Above: Supporters at the second annual CA Arts & Culture Summit in Sacramento in April 2024, hosted by Californians for the Arts. Photo courtesy of California Arts Advocates.
California Humanities recognizes the important contribution of the arts to the state of California on a variety of levels, from individual self-expression to enhancing community building and social cohesion, contributing to economic impact, and advancing empathy through the humanities. Continued investment in the arts and humanities is necessary for a thriving democracy.
Earlier this month, Governor Gavin Newsom presented his May Revision proposal for the 2024-25 State Budget which included a mix of pauses, reductions, and spending cuts. With a $27.6 billion dollar deficit in the current year, unfortunately there were major cuts in funding for programs and state agencies related to the work California Humanities does in the arts with the California Arts Council and other arts and culture organizations throughout the state.
The Governor’s proposed $10 million cut to the California Arts Council represents a greater than 38% reduction to its $26 million grants budget, a base level that has not increased in more than 7 years. This proposal would reduce funding to the same level as 1989-1990 without adjusting for inflation, while the general fund has more than doubled. This cut would put California 45th in the United States for per capita funding for the arts. In total, the arts sector was one of the hardest hit as they received proposed budget cuts of up to 58%.
Said Rick Noguchi, President and CEO of California Humanities: “While we understand that difficult decisions with regard to the state budget are necessary, we hope that any cuts to the arts are at parity with decreases to other critical agencies. The arts are crucial to the well-being of California.”
Reducing funds for the California Arts Council would devastatingly impact a sector desperately trying to recover and would impact rural communities, communities of color, and small budget nonprofits. Support from the California Arts Council allows California Humanities to manage the Arts & Humanities track of the Humanities for All Quick Grant program, designed to reach new applicants and increase access to funding for shorter-term projects at smaller state-wide organizations. June 15 is the state’s constitutional deadline to finalize the budget as the new fiscal year begins on July 1.
We join our partners in urging our legislators to continue supporting arts and culture at robust levels through the California Arts Council.
For resources on how to reach out to your local legislators in support of arts funding, visit California for the Arts‘ website.
