Governor Newsom proclaims California Arts Council 50th Anniversary

SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today issued a proclamation declaring 2026 as the “California Arts Council 50th Anniversary.”

The text of the proclamation and a copy can be found below:

PROCLAMATION

California is home to immeasurable potential and creativity; our widest-reaching export has always been culture. Cinema, music, dance, literature – we have it all. For 50 years, the California Arts Council has worked to support that talent and nurture the great artists of tomorrow.
 
California’s creative sector is a powerful engine of economic growth and community vitality, generating billions of dollars in economic activity, supporting hundreds of thousands of jobs, and contributing to the cultural identity that defines California around the world. One out of every four jobs in the country’s creative economy are in California. The creativity in California is palpable, and the art produced here reflects the richness and diversity of our state.
 
Creative expression empowers youth, supports community healing, strengthens neighborhood vitality, fosters innovation across industries, and bridges divides and disconnection to create a sense of belonging. The California Arts Council has expanded access to arts education, empowered creative entrepreneurs, and preserved cultural traditions. This work, done in partnership with cities, towns, rural regions, and Native American tribes, advances California’s enduring commitment to equity, opportunity, and cultural expression.
 
This year, on the 50^th anniversary of the California Arts Council, we celebrate its outsized impact on the arts, while renewing our commitment to the vital role the arts play in shaping California’s future. This milestone honors the extraordinary contributions of artists, arts organizations, educators, and cultural leaders whose creativity strengthens and enriches our communities. 

NOW THEREFORE I, GAVIN NEWSOM, Governor of the State of California, do hereby proclaim 2026, as “California Arts Council 50th Anniversary.”

IN WITNESS WHEREOF I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the State of California to be affixed this 16^th day of April 2026.

GAVIN NEWSOM
Governor of California

ATTEST:
SHIRLEY N. WEBER, Ph.D.
Secretary of State