The following materials were distributed at the Joint Committee on the Arts legislative informational hearing "Undereducate - Overincarcerate: Can the Arts Help to Turn this Around" on May 3, 2013, at the Clive Davis Theater at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles. The hearing was sponsored by Senator Curren Price, Jr., Chair.

A new data tool from the National Endowment for the Arts demonstrates the impact artists have on the national economy. "Artists represent just 1.4 percent of the labor force, but they have an outsized role as entrepreneurs and innovators who contribute to the vitality of the communities where they live and work," said NEA Acting Chairman Joan Shigekawa. SEE PRESS RELEASE * SEE DATA TOOL

Theatre Bay Area released a new, landmark study this week that examines diversity in the live theatre industry in the five-county San Francisco Bay Area region. SEE PRESS RELEASE * SEE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY * SEE FULL REPORT

Ramón "Chunky" Sánchez, a San Diego artist and former California Arts Council "Artists in Communities" grantee, has received a 2013 National Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts, the nation's highest honor in folk and traditional arts. SEE PRESS RELEASE * SEE SANCHEZ BIO * 2014 NOMINATION FORM

The National Endowment for the Arts announced its 2013 "Big Read" recipients. Seventy-seven organizations received funding nationally, with 13 of them in California.

Arts Program Specialist Rob Lautz will be leaving the California Arts Council to accept a position at the Department of Developmental Services. Rob's last day at the Arts Council will be Friday, June 7, 2013.

Memorial Day Weekend is a time to honor those who give to our country through military service. And it's the launch of the fourth year for the Blue Star Museum initiative, where active duty military and their families receive free admission during summer. Approximately 2,000 museums nationwide now participate, including 140 in California.

The California Arts Council took a stroll through the Capitol hallways this month, and noticed some beautiful artwork from two schools in the state. Turns out the Legislature has a program to show off the best from California K-12 schools. Continue reading for information on how your school could be considered.

This month's issue of Western City magazine -- the official magazine of the League of California Cities -- features a cover story by the California Arts Council's Director discussing the benefits of arts to local economies and communities. SEE ARTICLE * SEE RESOURCE LIST

Missed the legislative informational hearing on Arts in Corrections in Los Angeles on May 3? No problem! The webcast of the hearing featuring speakers from the California Arts Council and others involved in the field (like actor/director Tim Robbins) is available online, as noted by the Los Angeles Times.

Thirteen schools were recognized for their arts education programs when Superintendent of Public Schools Tom Torlakson announced the "Exemplary Arts Program Awards" in early May. This year is the first year that arts education was included as a category for the Exemplary Schools honor. SEE PRESS RELEASE

The California Arts Council is in the process of creating a new Strategic Plan. To gather your ideas, the Arts Council is conducting a "listening tour," a series of meetings to ask for input from interested Californians.  Our last stops are San Diego on June 19, San Jose on June 25 and Costa Mesa on July 25.

Each year the California Department of Education acknowledges exemplary schools in its "Distinguished Schools" program. This year there's a new status included: Arts Education.

The California Arts License Plate, designed by California artist Wayne Thiebaud, first hit the roadways in 1994. Since then sales and renewals of the plate have provided over $20 million for the arts in California -- in addition to creating an iconic California image that has become famous worldwide.