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

The extraordinarily rapid pace of legislative developments affecting our San Francisco arts community continues, reminiscent of the fire hose of news coming out of DC.
 
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. There is a lot happening quickly that will have a significant impact, so please take a few minutes to read the entire list!
 

 
CALIFORNIA ARTS COUNCIL PRESENTS THE CALIFORNIA CREATIVE ECONOMY TOWN HALL
10am Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
The presentation and panel will cover the creative economy strategic plan report, California’s Future is Creative: Strategies for Cultural Resilience, Economic Growth, and Global Leadership, which includes the six priorities developed by members of the Creative Economy Workgroup during their appointment. Register here.

MONTHLY MEETING OF THE FULL SAN FRANCISCO ARTS COMMISSION
2pm City Hall, Room 416
A report on the Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts is on the agenda. Please attend the meeting (in person or remotely) to give public testimony about the value of MCCLA and all the City-owned cultural centers in your life and community, and to respond to the report presentation. Your voice matters. Find out more here.
 
ABBA HAPPY HOUR GATHERING
5:15pm St. Joseph’s Art Society
After all these meetings, if you need to decompress, debrief or just find solidarity and solace in community, join ABBA for an informal happy hour gathering at SJAS. There will be no formal program; we just want to offer a space to unpack the day’s events and prepare for what’s coming in the very near future—like meetings with the Board of Supervisors and other electeds who hold the future of the City’s Charter and the arts baseline set asides in their hands. Feel free to bring a drink and a snack, though some will be provided. Thank you to SJAS for hosting us!

DEADLINE FOR NEW ARTS LEADERSHIP JOB APPLICATION IS TODAY!
San Francisco Mayor’s Office released the job announcement for the new Executive Director of Arts & Culture with a companion press release in January. The original deadline to apply was March 30, but it was subsequently changed to March 2. 

If you are interested in the position, apply now! 

ABBA is continuing to lobby to have a number of Bay Area arts leaders be part of the interview process, while adhering to the City's HR policies. Since the job description calls for the hire to “serve as the Mayor’s Office principal liaison to the arts community, cultural organizations, philanthropic partners, and creative industry stakeholders,” the best way to gauge that competency is with authentic community engagement.

Tuesday, March 3rd

MISSION CULTURAL CENTER COMMUNITY MEETING
6pm Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts.
A community meeting will be held at MCCLA. Please attend to hear updates from current board members and the committees working to sustain this Charter-mandated, legacy cultural institution. Find out more info here. 

 

FINAL CHARTER REFORM WORKING GROUP
3pm City Hall, Room 201
This is the last meeting of the Charter Reform Working Group that launched in mid-December. This committee is co-chaired by Mayor Daniel Lurie and Board of Supervisors President Rafael Mandelman (District 8). If you have serious concerns – as we do – that the changes to the City Charter (our municipal Constitution) being recommended will negatively impact our community by eliminating set asides like the hard won 2018 Prop E Hotel Tax allocation that guaranteed year-over-year baseline support to the Arts Commission, Grants for the Arts, the community-based cultural centers and cultural districts, then join the meeting and voice your opinion.
 
This working group was not established as a public body, so it is not held to the same accessibility and transparency standards as those that mandate remote access and public testimony. Remember—they are deliberating over the most foundational document that governs our City, one that has mandated certain spending allocations that San Francisco citizens voted into law--for the arts, libraries, schools, parks, and so many issues San Franciscans care about. If you'd like to offer public testimony, you must attend in person. More details here. 
 

---

 
Artists Live Here Community Convening at SOMArts a Huge Success
Arts for a Better Bay Area was honored to be a featured participant at the SOMArts event, Artists Live Here, on February 13. More than 400 people attended—a testament to the strength, solidarity, engagement, and the core values of our arts community. The event was proof that when the arts and our democratic process are under attack, we show up. Because Artists Live Here!
 
More than 85 people signed up that day to receive these ABBA newsletters and stay informed and engaged in the City policies that affect artists and cultural workers. If you'd like to find out more, join one of the ABBA Working Groups to have more ongoing involvement in efforts to protect and support our arts community; please register here. 

March and April will be critical months to meet with your district representatives and let them know that the arts community is not only watching closely, but holding them accountable to uphold the will and values of voters. Join your arts colleagues by signing up for one of the working groups. 

If you have questions, please email [email protected].

Thank you for all you do to support our Bay Area arts ecosystem!
 
Rachelle Axel
Director

ABBA Stewards
Sunny Angulo, Maria Jenson, Joen Madonna, Susie McKinnon, Vinay Patel, Ernesto Sopprani