SCR158 - Arts, Culture, and Creativity Month and the 50th Anniversary of the California Arts Council.

Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 158 CHAPTER 66 Relative to Arts, Culture, and Creativity Month and the 50th Anniversary of the California Arts Council. [ Filed with Secretary of State May 13, 2026. ] LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST SCR 158, Allen. Arts, Culture, and Creativity Month and the 50th Anniversary of the California Arts Council. This measure would encourage all Californians to support the arts and would recognize April 2026 as a significant time to recognize, appreciate, and celebrate the arts, culture, and creativity of all Californians. This measure would also recognize the 50th anniversary of the California Arts Council, which supports local arts infrastructure and programming statewide through grants, programs, and services. Digest Key Fiscal Committee: NO Bill Text WHEREAS, Arts, Culture, and Creativity Month of April is the eighth annual statewide celebration; and WHEREAS, In 2019, the Legislature adopted Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 33 proclaiming every April as Arts, Culture, and Creativity Month; and WHEREAS, Arts, culture, and creativity are essential drivers of health, hope, and healing within California communities, with critical impacts on economic development and innovation and the social forces necessary to drive progress, build community, educate youth, advance racial justice, and create jobs; and WHEREAS, Exposure to the arts positively impacts health through reducing stress hormones and depression, increasing longevity and cognitive well-being, and fostering interpersonal connection through regular engagement and attendance at cultural events; and WHEREAS, Youth access to arts education and creative programming provides meaningful benefits to hope and perspective, fosters a sense of community and personal fulfillment, and inspires optimism and resilience in the face of challenges; and WHEREAS, Engagement with creative outlets and activities and with cultural experiences provides unique opportunities for healing, offering therapeutic and restorative experiences that enhance well-being, cultivate mental and physical health, and support emotional recovery; and WHEREAS, Retaining and supporting cultural diversity is essential for healthy, equitable, and thriving communities, and access to art is essential to individual health and community well-being by providing access to joyful engagement with arts and providing mental health benefits and improved well-being in each aspect of life; and WHEREAS, Art work is real work, and California employs the highest number of people in creative industries — architecture, entertainment, fashion, media, and publishing — more than any other state in the nation; and WHEREAS, California is now the fourth largest economy in the world with a creative economy that, according to the recently released Otis College Update on the Creative Economy from April 2026, directly accounts for 5 percent of all jobs within the state and another 6 percent across the rest of the state’s economy; and WHEREAS, State support for the arts, arts education, and cultural bearers is crucial in order to achieve equitable access to the arts throughout California, and it is imperative for all California children and youth to have access to arts education and cultural institutions in their schools; and WHEREAS, In a state as diverse as California, the arts serve to give a voice to many communities, spark individual creativity, foster empathy and understanding, spur civic engagement, and serve as a continual source of personal enrichment, inspiration; and WHEREAS, Since its inception in 1976, the California Arts Council has championed the belief that the arts are a public good, essential to the health, vitality, and economic prosperity of our communities and our democracy; and WHEREAS, For five decades, the California Arts Council has served as a powerful catalyst for creativity, investing in thousands of artists, culture bearers, and arts organizations in every corner of the state. This is California For All in action. Artists are the heartbeat of our neighborhoods: they provide the sacred spaces where we gather to reflect, celebrate, and heal. By fostering artistic expression in every form, the California Arts Council ensures that the stories of all Californians — regardless of their background, rehabilitative status, or Zip Code — are not just told, but preserved and honored. The agency has led a legacy of signature programs that have inspired the nation. Truly, as California goes, so goes the country; and WHEREAS, Here, in California, all artists are celebrated, whether they’re emerging, established, or legacy — their experiences represent the best of us. Through the transformative power of poetry, our California Poets Laureate have amplified the beauty and the complexity of the Golden State. Now, the next generation is taking center stage through Poetry Out Loud and our state’s first California Teen Poet Laureate, proving that California’s creative fire is only growing brighter; and WHEREAS, We understand that true power is collaborative. The California Arts Council established the State-Local Partners program to ensure that every one of California’s 58 counties maintains a direct bridge to their state arts agency. This mosaic of expression lives in our neighborhoods, our corridors, our barrios, and our 24 Cultural Districts, which serve as the vibrant heart of our community identitys; and WHEREAS, The arts are a tool for justice. From public health to climate action, initiatives like the California Creative Corps prove that creativity is a vital resource for solving our most existential challenges. These investments have fueled a world-class creative economy, supporting millions of jobs and ensuring California remains a global titan of innovation; now, therefore, be it Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, the Assembly thereof concurring, That the Legislature encourages all Californians to deepen support for arts in our schools and uplift and expand opportunities in our creative workforce; and be it further Resolved, That the Legislature recognizes April 2026 as a significant time to recognize, appreciate, and celebrate the arts, culture, and creativity of all Californians; and be it further Resolved, In this milestone year for the California Arts Council, we honor the visionaries who have shaped our cultural landscape over the last 50 years. Their work drives the innovation that keeps California at the forefront of the global stage. As we look toward the future, we remain fiercely committed to the arts as a fundamental pillar of our collective progress; and be it further Resolved, That the 50th anniversary of the California Arts Council is a moment to celebrate our past while doubling down on our pledge to cultivate a state where creativity can flourish for the next 50 years and beyond. By investing in our creative workforce, we continue to build a California that is more inclusive, more inspired, and more connected; and be it further Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.