Arts, Culture & Creativity Month is a statewide celebration organized by arts advocates, civic leaders and artists across the state to uplift the intrinsic value of arts, culture and creativity.
In 2019, Arts, Culture & Creativity Month was declared by the California Senate to be held every April to recognize the arts in California and encourage public investment and support for our field. This year’s programming and activities, coordinated by statewide advocacy group California for the Arts, are shaped by the theme “Health, Healing, Hope.”
Locally, Santa Clara County and many cities across the county will issue proclamations acknowledging April as Arts, Culture & Creativity Month. A big thank you to the Board of Supervisors and the cities of San Jose, Morgan Hill, Gilroy and others for this recognition.
Artists play an essential role in our daily lives with critical contributions across a variety of impact areas. There is a wealth of evidence demonstrating the positive impacts of the arts on community well-being, economic development, public safety, youth development and social justice. Neuroscience research has further revealed engagement with the arts promotes a healthier life and can even serve as a treatment for diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, PTSD and mental health issues such as isolation and loneliness.
Despite this evidence and our innate understanding of the importance of artistic expression, the arts remain underfunded by philanthropy, local government and the state.
The devaluation of the arts is evident even here in California, where arts funding was recently cut and the contributions of artists and cultural workers are overlooked and undervalued. We are at a crossroads where we must choose between a future dominated by automation and devoid of cultural vitality, or one where the arts are recognized and supported as essential contributors to healthy, joyful and equitable communities.
California should be leading, especially now, in recognizing the value and impact of culture and the arts, and the critical need for creativity. Instead, we are 35th in the nation for arts funding. According to U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis data, the California arts and culture sector was a $290 billion industry in 2022 (8% of the state’s GDP), representing 847,688 jobs (4.51% of California’s workforce) and a total compensation of $141.3 billion. This data doesn’t include all the additional self-employed artists around the state.
Artists deserve thriving wages, affordable housing and workspaces and the infrastructure to support a fulfilling creative life. It’s time to recognize the invaluable contributions of artists, culture bearers and creative workers, and to invest in a world that values health, healing, hope and the transformative power of the arts.
Join us for Arts, Culture, & Creativity Month 2025 by attending a local arts event, posting on social media or participating in San Jose’s We Create 408 challenge.
Alexandra Urbanowski is CEO of SV Creates, the state and county designated arts service organization and local arts agency for Santa Clara County. She serves on the leadership committee for the California Coalition of County Art Agencies and as a board member at the School of Arts and Culture at the Mexican Heritage Plaza. Her columns appear every first Wednesday of the month. Contact Alexandra at [email protected].