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Araiza, Fatima From:Adriana Yazmin Martinez <a.yazmin.m@gmail.com> Sent:Sunday, May 05, 2024 9:01 To:eComment Subject:Arts Funding-Item 30 Fiscal Year 2024-25 Budget Work Study Session Attention: This email originated from outside of City of Santa Ana. Use caution when opening attachments or links. Greetings Mayor and City Council, I am writing to you today to make a public comment in support of arts funding in our city. As a grantee from an Investing in the Artist Grants, I feel the need to advocate for the city to fund the 1 million dollars a year. The grant I received helped to bring programming to senior citizens, a community that is under served. I also like to remind ya'll, that you have one library in the city. There are few creative outlets and community spaces for residents of Santa Ana to begin with, there needs to be a more robust arts budget in the city. As someone who originally came to the city and got involved with the artists community through Artwalk, I find it essential to fund Artwalk. I hope that it continues to bring folx to the city, but in particular artists who are looking for a place of inspiration and opportunity. In working closely within the community, there are a lot of local young artists who need access to creative workshops and other opportunities that can expose them to the arts world. Access to the art can not only come through private schools in the area, artwalk and these cultural driven events need to continue to be funded. There is already an Arts Culture Master Plan that can be put into action if funding were more available to us. New and private development should help in funding the arts. I am also requesting that the Bowers Museum is reviewed, I was surprised to hear how much funding they have access to. I love the programming they do at the Bowers but with the money they get they should be doing twice as much as they are currently doing. The Arts and Culture Department is lacking in the ability to really help artists and with the lack of funding we are really struggling out here to continue to do the work that needs to be done. I hope you consider my statement and find a better way to fund and support the artist. I appreciate your consideration. -- Adriana Martinez 1