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Creative City - City of San Diego's Cultural Plan

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Creative City is the City of San Diego’s first comprehensive cultural plan, providing a long-term framework to advance arts, culture and creativity for the benefit of San Diegans as well as the greater transborder region.
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Mia Fiorella Oct 14 2024 at 5:28PM on page 10

Suggestion
Through our international work on WOW, I'm amazed at how many people don't know where San Diego is or who we are in this cultural context. We are ambassadors, not only to WOW and La Jolla Playhouse, but for our city to gain excitement. Maybe this could be more intentional: send cultural ambassadors to global cultural events to represent San Diego. International funding is available to support artistic exchange, but they need to know where we are and what we represent to get invited into these spaces. I think it's an out of the box idea worth dropping into the mix of actions around this goal.
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Shayla James Oct 12 2024 at 9:05PM on page 57

Suggestion
There are community arts organizations doing great, impactful work in CYD, arts education, and performing arts, that partner with libraries, community centers, etc It would be great to connect with the community arts orgs to understand their current partnerships and long standing relationships with the communities they serve and understand where the needs are and how to create more access to their services.
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KW Oct 11 2024 at 6:38PM on page 48

There are already several foundations and 501c3's that support the arts, creating yet another organization to solicit funds from the same pool of donors only strains the already stressed arts fundraising landscape. How can the city ensure that fundraising efforts for this newly established foundation will not be detrimental to fundraising efforts by smaller organizations. Organizations are already operating on tight margins, and pressure to have lower and lower operating expenses (ie. salaries), competition for dollars is already high, money that's redirected to this new foundation could negatively impact our nonprofit sector.
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KW Oct 11 2024 at 6:31PM on page 45

K-12 Career and Technical Education (CTE) and specifically Arts, Media, Entertainment (AME) is a perfect compliment to this goal. Support and resources for K-12 schools and school serving organizations would be creating a pipeline for growing the city's creative economy and creative entrepreneurship. These strategies are valuable, but without a plan to grow and nurture young people through the pipeline, how can we expect that this creative economy will continue to flourish?
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KW Oct 11 2024 at 6:24PM on page 44

I hope this includes more than just the promise zone and Barrio Logan. Those 'arts deserts' mentioned earlier could potentially benefit from this.
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KW Oct 11 2024 at 6:22PM on page 44

And schools? Schools can serve as hubs and centers for bringing communities together, creating a sense of belonging and community support. School partnerships should not be overlooked here, we have some incredible school facilities in SD Unified, which can serve both students and the communities they are in.
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KW Oct 11 2024 at 6:18PM on page 43

While not explicitly stated here, it feels like you are referring mostly to visual artists here. Artists from all genres grow up here, go to school here, develop their creative careers here, and go on to support the creative economy here. How many artists who are employed at the symphony, opera, playhouse, etc. are FROM San Diego. How are we nurturing the development of artists from early childhood to adulthood? How are we planning to continue feeding the pipeline of artists who will grow up here, go to school here, work here, and live here into their adulthood? this report mentioned in the first pages that San Diegans are getting older. If we expect artists to want to continue to stay in San Diego, (and not choose to move to more vibrant arts areas to find work), we must be better at building the pipeline. Artistry begins in childhood. K-12 arts education in schools is a vital component here, and you are missing the mark completely.
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KW Oct 11 2024 at 6:09PM on page 43

Suggestion
this is the one, and only, mention of arts education in this report. This is really a missed opportunity, as arts education supports and is the pipeline for, nearly every goal and strategy you have listed in this report. I urge the creators to reconsider the absence of arts education, and specifically K-12 arts education in schools.
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KW Oct 11 2024 at 5:57PM on page 37

Suggestion
The 'arts deserts' are mentioned here, but nowhere else in this plan do you mention support for these areas. The strategies mentioned later in the report all indicate resources being put into 'under resourced' communities, (ie. the Promise Zone, and other areas). Often times these areas are the most funded, with nonprofits and foundations pouring money, programs, and resources into these areas, and the surrounding areas are overlooked. While it's very important to give these communities extra resources, we shouldn't overlook many other parts of the city that are 'arts deserts' that also need resources and support. Schools can serve a very important role in supporting arts in these 'arts deserts' areas. Very little is mentioned about art education in this report, which is disappointing, but supporting schools, and other K-12 serving arts education programs in these areas will go a long way in creating more vibrant arts communities throughout the city.
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Bonnie Oct 11 2024 at 10:37AM on page 25

