The California State Legislature on Sunday approved a budget for 2014-2015 that includes a $5 million increase in funding to the California Arts Council.

by Amy Sauceda

The California Arts Council and Californians for the Arts are celebrating positive steps forward for an appropriation bill of $7 million.  Last Thursday, the California State Legislative Budget Conference Committee voted 8-0 to support the increase in funding for the state's arts agency.

The National Endowment for the Arts announced today it would invest $1.56M in grant funding Los Angeles County arts and culture organizations.  Grantees include organizations staging theatrical productions, providing arts journalism coverage, and museums, among many other types of programs and events.  

The President recently released the FY 2015 budget request to Congress, which includes funding for the nation’s cultural agencies and programs. 

Some important items included in the budget: 

A Shift

Calling all education advocates! California is about to undergo a monumental shift in the way our state funds our public schools. It is a win-win solution for every student attending public school in our state. But your voice is needed to ensure your student receives the benefits of this new formula. 

Mayor Garcetti welcomed over one hundred arts and culture leaders from the Los Angeles area to City Hall today to give him advice, insight, and feedback on how the city should invest and support arts and culture in the coming years.

California is perched on the edge of an unprecedented transformation of our education system. Over the next year, every school will receive more funding to support student success, but schools will need to hear from you about how to best use this money.

As the Creative Capital of the United States, L.A.'s greatest export is culture. The creative economy is the 4th largest employment cluster (of 66) and accounts for 1 in 8 jobs in the County.

The National Endowment for the Arts announced its next round of Art Works and Creative Writing grants this week, which will send $1.14 million to Los Angeles County to support artists and arts organizations throughout the region.

Via our partners Californians for the Arts and Americans for the Arts: