Sacramento Arts, Culture, and Creative Economy Commission Meeting - March 11, 2024
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Sacramento Arts, Culture, and Creative Economy Commission Meeting - March 11, 2024
The Sacramento Arts, Culture, and Creative Economy Commission met on Monday, March 11, 2024, from 1:02 PM to 2:44 PM at City Hall (915 I Street). The meeting covered routine approvals, an update on a student art exhibition, the Draft Parks Plan 2040, approval of a $250,000 ARPA Arts Journalism Grant, and a discussion on improving the creative climate in response to community concerns about the organization Wide Open Walls.
Consent Calendar
- Item 1: Approved the minutes of February 12, 2024. (Passed unanimously.)
- Item 2: Approved the 2023 Commission Annual Report and forwarded it to the Personal & Public Employees (P&PE) Committee. (Passed unanimously.)
- The commission also welcomed new youth Commissioner America Ramirez Lomeli.
Public Comments & Testimony
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On Item 5 (ARPA Arts Journalism Grant): Hannah Ross, a reporter for Solving Sacramento, spoke in support of the grant, stating that arts journalism is vital for democracy and community understanding. She urged the commission to vote yes.
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On Item 6 (Improving the Climate for Creative Vitality): Ten members of the public provided testimony, the majority raising concerns about Wide Open Walls (WOW). Key speakers and their positions included:
- Daniel James Tyree (local photographer) alleged artist exploitation and monopolization of opportunities, and called for community standards for organizations benefiting from city funding.
- Jolene Russell (muralist) described exploitation and proposed solutions including pay equity statements and cultural competency training.
- Kathleen (community member) highlighted cultural misrepresentation in the AAPI community and urged accountability for WOW.
- Faith McKinney (Black Artist Foundry) thanked the commission and emphasized the need to invest in established BIPOC cultural organizations like Sojourner Truth African Heritage Museum and Latino Center of Arts and Culture.
- Mariella (District 3 Community Commissioner, Gardenland Northgate Neighborhood Association) noted that similar issues were raised years ago regarding the Northgate mural and stressed the need for enforcement.
- Jaya King pointed to the city budget survey (where arts were the top suggested cut) and called for deeper engagement to show art’s value.
- Jade King and Kabong (artist) shared personal experiences of harm and called for artists of the represented culture to lead projects.
- Multiple speakers demanded transparency, equity in funding, and direct community involvement in cultural projects.
- One speaker noted that Sacramento has 35,000 creatives contributing $928 million to the creative economy.
Discussion Items
Item 3: Upcoming Exhibit – "We Are Who We Are"
Christopher Smith (Center for Sacramento History) and teacher Anna Gutierrez presented a student exhibition created in collaboration with the Office of Arts and Culture. Twenty-three students from American Legion High School (Oak Park) wrote personal essays; nine local artists created visual interpretations. The exhibit runs through April 30, 2024, with a public reception on March 19. The commission received and filed the report.
Item 4: Draft Parks Plan 2040 Public Release
Molivann Phlong (Associate Planner) presented the draft Parks Plan 2040, a 20-year guide for parks, recreation, and community enrichment. The plan was developed through extensive engagement during the COVID-19 pandemic and includes nine key directions such as safety, health equity, youth well-being, and park investment. A bilingual survey found 60% of respondents prefer allocating more funding to neighborhoods with fewer resources. The draft is open for public comment through April 8, 2024. Commissioner Cruz Naranjo expressed support for the inclusion of art in public places and advocated for restoration of South Side Park murals painted by the Royal Chicano Air Force artists.
Item 5: American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Arts Journalism Grant
Melissa Cirone (Grants and Programs Manager) requested approval of a two-year, $250,000 grant to the Solving Sacramento journalism collective to support creative economy recovery through expanded arts coverage. The collective includes seven newsrooms (CapRadio, Sacramento Observer, Sacramento News & Review, etc.). The grant will fund approximately 120 stories per year, listening sessions with artists, and journalist training. Commissioner L. Steven Winlock requested a mid-grant presentation to track progress. Commissioner Cruz Naranjo asked about geographic equity, and staff confirmed a broad, neighborhood-based approach. The motion passed unanimously (9-0, with Commissioners Kira Bautista and Melinda Wilson Ramey absent).