Question
Why was one of the biggest Creative Communities San Diego award amounts - 200k - awarded to a single foundation that doesn't operate out of San Diego and regularly does NOT serve San Diego? Grey Area Foundation is based in and operates in San Fransisco. These funds should have gone to the San Diego CREATIVE COMMUNITY. What a disappointing misstep directly in opposition to the purpose of these investments. I hope the implementation of this strategic plan can FULLY commit to the organizations, artists, and businesses that already exist in the community and have been serving the San Diego public.
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KW Oct 9 2024 at 9:59AM on page 56

the Barona Museum and Cultural Center, on the Barona Reservation, has been in existence for many, many years. Why reinvent the wheel here, if this already exists?
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in reply to Natalie Koski-Karell's comment

KW Oct 9 2024 at 9:49AM on page 56

A Kumeyaay cultural center and museum already exists, and has for a while, on the Barona Reservation. link
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E Sep 26 2024 at 3:32PM on page 43

Suggestion
I so want to believe San Diego can get it together on this front but we're starting from nearly zero here, big moves need to happen fast. The cost of living / housing crisis is devastating, nearly no available studio spaces (Liberty Station, as a non profit, asking thousands on par with housing rents is a cruel joke. What's going on with the train station building??? This city is empty buildings and high rents), the city offering nearly zero funded art opportunities, zero grants available for individual working artists (that I could find), only groups and non-profits. Why encourage kids to go into the arts when you're driving them off a cliff's edge to become adults working in the field with practically no real community fabric supporting early, emerging, and mid-career artists. You're setting them up for failure. The picture is as bleak as it can get for full-time studio practicing artists. Not a single cultural working peer I have are still living in San Diego, they all moved out because this area is entirely apathetic to the arts in any dedicated, concrete way. It's insane that for the eighth largest city this discussion is grinding on so slowly. I hope this entire document translates into solid action, full of momentum, and soon. If not, there's always the WPA to model / reference, which gave us some of the most impactful artists of the midcentury. It's dire out here, been so for years, please get moving.
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Adena Sep 14 2024 at 9:32AM on page 45

Question
Increasing jobs requires an increase in jobs training. Many artists in San Diego believe that have to take residency in other cities like LA or New York in order to get the training they need to sustain a life as a working artist. How will the plan support organizations that work together to support creative workforce development? Bringing organizations together to work collaboratively will have greater impact on the artist and the economy and I wonder how organizations interested in this solution will be resourced.
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Adena Sep 12 2024 at 6:37PM on page 23

Question
I am curious about the findings of this evaluation for the city owned buildings. Many of the buildings in the park need enhancement and investment so what resources will be leveraged and deployed after inventory was taken, to operate these venues at their maximum capacities?
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Elizabeth Sep 9 2024 at 11:19AM on page 58

Suggestion
I would love to see more public art, but if San Diego wants to be taken seriously as a creative and artistic hub, it needs to be more daring and unique in its commissions than the cheesy sailor-kissing-nurse by the Midway or the "cancer free" sculpture by the airport. Find innovative and visionary artists to create distinctive new works. That would be exciting and inspiring.
replies
in reply to Natalie Koski-Karell's comment

Elizabeth Sep 9 2024 at 11:13AM on page 52

I agree the city should fund more independent/experimental groups, but I don't think there's any need to denigrate the established organizations. It is simply not true that they create the same boring work over and over again. It may bore you but then you are free to choose other ways to spend your time; many people highly value the city's "legacy" institutions and are happy to have the city support them.
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Roni Breite Sep 5 2024 at 5:14PM on page 1

Suggestion
I read the document and maybe I missed it but I didn’t see anything about support — financial and otherwise — for arts in the schools. Music, dance, crafts and fine arts should be taught in all grades. They aren’t frills and shouldn’t be cut or sidelined if we want more well-rounded citizens, and more art in San Diego. Also, I don’t know why there should be admission fees for public art. Art should be readily available as much as possible without barriers. Thanks for the opportunity to give my suggestions.
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Lourans Mikhail Sep 5 2024 at 10:50AM on page 10

