California Arts Council

CA Creative Economy Town Hall: San Diego
2026-01-30 08:00 - 17:00 UTC
Gather local insights on the CA Arts Council’s statewide Creative Economy Strategic Report | Inform an addendum with regional perspectives

Last year, a Creative Economy Workgroup (CEW) was convened to respond to a request for a Strategic Plan from the Legislature. Now that the workgroup has completed its meetings and the report is being finalized, the next phase of work is beginning. This includes:

Generating robust feedback and input for an addendum report that will be appended to the strategic plan
Gathering stories about initiatives and innovative practices that are having community and cultural impact
Developing additional tools and resources
“Road Testing” the CEW Strategic Plan Report

We will be holding two in-person town hall listening sessions for the Far South region, including San Diego and Imperial County, taking place in January. The core goal of these is to gather feedback on the CEW report for the addendum and local insights to inform data/tools for field-building in Phase III of creative economy work. Additionally, the intention of this in-person space is to create more partnerships and understanding across sectors in communities to ensure that participants leave with meaningful takeaways and sustainable pathways toward strengthening the creative economy locally.
We will provide materials upon registration to help prep for the town halls–but our goal is to keep this as light a lift as possible while equipping you with the information you need to participate fully. Please don’t hesitate to let us know if you have questions. Coffee and breakfast will be provided.
These town halls are meant to be as inclusive as possible, welcoming many voices with different perspectives. We will also provide opportunities for feedback via a virtual town hall, to take place February 5, as well as a community-wide survey that we hope will reach even more participants in the creative economy.
This event is cohosted by VETART and supported by the City of San Diego Cultural Affairs
Where: San Diego Made Factory
2031 Commercial Street #114
San Diego, CA 92113
When: January 10, 2026
Time: 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/creative-economy-town-hall-listening-session-san-diego-tickets-1677637923189

CA Creative Economy Town Hall: Imperial
2026-01-31 10:30 - 13:30
Gather local insights on the CA Arts Council’s statewide Creative Economy Strategic Report | Inform an addendum with regional perspectives

Last year, a Creative Economy Workgroup (CEW) was convened to respond to a request for a Strategic Plan from the Legislature. Now that the workgroup has completed its meetings and the report is being finalized, the next phase of work is beginning. This includes:

Generating robust feedback and input for an addendum report that will be appended to the strategic plan
Gathering stories about initiatives and innovative practices that are having community and cultural impact
Developing additional tools and resources
“Road Testing” the CEW Strategic Plan Report

We will be holding two in-person town hall listening sessions for the Far South region, including San Diego and Imperial County, taking place in January. The core goal of these is to gather feedback on the CEW report for the addendum and local insights to inform data/tools for field-building in Phase III of creative economy work. Additionally, the intention of this in-person space is to create more partnerships and understanding across sectors in communities to ensure that participants leave with meaningful takeaways and sustainable pathways toward strengthening the creative economy locally.
We will provide materials upon registration to help prep for the town halls–but our goal is to keep this as light a lift as possible while equipping you with the information you need to participate fully. Please don’t hesitate to let us know if you have questions. Coffee and breakfast will be provided.
These town halls are meant to be as inclusive as possible, welcoming many voices with different perspectives. We will also provide opportunities for feedback via a virtual town hall, to take place February 5, as well as a community-wide survey that we hope will reach even more participants in the creative economy.
This event is cohosted by VETART and supported by the City of San Diego Cultural Affairs
Where: Pioneers’ Museum (Imperial County Historical Society)
373 East Aten Road
Imperial, CA 92251
When: January 31, 2026
Time: 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/creative-economy-town-hall-listening-session-imperial-tickets-1680709209489

CA Creative Economy Town Hall: Santa Barbara
2026-02-04 14:00 - 17:30
Gather local insights on the CA Arts Council’s statewide Creative Economy Strategic Report | Inform an addendum with regional perspectives

Last year, a Creative Economy Workgroup (CEW) was convened to respond to a request for a Strategic Plan from the Legislature. Now that the workgroup has completed its meetings and the report is being finalized, the next phase of work is beginning. This includes:

Generating robust feedback and input for an addendum report that will be appended to the strategic plan
Gathering stories about initiatives and innovative practices that are having community and cultural impact
Developing additional tools and resources
“Road Testing” the CEW Strategic Plan Report

We will be holding two in-person town hall listening sessions for the Central Coast region, including San Benito, Santa Cruz, Monterey, SLO, Santa Barbara, and Ventura Counties, taking place in January 2026. The core goal of these is to gather feedback on the CEW report for the addendum and local insights to inform data/tools for field-building in Phase III of creative economy work. Additionally, the intention of this in-person space is to create more partnerships and understanding across sectors in communities to ensure that participants leave with meaningful takeaways and sustainable pathways toward strengthening the creative economy locally.
We will provide materials upon registration to help prep for the town halls–but our goal is to keep this as light a lift as possible while equipping you with the information you need to participate fully. Please don’t hesitate to let us know if you have questions. Light breakfast, coffee, and lunch will be provided.
These town halls are meant to be as inclusive as possible, welcoming many voices with different perspectives. We will also provide opportunities for feedback via a virtual town hall, as well as a community-wide survey that we hope will reach even more participants in the creative economy.
This event is cohosted by Arts Council for Monterey County, Arts Council Santa Cruz County, and San Benito County Arts Council
Where: The Community Arts Workshop
631 Garden Street
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
When: February 4, 2026
Time: 2 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/creative-economy-town-hall-listening-session-central-coast-805-counties-tickets-1680778406459

CA Creative Economy Town Hall: Sacramento
2026-02-04 17:30 - 19:30
CA for the Arts, regional partner for Creative Economies in Action Statewide Engagement Tour, is partnering with the State Local Partner City of Sacramento Office of Arts & Culture, and Memorial Hall to host a convening on the State’s first Creative Economy Strategic Plan.
At this convening, we will share the plan while collecting your feedback and stories that will inform a plan addendum to be submitted to the Governor’s Office and State Legislature in spring 2026. This convening is part of a statewide series introducing the Strategic Plan for Cultural Resilience, Economic Growth, and Global Leadership and gathering community input and stories. Representatives from the Creative Economy Workgroup, the CAC, and local leaders will share updates, followed by Q&A and breakout discussions exploring the plan’s local impact.
Join us to help shape the future of California’s creative economy. Learn more at www.creativeeconomy.arts.ca.gov.
Where: Memorial Hall
1515 J St
Sacramento, CA 95814
When: Wednesday, February 4, 2026
Time: 1 PM – 3 PM
Register: https://secure.everyaction.com/zeYNNU86-kK2VPlDUEhLyA2
