid or not and then resolved by admin. All of the recipients and even the applicants were listed in this document starting on page 61.