Artists and nonprofits urge council to restore CPPS and ACCF funding

A stream of artists and cultural leaders told the City Council on Wednesday that proposed cuts to arts funding would threaten programs that provide jobs, community events and arts education.

"We aren't looking for a penny for the arts today. We are looking for incremental change," Christine Martinez of Arts and Culture San Diego said during public comment, urging the council not to "walk us backwards on our goal." Cara Camden, an artist from District 9, said arts programs "give us hope" and asked the council to reinstate CPPS and ACCF funding. Kim Phillips Pea, an artist and gallery owner, told the council that the arts provide more than cultural value, citing a figure presented to the council that the arts support roughly 36,000 full-time equivalent jobs locally.

Speakers representing theaters, festivals and neighborhood arts coalitions recounted programs that rely on city support, including free lessons, public concerts and festival funding that organizers said bring tourism and economic return. Bill Schneiderwind of the San Diego Junior Theater described the organization that the theater relies on city programs to sustain education services for children.

The comments were part of a broad public-comment period that also included calls to preserve library programs, climate-equity projects and community rec-center funding. Several speakers thanked the council members who have advocated for arts funding and urged colleagues to "keep us flat" rather than cut arts budgets.

Council members did not adopt any action at the hearing; the budget process will continue with a May revise and further committee review.