New State Budget Provides More Than $55 Million in One-Time Funding to California Arts Council for Three Initiatives

SACRAMENTO, CA – The more than $300 billion state budget approved by the Legislature and signed by Governor Gavin Newsom last week provides the California Arts Council with $30 million to expand cultural districts and $173,000 in funding for the Poet Laureate and Youth Poet Laureate programs, and includes a new $25 million partnership with the state parks. Specifically, the new money will:

  • Expand and support the state’s California Cultural Districts program. In support of greater equity, diversity, and inclusion, the budget includes $30 million one-time General Fund monies—to be spent over three years—to expand and support California’s Cultural Districts program, which celebrates the geographic and racial diversity of the state. The California Arts Council will also provide technical assistance.
  • Provide outreach and technical assistance for literary arts programs. The budget includes $173,000 for the Arts Council to provide outreach and technical assistance to all 58 counties for literary arts programs, including the Poet Laureate, Youth Poet Laureate, and the Poetry Out Loud programs.
  • Create new California cultural and arts installations for state and local parks. The budget includes a $25 million one-time General Fund appropriation for the California Department of Parks and Recreation to create new California Cultural and Art Installations in the Parks program for state and local parks, in partnership with the California Arts Council. Installations will reflect local cultural heritages, connect the public to natural resources of state and local parks, and provide contemporary experiences to visitors.

“We appreciate the Governor’s and Legislature’s support of the arts,” said Arts Council Chair Lilia Gonzáles-Chávez of Fresno. “This new level of funding will increase the presence of arts in California, especially in traditionally underserved communities.”

“This budget cultivates a dynamic arts ecosystem and promotes greater cultural participation and engagement through the funding of cultural districts, literary arts programs, and the parks,” said Jonathan Moscone, Executive Director of the Arts Council. He noted that the budget contains other potential revenues for arts projects and that the agency “will be poised to carry out other legislative priorities added to the budget.”

Complete details for all fiscal year 2022-23 California Arts Council general fund allocations can be found at this link.  An official press release on the state budget is available at the Office of Governor Newsom’s website.

Media Inquiries:
Mark DeSio
Director of Public Affairs
mark.desio@arts.ca.gov

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The California Arts Council is a state agency with a mission of strengthening arts, culture, and creative expression as the tools to cultivate a better California for all. It supports local arts infrastructure and programming statewide through grants, initiatives, and services. The California Arts Council envisions a California where all people flourish with universal access to and participation in the arts.

Members of the California Arts Council include: Lilia Gonzáles-Chávez, Chair; Consuelo Montoya, Vice Chair; Gerald Clarke, Vicki Estrada, Jodie Evans, Ellen Gavin, Alex Israel, Phil Mercado, and Roxanne Messina Captor. Learn more at www.arts.ca.gov.

The California Arts Council is committed to increasing the accessibility of its online content. For language and accessibility assistance, visit https://arts.ca.gov/about/about-us/language-communications-assistance.

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