Item 6: Improving the Climate for Creative Vitality
This discussion followed from public concerns raised at the February 12 meeting about Wide Open Walls. Jason Jong and Megan Van Voorhis summarized themes: cultural competence, community engagement, and valuing creative capital. They outlined tools the Office of Arts and Culture can use: training grantees, convening stakeholders, revising grant rubrics to include equity criteria, and investing in community-based organizations. Commissioners discussed the commission’s advisory role and the need to use its influence. Commissioner Cruz Naranjo emphasized that recipients of city support must comply with equity standards, and the commission should ensure compliance. Commissioner Roynell Anderson suggested using the Creative Edge Cultural Plan as a rubric for evaluation. The discussion set the stage for these issues to inform the commission's 2024 work plan.
Key Outcomes
- Consent Calendar: Unanimously approved items 1 and 2.
- Item 3: Received and filed.
- Item 4: Discussed; feedback provided.
- Item 5: Motion passed recommending City Council approve the $250,000 ARPA Arts Journalism Grant to Solving Sacramento. (9 yes, 0 no, 2 absent.)
- Item 6: No vote; commissioners committed to:
- Revisiting the Race and Cultural Equity Statement to include artist pay equity.
- Developing guidelines for fair compensation and cultural competence.
- Using the 2024 work plan to address community feedback and institutionalize equity in grant-making and public art policies.
- Continuing to use the advisory role to advocate for equitable practices in city-funded projects.
- Director’s Report: Megan Van Voorhis announced a projected $66 million city budget deficit for FY2024-25 and community budget meetings on March 13 (Pannell Center) and March 14 (Cluny). She also encouraged engagement in the budget process to demonstrate the value of arts and cultural services.
- Commissioner Announcements: Commissioner Cruz Naranjo announced upcoming events: Sacramento Creative Economy meeting on March 13 at 730 K Street; celebration of life for artist Juanishi Orozco on March 23; and the Rucas Incaruchas female lowrider event on March 24 at the California Auto Museum.
Meeting Transcript
Chair staff is ready when you are. Thank you, Cecy. Good afternoon, everyone. Welcome to the March 11th, 2024 Sacramento Arts, Culture and Creative Commission. The meeting is now called to order. Will the clerk please call the world to establish a quorum? Thank you, Chair. Commissioners, if you can please unmute. Commissioner Smith. Absent. Commissioner Blair. Here. Commissioner Baltista. Absent. Commissioner Naranjo. Here. Commissioner Anderson. Absent. Commissioner Tokolino? Here. Vice Chair Lovulo. Here. Commissioner Winlock. Here. Commissioner Wilson Remy reported that they would be absent today. Commissioner Lomelli. Here. And Chair Enriquez. Here. Thank you. We have a quorum. Thank you, SEC. I'd like to remind members of the public and chambers that if you would like to speak on an agenda item, please turn in a speaker slip when the item begins. You will have two minutes to speak once you are called on. After the first speaker, we will no longer accept speaker slips. And and because uh we have a packed agenda, I really want to um echo the the two-minute requirement. We really want to hear from everyone, and I'm asking folks to be gracious about their time. The clock will be ticking up here and to sort of self-check the the time. Um what we're gonna do today is call up three folks at a time so you'll see who's in the queue. Um and ask would really like you all to just focus on the sailing things you want to say. Sometimes people like to have a setup and a long preamble, but we really want to hear what you have to say. Um and at the two minutes, Cecilia will gently warn you she's just doing her job, but at the two minute mark, if you've not completed your mic, we'll unfortunately be muted. And that's so that we can get to the next person in line and just kindly ask everyone to be gracious of the two-minute time. Uh you all do have everything important to say, and we want to hear from everyone. Thank you. Uh, we'll now proceed to today's agenda. Please rise for the um land acknowledgement. Through the original people of this land, the Nissan uh people, the South Maidu, the Valley, and the Plains Mi Walk, the Pewak Wantam people, and the people of the Wilton Ranch era, Sacramento's only federal recognized tribe. May we acknowledge and honor the native people of who came before us and still walk beside us today on this ancestral lands by choosing to gather today in an active practice of acknowledgement and appreciation for Sacramento's indigenous people, history, contribution, and lives. Thank you.
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