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Costa Mesa names inaugural poet laureate as debates over arts funding surface
Summary
Costa Mesa introduced its first poet laureate, Danielle Hansen, at the April 1 City Council meeting. The new program drew praise from arts commissioners and a public speaker who criticized the city's proposed use of arts funding.
Costa Mesa officially introduced its first poet laureate, Danielle Hansen, at the City Council meeting on April 1. Arts Commission vice chair Fisher D'Addarian and chair Alyssa Ochoa presented Hansen to the council and a packed chamber; Hansen read a poem and outlined plans for public workshops and appearances around the city.
The poet laureate program was created as part of the city's Arts and Culture Master Plan adopted in March 2021 to increase public engagement with the arts. Vice chair Fisher D'Addarian told the council the program is intended “to bring poetry … into public spaces and into public conversations,” while Chair Alyssa Ochoa described Hansen as “a rare gift” who has taught and led workshops and whose recent collection won a national prize.
Hansen, who teaches at the University of California, Irvine, said she plans to hold free workshops, appear at festivals and otherwise bring poetry into community settings so it reaches people who do not normally attend literary events. “Poetry has the ability to connect people, to make them feel heard and seen,” Hansen said.
The program drew public attention beyond the presentation. During public comment a resident criticized the city’s handling of the fund that receives cannabis tax revenue, saying roughly $400,000 is sitting in a city account and questioning staff recommendations to raise grant awards only modestly. The speaker said the poet laureate received a $2,500 check and urged the council to deploy more money for visible public art rather than use the fund to pay staff or consultants.
City staff later told council members that the Arts Fund supports items in the five-year Arts and Culture Master Plan and that cannabis tax revenue flows into that fund but that the fund still needs a general-fund subsidy each year; detailed budget discussion will come with the city’s broader budget process. City officials said they will bring staff-level budget details to council when the budget is discussed.
The council and staff did not take any formal vote on the poet laureate program during the meeting; the presentation served as the public introduction and the council will consider related grant and budget items later this year.
