CORRESPONDENCE - 65D - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

TOMAS J. BENITEZ 4012 East Michigan Avenue Los Angeles CA 90063 tomasjbeniteznn yahoo.com (323) 649-0352 July 7, 2020 Dear Santa Ana City Council Members, The Santa Ana community is rich with cultural heritage and has a thriving arts and artists community that is a gift to the people and the region. Investing in the arts and culture is investing in your local economy, the community, and most importantly, the future of the area. I write to you as a member of the consulting team that drafted the City of Santa Ana Arts and Culture Master Plan. I have watched with pride over the past five years as the City's investment in its local arts community has helped increase the vitality of Santa Ana through increased arts opportunities and professionalism of its artists and arts organization. This has resulted in vibrant public arts events, exhibits and performances while also contributing to Santa Ana's economy by promoting tourism and attracting regional audiences. It has also resulted in increased visibility and recognition of Santa Ana as an arts destination It is my understanding that the 2020-21 budget has eliminated funding for this important program, and I am writing to urge the City to continue its commitment to funding this important program at a critical time for the Santa Ana arts community. As I'm sure you are aware, there is a multiplier effect for public monies invested on the arts which returns 3 times the amount invested through purchases and expenses related to attendance at arts events. To date, Santa Ana has allocated $375,000 towards the Investing in the Artists Grant. By means of this multiplier effect, that investment has generated $1.125 million real dollars that economically benefit both the City of Santa Ana and Santa Ana community as a whole. The Santa Ana Arts Master Plan was created with the input from diverse and numerous segments of the Santa Ana community. The Arts Master Plan holds the dreams and aspirations of that Santa Ana community for the arts future of Santa Ana, and civic funding support is critical to making these recommendations a reality. The reality of public funding for the arts is that public dollars always intersect with money from the private sector to amplify the impact of the City's investment.