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Cathedral City staff to apply for state Cultural District designation; grant would provide $10,000 for community projects
Summary
Economic development staff said the city will submit an application to the California Arts Council to be designated a California Cultural District; the designation would come with a $10,000 award the city would match, and the application is due Aug. 7, 2025.
Economic Development Manager Eric Bessel told the Cathedral City Historic Preservation Committee on July 15 that staff will submit an application for a California Cultural District designation and accompanying grant funding.
Bessel said the California Arts Council program, created by Assembly Bill 189, will select 10 new state-designated cultural districts; the program recognizes clusters of cultural producers, heritage resources and cultural practices and aims to support creative communities. "Ultimately, again, this isn't a historic designation," Bessel said, describing the program as focused on cultural assets, activities and storytelling rather than formal historic-property status.
The staff-led application requires an "asset list" that can include people, places and community events. Bessel asked committee members to suggest assets for the list and said staff has begun compiling candidates such as the Mary Pickford Theatre, local festivals and built elements that link downtown and the arts district. He highlighted a pedestrian bridge as a potential connectivity feature and suggested short video or walking-route projects to increase visibility.
If chosen, Cathedral City would receive $10,000 from the California Arts Council over two years and would match that amount, yielding approximately $20,000 for projects approved under the program. Bessel said the designation cohort would run from Jan. 1, 2026, through Dec. 31, 2030. The initial application deadline is Aug. 7, 2025.
Committee members asked for a written definition of what the Arts Council considers a "cultural asset." Bessel said he would provide the grant guidelines and that the council has been flexible in accepting people, events and places when compiling asset lists. Members suggested short videos for the Mary Pickford Theatre to run before screenings, a scavenger-hunt-style walking tour, and use of the arts-district bridge to create a more visible route between downtown and cultural venues.
Bessel said staff is coordinating with the city's grants analyst and intends to submit the application on the community's behalf. He invited committee input on candidate assets and cultural practices to include in the application.
The committee did not take a formal vote on the application during the meeting; staff is preparing the submission and will return with updates as the application progresses.
