The City of San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture is the official arts council for the city of

San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United State ...

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

. The Commission consists of 15 volunteers appointed by the

Mayor of San Diego The mayor of the City of San Diego is the official head and chief executive officer of the U.S. city of San Diego, California. The mayor has the duty to enforce and execute the laws enacted by the San Diego City Council, the legislative branch. ...

, supported by a professional staff. The Commission was established by city ordinance in 1988 as part of Mayor

Maureen O'Connor Maureen O'Connor (born August 7, 1951) is an American lawyer and judge serving as the chief justice of the Ohio Supreme Court. She was elected to the court in 2002, becoming chief justice in 2010. Prior to this, O'Connor served as an associate ...

's "Year of the Arts" proclamation."Milton Fredman, 84; attorney was on arts, civic commissions"
San Diego Union Tribune, June 23, 2005 It serves in an advisory capacity to the mayor,

city council A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, rural counc ...

and city manager on promoting, encouraging and increasing support for the arts and culture institutions of San Diego. The first chairman was Milton "Micky" Fredman. It is the Commission's responsibility to make all recommendations pertaining to arts and culture for city funding to the city council. The Commission makes grants through a competitive application process under two categories: organizational support for nonprofit arts and culture organizations, and support for specific projects. Its funds come from a portion the city's transient occupancy tax as well as from grants from the

California Arts Council The California Arts Council is a state agency based in Sacramento, United States. Its eight council members are appointed by the Governor and the state Legislature. The agency's mission is to advance California through arts, culture and creativit ...

(CAC), the

National Endowment for the Arts The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal ...

, and other sources.

Mission

The City of San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture vitalizes the City by supporting the region's cultural assets, integrating arts and culture into community life and showcasing San Diego as an international tourist destination.

Impact

The Commission believes that arts and cultural organizations and activities promote a better quality of life for local residents. Such activities also play a major role in the tourism industry; 2.7 million visitors in 2007 made their travel decision based primarily on the city's cultural attractions."Arts and Culture: Contributing to San Diego's quality of life and economy"
San Diego Union Tribune, October 5, 2007 Arts and culture also provide employment for the area; the 85 organizations funded by the Commission in 2005 provide more than 4,500 jobs for area residents. In 2009 the Commission funded 76 organizations, which directly stimulated the local economy to the tune of $181 million and attracted 1.46 million arts-and-culture tourists who pumped $750 million into the local economy.Mayor Jerry Sanders: “The future looks bright for San Diego’s arts and culture"
'' San Diego Gay and Lesbian News'', June 15, 2010

References

External links

official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:City Of San Diego Commission For Arts And Culture Arts councils of California Culture of San Diego Organizations based in San Diego Government agencies established in 1988 1988 establishments in California