Expanded Access to Arts and Culture Subcommittee Meeting – April 24, 2026

The Expanded Access to Arts and Culture Subcommittee held its first public meeting on April 24, 2026, at 5:30 PM in City Hall Room 2165. The meeting focused on establishing the subcommittee’s calendar, reviewing proposed changes to the Cycle 3 grant guidelines, and receiving public input. Staff presented a detailed draft of the guidelines and a timeline for community listening sessions and public comment. The subcommittee set a follow-up meeting for April 29, 2026.

Consent Calendar

• The agenda was approved as amended (the calendar attachment under ID 26-483 was moved to be discussed under ID 26-481).
• The absence of Vice Chair Ward was excused unanimously.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Kyle (unscheduled communication) urged the subcommittee to ensure transparency in the application review committee and to clarify definitions of arts and culture, citing past arbitrary definitions by the Fresno Arts Council.
• Omeya (unscheduled communication, representing fiscally sponsored projects) warned that limiting fiscal sponsorship would create barriers to access and potentially lead to lawsuits; she noted her organization had fiscally sponsored 90 projects in Cycle 2 and questioned who would fill that role if caps were imposed.
• Alicia (Art Collective) echoed concerns about fiscal sponsorship caps and requested more advance notice of meetings to build community trust.
• Amy Kitchener (Alliance for California Traditional Arts) urged not limiting fiscal sponsorship, emphasized using local panelists with lived experience, and advocated for a discussion-based review process rather than solely scoring.
• During the hearing, Stephen Wilson (Phil Permani) requested exploring asynchronous application deadlines (e.g., general operating first, then project grants) to better align with fiscal years.
• Johnny submitted a detailed written edit of the draft and stressed the need to avoid a repeat of past bad faith actions; he called for public and recorded ARC sessions, no fiscal sponsor cap, and an on-ramp for emerging organizations to become nonprofits.
• Julia noted the subcommittee lacks working artists and urged including them.
• Trisha (Samuel Contrangs) advocated allowing new nonprofits to serve as fiscal sponsors and supported funding projects on university campuses.
• Smiley (Cycle 2 grantee) argued that requiring 501(c)(3) status would exclude the very community the grant aims to serve and questioned the “good standing with the city” requirement.
• Monica Sarna (former panelist) reported that emerging projects were disadvantaged in previous cycles and urged adding more creatives to decision-making bodies; she did not consider compensation necessary for panelists.
• Linda Scambra (Heritage Fresno) promoted a film about preserving local history and encouraged donations for the Warner’s Theater restoration.
• Christine Parker noted the online comment portal lacks editing capability and raised concerns about excluding faith-based organizations (e.g., Buddhist temples, mosques) that serve cultural communities.
• Aaron Bird (Arts in Richland for All) supported removing the 30/60/90 award model (replacing with 100% funding up to available funds), asked for clarity on training and vetting of fiscal sponsors, and advocated for separating legacy and emerging organizations in funding tracks.
• OECR (online) urged creative outreach (physical flyers, not just social media) and called for Commissioner Laura Ward to recuse herself due to past affiliations with the Fresno Arts Council; he opposed requiring 501(c)(3) status and argued that marginalized voices need compensated panel positions.
• Amy Kitchener (second comment) recommended applicants choose either general operating or project support, not both, to spread funds more equitably; she strongly discouraged a purely scoring-based review process and asked for at least eight weeks between grant announcement and eligibility deadline.
• Yolanda Randall (West Fresno Family Resource Center) noted her Cycle 2 grant had received no communication about next steps and asked whether Cycle 3 projects would be one or two years.
• Krista Aronda (K-Paints) called for panelists who understand the experience of struggling artists and reiterated that non-501(c)(3) artists should be eligible to apply.

Discussion Items

• ID 26-481: Draft Calendar of Subcommittee Meetings – The subcommittee agreed to meet next on Wednesday, April 29, 2026, at 5:30 PM in a larger room (due to a concurrent commission meeting).
• ID 26-483: Grant Guideline Update & Outreach Overview – Staff (Sarah Gaytan) presented the timeline for community listening sessions: April 22 (5:30–7:30 PM at Ted C. Wills), April 25 (1–3 PM at Maxie L. Parks Community Center), and April 28 (5:30–7:30 PM at Mosqueda Community Center). A public comment portal opens April 16 and closes April 30 at 3 PM. Listening sessions will include in-person and Zoom options with interpretation and recording. Commissioners questioned whether the timeline is adjustable; staff confirmed the notice of funding opportunity must be released by June 30, 2026, with no flexibility.
• ID 26-484: Cycle 3 Grant Guideline Review – Staff (Shelby McNabb) walked through the draft guidelines page by page, highlighting proposed changes:
  • Centralized guidelines into one document.
  • Total available funding: $6.4 million.
  • Proposed to replace the letter of intent with an eligibility screening form.
  • Discussion points: whether applicants can apply for both project and general operating support; limits on number of proposals per applicant; distinction between emerging and established organizations; fiscal sponsorship caps; eligibility of food expenses, construction for facility upgrades, and technical assistance for forming nonprofits; equipment purchase rules; ineligibility of faith-based and political organizations (legal opinion pending); minimum award thresholds; payment terms (90/10 vs. quarterly vs. risk-based); appeals process; and composition of the Application Review Committee (ARC) – proposed 20–25 members with representation of Fresno’s demographics, including two from outside the city to handle recusals, which drew commissioner concerns about excluding local expertise.
  • Staff committed to logging all public comments and responding to every one.

Key Outcomes

• The subcommittee approved the amended agenda and excused the vice chair’s absence.
• The next subcommittee meeting was scheduled for April 29, 2026, at 5:30 PM.
• Public comment period on the draft guidelines remains open until April 30, 2026, at 3:00 PM via the online portal; written comments may also be submitted to ExpandedArts@fresno.gov (24-hour advance notice required).
• No formal decisions were made on the guideline content; staff will incorporate feedback from this meeting, listening sessions, and the portal into a revised draft to be presented to the Parks, Recreation, and Arts Commission (PRAC) on May 18, 2026, with a goal of final council approval by June 25, 2026, and release of the Notice of Funding Opportunity by June 30, 2026.
• The meeting was adjourned at 8:06 PM in memory of Dr. Brent Santa Buda, a former PRAC commissioner.