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<br />As David Byrne poignantly wrote in his publication How Music Works, "Opera halls, ballets, and large art <br />museums receive more funding... than do popular art and what might be considered popular music venues. This <br />is because of the edifying value ascribed to such institutions by people of a privileged economic and social <br />class..." <br /> <br />Case in point is that Santa Ana has the budget to offer a subsidy to the Bowers Museum of over $1.6M for <br />2023/2024 (as it rightfully should), however disproportionately 4x the amount allocated to all grassroots arts <br />organizations combined. An avid art seeker will most likely only attend Bowers once a year. That same person <br />will likely participate in their local art resources monthly or even weekly. Conservatively estimating, small <br />organizations are getting 12x the participation rates for a quarter of the funding support. <br /> <br />Museums are undoubtedly an important hub for art and Santa Ana clearly values their contributions. However, <br />locally run arts organizations are vital to a city's culture and have the potential of reaching more people on a <br />regular basis. Especially organizations that empower residents of the city to participate directly in the arts, <br />versus just being a spectator. I'm asking for Santa Ana to value impact over prestige. <br /> <br />Sincerely, <br /> <br />Bryan Chang <br /> <br />-- <br />Bryan Chang :: Founder & Executive Director :: Dance Music Initiative, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit :: EIN 81- <br />1315116 :: 909-210-3464 :: www.dancemusicinitiative.org <br /> <br />2 <br />