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Community Development Agency <br />www.santa-ana.org/community-development <br />Item # 10 <br />City of Santa Ana <br />20 Civic Center Plaza, Santa Ana, CA 92701 <br /> Staff Report <br />September 17, 2024 <br />TOPIC: DTSA First Saturday ArtWalk <br />AGENDA TITLE <br />Donation Agreement with The Frida Cinema to Sponsor the DTSA First Saturday <br />ArtWalk (General Fund) <br />RECOMMENDED ACTION <br />Authorize the City Manager to execute a Donation Agreement with The Frida Cinema to <br />sponsor the Downtown Santa Ana (DTSA) First Saturday ArtWalk for a one-year term <br />beginning October 1, 2024 and ending September 31, 2025, in an amount not to exceed <br />$150,000 (Agreement No. A-2024-XXX). <br />GOVERNMENT CODE §84308 APPLIES: Yes <br />DISCUSSION <br />The Downtown Santa Ana ArtWalk began in the 1990s as a collaboration among local <br />artists and galleries in the City of Santa Ana (“City”). Over the years, management of <br />the event has shifted from being artist-led by Grand Central Arts Center to the Business <br />Improvement District (BID) business association Downtown Inc. Since January 2023, <br />The Frida Cinema, a local nonprofit organization, has taken over its management. They <br />have revitalized the ArtWalk, rebranding it as the “DTSA First Saturday ArtWalk.” This <br />monthly, all-ages event, held on the first Saturday of each month, offers free admission <br />and features a variety of local artists, more than 20 art galleries, live performances, food <br />vendors, and family-friendly activities. <br />Founded in February 2014, The Frida Cinema is Downtown Santa Ana’s sole nonprofit <br />movie theater and one of the few remaining “art house” cinemas in Southern California. <br />Known for its dedication to enriching, connecting, and educating communities through <br />cinema, The Frida has earned recognition for its year-round film festival programming <br />from OC Weekly. The cinema also actively partners with educational, arts, and cause- <br />based organizations and hosts a range of cultural events, including drive-in screenings, <br />free movies in community parks, and now, the DTSA First Saturday ArtWalk. <br />The Downtown ArtWalk has emerged as a cornerstone of Downtown Santa Ana as it <br />was ranked as the second-highest visited destination in the City, behind only Santa Ana <br />College, and ahead of such notable locations as Santa Ana Zoo and Mainplace Mall <br />(according to the 2023 Santa Ana Visitor Analysis conducted by Travel Santa Ana and