The San Benito County Arts Council joins California for the Arts to celebrate the eighth annual Arts, Culture, & Creativity Month (ACCM) throughout the state starting April 1. Locally, the Arts Council will be on hand to receive a Proclamation from the County Board of Supervisors at their April 14th meeting, recognizing ACCM and the powerof arts and culture to inspire joy, unite communities, spark creativity in education, beautify spaces and serve as key economic drivers throughout the region.
“We are fortunate to live in a region that is rich with artists and cultural resources, including El Teatro Campesino and The Luna Gallery in San Juan Bautista, Aromas Hills Artisans, San Benito Stage Company, Oriana Chorale, countless emerging and established visual artists and many other creatives. These artists deserve to be celebrated and recognized not just for their talent, but for the real tangible economic and community benefit that they bring to San Benito County,” said Jennifer Laine, Executive Director of the San Benito County Arts Council.
California leads the nation in arts employment, with a creative economy valued at approximately $289 billion—yet arts funding has remained stagnant since 2018. Arts advocates are calling the California Arts Council’s 50th anniversary a landmark moment to renew California’s national leadership and make a meaningful commitment to the communities and workers who sustain it by increasing the agency’s budget to $50m.
The urgency for investment is underscored by the scale of unmet need. In 2025 alone, the California Arts Council received $90 million in eligible grant requests, with only $21 million available to fund, leaving the vast majority without support. In the last 25 years, the state budget has tripled while the CAC’s budget has declined by 63%. Since 2024, $70.5 million in statewide arts cuts have weakened community and economic recovery across California.
The creative economy is not just entertainment—it is a designated strategic growth sector in California’s State Economic Blueprint, with 9 of 13 regional Jobs First plans identifying arts and culture as central to economic development strategy. The sector generates an economic impact of $289 billion, representing 7.5% of California’s GDP and surpassing both agriculture and transportation. For every 100 performing arts jobs, an additional 156 downstream jobs are supported. And as federal policy increasingly restricts how arts organizations can address equity, identity, and inclusion—directly clashing with California
values —state investment has become critical for community-based organizations serving immigrant, LGBTQ+, BIPOC, and rural communities.
This month, the SBC Arts Council will join advocates statewide in celebrating the arts and urging the Governor and Legislature to prioritize policies and investments that support California’s creative workforce, cultural communities, and the broader creative economy. Increasing funding for the California Arts Council to $50 million would represent a historic commitment to the state’s future — and allocating $40 million for the Performing Arts Equitable Payroll Fund (PAEPF) would recommit California to investing in creative jobs and addressing the sector’s deep unmet needs.
About Arts, Culture & Creativity Month In 2019, CA for the Arts successfully led a statewide campaign to declare April as Arts, Culture & Creativity Month (ACCM) through a concurrent resolution passed by the California State Senate. In 2021, an additional resolution recognized artists as Second Responders, acknowledging their critical role in community resilience and recovery.
For resources and information about Arts, Culture, & Creativity Month 2026, visit: www.caforthearts.org/accm-2026