San Diego County is a rich and varied tapestry of 18 cities and numerous unincorporated communities supplying residents and visitors with incredible museums, theaters, galleries, resorts, beaches, world class sports, restaurants and night life, amazing year-round weather, and, according to the Watkins Research Group, one of the most popular destinations for convention and business travel in the country. What does San Diego County have in common with the sparsely populated agricultural counties in the Central Valley – many with populations the size of a small town? Or a county on the Arizona border famous for its sand dunes and 116 degree heat… its population of 150,000 spread over a 1.3 million square miles? The answer is startling: No cultural infrastructure.
San Diego County is one of seven counties in the state that have no county arts councils to support their artists, arts organizations and cities. The others are Alpine, San Bernardino, Imperial, San Joaquin, Glenn and Kings County. This almost makes sense in the other six counties… but San Diego?
Do we want one? Do we need one? What are they and what do they do? Why have Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, Orange County, Riverside and all of the others decided affirmatively on arts councils to support their regional cultural health? What could we learn from them and adopt for ourselves?
A series of Community Forms are ongoing where civic leaders, directors from county arts councils from throughout the state and Art Pulse Executive Director April Game discuss the possible formation of an arts council for San Diego County.
County Arts Council Community Forum locations and dates in 2012!
2011 Arts Council Forums
Chula Vista
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Mangia Italiano Restaurant
6:00pm to 8:00pm
Hosted by the City of Chula Vista and Art Pulse
Event Details and Directions
Solana Beach
Thursday, December 1, 2011
City of Solana Beach Council Chambers
6:00pm to 8:00pm
Hosted by the City of Solana Beach and Art Pulse
Event Details and Directions
El Cajon
Thursday, December 8, 2011
El Cajon Public Library
6:00pm to 8:00pm
Hosted by the City of El Cajon and Art Pulse
Event Details and Directions
Escondido
Thursday, December 15, 2011
California Center for the Arts Museum
6:00pm to 8:00pm
Hosted by Art Pulse
Event Details and Directions