The fact that San Diego has 60 public buildings and is leaps and bounds behind offering artists any incentive to live and work, let alone survive or even thrive here is ludicrous. San Diego has plenty of amazing artists, yet lacks in providing not just artists but normal everyday people with affordable housing and even public transportation. Only the affluent areas have received new rail systems like LA Jolla. This is why creatives leave San Diego for places like Los Angeles. There are a million more opportunities even with more “competition” there. San Diego has terrible public art, and the same few artists are the ones that receive any murals due to connections in the real estate business and nepotism. We have no mural festival, let alone the opportunities for upcoming and emerging artists to grow. Yet we were awarded the World Design capital title (along with TJ) but SD has no architecture or anything that inspires design. All public art here is easily palatable, touristy, and derivative. We offer no opportunity to disturb the comfortable and comfort the disturbed or the under recognized. Everything has to be about the ocean, or palm trees. San Diego even has the museum by the train station that has not been in use for how long now? This could be put to use by artists.
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Bob Lewis Aug 30 2024 at 5:50PM on page 48

Suggestion
a one-cent tax is very hard to support. The cost of living in Sad Diego is already crazy expensive. Moreover, City leadership has a poor track record regarding spending - is this just more money to mismanage or fix the multiple past poor spending decisions? Also, this is the first I've heard of this only a few months before election day - How about a little more transparency and public education?
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Bob Lewis Aug 30 2024 at 5:44PM on page 48

Suggestion
I like the idea of a separate foundation managing the funds. However, when that translates primarily to raising more funds - what is being done with the 10% tourist occupancy tax? It just seems like more funds to be mismanaged.
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Bob Lewis Aug 30 2024 at 5:41PM on page 48

Suggestion
10% is not a penny! "Penny for the arts" is very misleading. Like many others, I have very limited faith in City Leadership's ability to develop plans and then stick to them without making numerous financial missteps along the way. To overcome this, I recommend clarity and transparency every step of the way. City Leadership seems to struggle with both.
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Kate Burnite Aug 30 2024 at 1:05PM on page 37

Question
can this be extrapolated to the wider city? should it be? I'm curious about self-selecting survey respondents and their impact on the data, and whether this impact has been considered,
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Kate Burnite Aug 30 2024 at 1:02PM on page 35

Suggestion
should be "respondents" :)
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Karen Vogue Aug 29 2024 at 2:17PM on page 2

Suggestion
This is the first I've heard of such a project. The city already has a Commission on Arts and Culture. I am against this Creative City project. I feel it is a waste of city time and money which is better spent on our safety and roads for example. San Diego already has diverse and abundant art and culture which could be grown through the Commission on Arts and Culture by asking each of the city's 50+ Community Councils for input for any art or cultural projects within their jurisdiction. This is a boondoggle, in my opinion, that is better handled with what we have.
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in reply to Coleen Cusack's comment

Karen Vogue Aug 29 2024 at 2:06PM on page 31

Suggestion
I have not heard of this before either. We already have a Commission on Arts and Culture.
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Natalie Koski-Karell Aug 29 2024 at 8:38AM on page 56

Suggestion
This is super important and should include some level of land back principles. Collaboration with a land trust or potentially even the City to facilitate ownership transfer of land back to tribal hands. At the very least there needs to be so much more visibility of the Kumeyaay culture in and around San Diego. Prioritize Kumeyaay artists. Create a permanent cultural center under their leadership. etc.
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Natalie Koski-Karell Aug 29 2024 at 8:35AM on page 63

Suggestion
Housing and fair reimbursement needs to be considered here. We would like to bring artists in from TJ to collaborate with them but their commute is obviously much more tedious (especially if they don't have Sentri). If it's more convenient for them to stay for some time for rehearsals, productions, etc. then it is essential to provide them housing. Many of us on the production side don't have extra bedrooms nor do we have a lot of extra cash to support them, making it difficult to attract artists over the border.
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Natalie Koski-Karell Aug 29 2024 at 8:24AM on page 52

