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Arts groups ask county for $1.8 million annual line item as board proclaims April Arts, Culture and Creativity Month
Summary
A coalition of Ventura County arts leaders urged supervisors at the April 8 meeting to create a recurring county budget line of roughly $1.8 million (about $2.19 per capita) to support arts careers, education and cultural infrastructure. The board also issued a proclamation recognizing April as Arts, Culture and Creativity Month.
Representatives of local arts organizations urged the Ventura County Board of Supervisors on April 8 to establish an ongoing county funding line to support arts careers and expand cultural programming, and the board issued a proclamation recognizing April as Arts, Culture and Creativity Month.
Beverly Ward, co‑founder of New Art City Theater and a founding member of the Ventura County Arts Alliance, asked the board to “approve a budget line item for arts and culture equal to the U.S. average arts funding of $2.19 per capita, roughly $1,800,000.” She told supervisors the County’s arts organizations collectively serve hundreds of thousands of people annually and that modest public funding could sustain and expand creative careers.
Other speakers reinforced the request. Laleh Welch, executive director of the Ventura Music Festival, said the county could become a “premier, more sophisticated arts destination” with targeted support and offered to help raise matching private funds. Ken Raser, general manager of the High Street Arts Center in Moorpark, described how performing‑arts activity drives local economic development and downtown revitalization. Kirby Ward and Carolyn Mullen also told the board arts investments increase civic pride, youth development and community engagement.
The board presented a county proclamation sponsored by Supervisor Claudia Lopez recognizing April 2025 as Arts, Culture and Creativity Month. David Yoshitomi, the county arts and culture manager, framed the month around the theme “Health is healing and hope” and highlighted recent county arts events, including Reframe VC and employee arts workshops. Poet laureate Mary Anne McFadden accepted the proclamation and recited a poem.
The speakers asked the board to consider a recurring budget allocation and to view arts funding as both an economic and social investment. Supervisors and staff thanked the presenters and noted the proclamation; the meeting record shows no immediate budget action was taken on the request during the April 8 session.
