The Arts in the California Governor’s Race project does not endorse any candidate, nor does it support any specific legislation.

Rather, it seeks to educate and inform the candidates in the 2010 California governor’s race, their staffs and key supporters to the value of the arts, arts education, and the creative economy to the state of California. The project will work to convince the candidates for the office of governor in California to take public positions in favor of the principle of public support for the arts and arts education, and public support for the development of California’s creative economy.

The project will prepare and disseminate information as to the value of the creative sector to the state and hopes to interface with the campaigns of the candidates for governor to make the case for the contributions of the arts and the creative sector to California’s economy, job creation, the education of our children, to the civic life of communities across our great state and the quality of life of all its citizens. It is our intention to engage the candidates for the office of governor at town hall and other public meetings, and by way of written questions as to their position on the arts, culture and the creative economy, with the hope that they will take public pro-arts positions. We will seek to get news coverage and editorial commentaries calling for the next governor to address arts issues and we will work to form a broad coalition of individuals and organizations in support of the project’s mission statement.

As a result of this campaign, we hope that the millions of Californians who support the arts and creative sector will have the information required to submit an educated vote in the November election. In order to accomplish our goals, we need your help to engage the services of consultants and others to organize and manage this effort, and to mobilize the entire non-profit arts field and those in the private sector who support us. We need your help in spreading the word about this campaign and to help us to pay the costs of mounting such an effort.

California has long had a global reputation as a citadel of creativity, and our economic vitality is based, in large part, on the creative sector. Yet we remain 50th out of all 50 states in per-capita funding for the arts. As we move into the future, we want to make sure all elected officials realize how valuable the arts are to the state.

Please join thousands of your colleagues across California and take control of our future. Learn about the specifics of this effort, who is involved, what you can do and how to contribute to making this an effective campaign.