Correspondence - Agenda Item No. 1

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Araiza, Fatima From:Mire Molnar <mire.chantal.molnar@gmail.com> Sent:Tuesday, May To:eComment Subject:Fwd: 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. Mayor and city council, I am writing to you today to make a public comment in support of robust arts funding in our city. I've lived and worked in Santa Ana off and on since I was born, 47 years ago. I am a daughter of an art professor who worked for 30 years at Santa Ana College and I am also an artist and musician. I worked at Memphis at the Santora when it was still on 2nd street and have enjoyed the art, LatinX culture, food and community that the unique downtown area provides. I currently reside in Ward 4, 92704 Santa Ana. When the Santora building was sold and Memphis lost their discounted lease agreement and all of the artists, who had seeded the culture of DTSA for the past 10 years, were all kicked out, I witnessed a rich culture and community vortex be dismantled in front of my eyes. It was very heartbreaking. Remarkably since then DTSA has managed to continue to be a hub for artists and a space for community. Some of my favorite events to go to with my family are Dia Day Los Muertos, PRIDE, Artwalk, Witchwalk (which doesn't happen anymore but was great) and to go see live music on the streets and eat yum street food. I understand that from the City's perspective you are looking to bring in money. And even though some developers may think that all they have to do is rely on city or state subsidies for around 10 years, till the area is up and running with the buzz of gentrification so that then they can move in with fancy restaurants, apartments, hotels etc. But I would argue that once the support for local artists and community is gone, so is the heart and soul of the area and that without that piece, DTSA will turn back into the ghost town that it once was. It's the arts and local community that bring the people who buy the food/drinks/events/rent in the area. So I am asking you today to support the arts in Santa Ana. It is important to locals and it is important to business. Here is a list of requests I'd like the City Council to support: 1. Artists Grants and Event Sponsorships We advocate for the city to fund this at 1 million dollars a year. 2. Artwalk We advocate for the city to fund artwalk directly every year. 3. New and private development 1% funding to be given to the arts budget from every new private development in the city. 1