Budget and ballot season is in full swing. The Mayor and Board of Supervisors need to hear from the arts community now. The City’s Charter Reform agenda and commission streamlining efforts continue to evolve and shift, so the moment to articulate the importance of the arts – of artists and cultural workers for San Francisco’s future – is at hand.
 
This newsletter provides information on important upcoming community advocacy events. Show up! Be heard! Join us!

Read Below to Understand the Major Issue Areas 

Stay Engaged: Download Talking Points for Public Testimony in Support of Arts & Culture

Overview

The Commission Streamlining Task Force and the Charter Reform Working Group have both put forth recommendations that will change the way business is done in San Francisco for generations. 

In fact, to date there are no less than four Charter Reform initiatives that will go to voters in November; more may emerge in the coming weeks. 

Here’s what’s coming up right away and how you can get involved to sustain and improve the lives of artists and arts organizations in San Francisco.

For informational purposes only; this was a proponent document developed by the campaign coalition San Franciscans for the Arts; no opponent document has been developed 

San Francisco Arts Commission MCCLA Report

On Monday, March 2, at 2pm, the SFAC’s monthly meeting will include a report on its Cultural Centers program. 

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San Francisco Charter Reform

Wednesday, March 4 is the final meeting and wrap-up of the Charter Reform Working Group which formed in December 2025. This working group is looking at the elimination of set-asides, spending baselines that are an articulation of voter values expressed at the ballot box. This includes arts and culture, libraries, children and youth services, transit, open space, and more.

San Francisco Arts Leadership Job Announcement 

The City and County of San Francisco is seeking qualified candidates for a new arts leadership role—the Executive Director of Arts & Culture.

Dear Bay Area artists, culture bearers, arts administrators, arts advocates, and allies,

It’s been 16 days since our re-launch and Arts for a Better Bay Area has been busy!
A lot of municipal arts business that had been stagnant seems to be moving forward.

Dear Bay Area artists, culture bearers, arts administrators, arts advocates, and allies,

As we launch headfirst into this new year, Arts for a Better Bay Area is rebooting its efforts to advance arts advocacy in 2026. The year ahead presents significant challenges for the Bay Area arts community; with those challenges we see an abundance of opportunity to promote the strength and resilience of our collective arts advocacy.

Art and culture are represented throughout the Mayor’s Economic Recovery Task Force (ERTF) recommendations. Join us to learn what recommendations came out of the City's ERTF, and how we can use the arts to move forward together.