As the cash-strapped city of San Diego considers slashing its arts funding in next year's budget, County Supervisors Terra Lawson-Remer and Monica Montgomery Steppe today unveiled an initiative to bolster the region's arts and culture scene.
The initiative would invest millions into the arts, especially focused on diverse and underserved communities, the supervisors said.
"Our residents are hungry for these arts programs in so many communities," said Lawson-Remer, chair of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors. "The proposal includes up to $2.75 million in total funding, with $2.25 million in ongoing annual investments, to launch and sustain everything from an artist grant program, to investments in the Black Arts and Culture District, to an artist space grant program and a binational creative economy investment, and artist in residence program."
San Diego isn't the only government entity proposing to roll back arts funding — to the tune of nearly $12 million in Mayor Todd Gloria's proposed Fiscal Year 2027 budget — as grants and other sources from Washington, D.C. begin to dry up.
"Too often our black, brown and immigrant neighborhoods have been overlooked," said Montgomery Steppe, the board's vice chair. "Arts and culture are not optional — they are foundational to a thriving, inclusive San Diego County. Today, we are making the choice to move that vision forward."
Key components of the proposed initiative include:
— Artist Grant Program ($1 million annually): Direct, low-barrier funding for individual artists, prioritizing underserved communities and supporting both emerging and established creatives;
— Artist-in-Residence Program ($250,000 annually): Placement of local artists within county departments to address public challenges through "creative, community-informed" approaches;
— Artist Space Grant Program ($500,000 annually): Expanding access to affordable creative spaces, including county-owned properties for public arts programming;
— Binational Creative Economy Investment ($250,000 annually): Strengthening cross-border arts and cultural collaboration in the San Diego- Baja California region;
— Arts and Cultural District Designation Program: Formal recognition and support for "culturally rich areas" across the county, with a focus on historically underfunded communities;
— Black Arts and Culture District Investment ($500,000 one-time): Supporting infrastructure, programming and economic development in nine blocks within the San Diego community of Encanto.
"Today's investment signals that the county recognizes and values the power of diverse voices across the arts sector," said Gaidi Finnie, executive director of the African American Museum of Fine Arts. "The Black Arts and Culture District stands as a vital hub for cultural expression and creative enterprise, and this investment affirms the county's commitment to advancing arts and culture in an inclusive and meaningful way."
According to the supervisors, the proposal also includes efforts to work with philanthropies, advocate for expanded arts funding and establish the county as a designated Local Arts Agency through the California Arts Council.
"San Diego ART Matters and the broader artist community commend the county's long-overdue historic investment in the arts," said Bob Lehman, executive director of San Diego ART Matters. "This initiative transforms passion into purposeful, strategic action — placing the creative economy at the table of our region's future."
The Board of Supervisors is scheduled to vote on the proposal during its upcoming meeting on May 5.
