Through the Commission, the City invests in San Diego communities through grantmaking, placemaking, accessible arts and cultural experiences, global cultural initiatives, performance spaces, and individual artists/culture bearers. The goal is to enrich every neighborhood through arts, culture, and creativity through each community’s self-determination.

Over the last 37 years, this investment has been disseminated through two core programs, Public Art and Funding. The Public Art Program transforms the human experience of the city’s built environment through public art. The Commission stewards the Civic Art Collection of over 950 objects, integrates art into capital improvement projects, and ensures the inclusion of art or cultural space in private development projects.

The Commission is the largest arts grantmaker in the region and annually awards funds for general operating and project-specific support. These grants are fundamental to the sustainability of many organizations. This general operating support is often the most significant annual grant and the sole multi-year funding to organizations of all sizes. For project support, the City’s grant is routinely awarded over multiple years, also providing continuity for festivals and events such as Pride San Diego and many of San Diego’s film festivals.

Initiatives focus on data collection and field assessments, cultural planning, cultural tourism, creative youth, cultural space, technical assistance for organizations, and training and support for artists, and poet laureateship and municipal photography fellowship programs.

Historically recognized for supporting arts and culture organizations, Commission now focuses on the broader creative sector – including creative industries and individual artists- and community-wide issues where the arts can play an essential role, such as civic engagement and social justice. In 2025, through the Commission the City adopted the Creative City cultural plan, a long-term plan to advance arts, culture and creativity for the benefit of San Diegans as well as the the greater Cali-Baja megaregion.