Suggestion
As a Community Planner with the City and a dedicated artist (BA in Theatre from Boston College, 4 years professional theatre in San Francisco, served as a grants panelist for the San Francisco Arts Commission, professional dancer, very involved in the San Diego dance community, named as one of 2024's Emerging Choreographers by the San Diego Dance Theater, and founder of an arts collaborative - The Ouroboros Collaborative) -- I think I am well situated to conduct this analysis. I am passionate about space, place, and the arts. And I'm more than qualified to take on this project. Please contact me.
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Natalie Koski-Karell Aug 29 2024 at 8:21AM on page 52

Suggestion
This is essential. There needs to be more transparency here. Are the tenants institutionalized non-profits that have been operating in San Diego for 10+ years? How much is their rent? Why isn't the City doing more to make these spaces available for more independent/experimental groups with smaller budgets? San Diego funding is almost singularly directed towards legacy non-profits which create the same boring work over and over again.
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Natalie Koski-Karell Aug 29 2024 at 8:19AM on page 52

Suggestion
grammatical error
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Natalie Koski-Karell Aug 29 2024 at 8:15AM on page 27

Suggestion
extra word "The"
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Natalie Koski-Karell Aug 29 2024 at 8:14AM on page 25

Suggestion
Good public space design is more than just "integrating public art". There needs to be some level of activation or interaction with the public. This could be as simple as seating and plantings. I recently came across a beautiful public space in Arlington, VA that integrated interactive public art (a large bench covered in colorful flowers) and other seating, including a publicly-accessible electric fire pit (for use at own risk).
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Natalie Koski-Karell Aug 29 2024 at 8:11AM on page 23

Suggestion
spelling error (Cultural)
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Coleen Cusack Aug 28 2024 at 4:43PM on page 62

Suggestion
Creative Tourism: Chess Tourism - - huge untapped international market here. San Diego needs a CHESS PARK. Not just one or two chess tables in a park, but a park that has at least 50 tables. These tables can be assigned out to the area schools to create mosaics. These tables can also serve as a meeting space for representatives from these schools for a CREATIVE INTERSCHOLASTIC CONFERENCE. The tables would be able to host REGULAR tournaments attracting chess competitors - - persons who travel the globe to compete - - from all over. We presently have two indoor national tournaments per year, but outdoor tournaments would be much more preferred. IN ADDITION: Erect a 25 foot Chess Queen to center the space. People would travel from far and wide just to be pictured with it. The Queen could be in tribute to women for their strength and sacrifice. In order to qualify as a Chess Piece it has to be able to move. Currently, the Guinness World Record holder for tallest chess piece is in St. Louis with a 21 foot King. This would be opposite corner of the country. We'd make the Guinness Book. AND, we should open up a Chess Museum. We could do fun things at this park like have a simultaneous competition with local celebrities and local politicians who all play a child international grand master - - for charity and bragging rights. Chess is taking off as a new craze and San Diego should capitalize on the frenzy NOW while making it a visually stunning eye piece and a traveler's destination.
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Coleen Cusack Aug 28 2024 at 4:29PM on page 31

Question
How many people did this reach? This is the very first I'm hearing about this endeavor. How was it promoted?
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Coleen Cusack Aug 28 2024 at 4:28PM on page 30

Suggestion
I don't think 30 days is enough time or notice to garner meaningful contributions from the community. Should be at least 3 months with meetings throughout the city, and in every council district.
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Concerned Taxpayer Aug 28 2024 at 3:33PM on page 1

Suggestion
When the city doesn’t have enough money to fix our streets, get people off the streets, help flood victims, or staff the police to be able to respond to non-violent calls, and you want to start charging me for my trash, PLEASE, for the love of God, stop wasting our taxes on arts & culture. There are plenty of private donors in this city that supports arts and culture, the city doesn’t need to use our tax dollars to do it and this entire department should be eliminated from the budget!
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Alexia Aug 26 2024 at 10:31PM on page 10

Suggestion
Please help fund mural artists. We have so many blank walls in San Diego that could benefit from murals. Murals add character, beauty, and color for a relatively low cost.
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