Cultural Engagement in California's Inland Regions

Irvine commissioned WolfBrown and the Alliance for California Traditional Arts to investigate patterns of cultural engagement in the San Joaquin Valley and the Inland Empire. These two rapidly growing, ethnically diverse regions of California have a combined population of nearly eight million people. The study surveyed more than 6,000 people and uncovered a range of cultural activity in music, theater and drama, reading and writing, dance, and visual arts and crafts — much of which occurs off the radar of the traditional infrastructure of nonprofit arts organizations and facilities. Study results paint a detailed picture of cultural engagement and suggest new opportunities for cultural service providers and funders.

Executive Briefing is a nine-page document providing high-level findings and discussion questions for cultural service providers and funders. (PDF, 354 KB)

Report Summary is a 24-page summary of the full report. (PDF, 328 KB)

Full Report is a 189-page document including attachments. (PDF, 1.25 MB)

Spotlight on Arts: Grantmaking in California

This report by the Foundation Center provides a quick overview of private arts and culture funding in California. Based on 2004 data, the most recent year for which information was available, the report lists the largest arts grantmakers and analyzes where funding is going. Performing arts organizations captured the largest share (37 percent) with museums (32 percent) a close second. The report, sponsored by the Irvine Foundation, also includes a mini-directory of California foundations funding the arts.

Download (October 2006) (PDF, 197 KB)

Crossover: How Artists Build Careers across Commercial, Nonprofit and Community Work

This study, cosponsored by Irvine, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and Leveraging Investments in Creativity, shows how California artists move more fluidly between the commercial, nonprofit and community sectors than is commonly believed. Their ability to do so, the study concludes, is a major stimulant to regional economic activity and the quality of life. The study, by the University of Minnesota's Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs, is based on a Web survey of Los Angeles and San Francisco Bay area musicians, writers, and performing and visual artists. With New York, these two regions support more artists per capita than the nation's other large metropolitan areas.

Download (October 2006) (PDF, 3.1 MB)

Critical Issues Facing the Arts in California: A Working Paper from The James Irvine Foundation

This working paper, published by the Irvine Foundation and AEA Consulting, identifies the major challenges facing the arts and cultural sector in California. Based on interviews with arts leaders and a review of the relevant literature, the paper describes five key themes that, if not addressed, may threaten the health and well-being of the sector going forward. The themes are: Access, Cultural Policy, Arts Education, Nonprofit Business Model, and Preparing the Next Generation of Artists and Arts Managers. This working paper is the first phase of a project to engage arts leaders and others in a discussion on how to ensure a more sustainable future for the arts in California.

Read the paper and let us know your thoughts through a blog we have started to encourage dialogue about these issues, at www.californiaculture.blogspot.com.

Download (September 2006) (PDF, 162 KB)

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