Keep Oakland Creative

On April Fools Day, and this is no joke, Oakland City Council members are voting on a proposed 49% reduction in funding for the arts. Help get the word out to stop this action by writing to City Council Members:

SAMPLE Letter/Email:

Dear Council Member ________________,
Oakland Arts are the means to Oakland's economic renewal and are fundamental to our quality of life. It has come to my attention that the City Council is considering a disastrous and disproportionate 50% cut to the Cultural Funding Program.

As a concerned citizen, I understand that difficult choices need to be made to ensure that essential services and infrastructure remain in place. I also understand that there are no easy solutions to our budget crisis. However, I believe a disproportionate cut to the arts exacerbates the crisis, cripples Oakland's nationally ranked arts sector, and undermines our economic competitiveness, the compassion within our communities, and our investment in our future. I call upon you to mitigate the Arts cuts through a lens of equity and proportionality. Thank you for your leadership in investing in a better Oakland.

Sincerely,

Council Contacts:

District 1, Jane Brunner, jbrunner@oaklandnet.com, (510) 238-7001;
District 2, Pat Kernighan,pkernighan@oaklandnet.com, (510) 238-7002;
District 3, Nancy Nadel, nnadel@oaklandnet.com, (510) 238-7003;
District 4, Jean Quan, jquan@oaklandnet.com, (510) 238-7004;
District 5, Ignacio de la Fuente. idelafuente@oaklandnet.com, (510) 238-7005;
District 6, Desley Brooks, dbrooks@oaklandnet.com, (510) 238-7006;
District 7, Larry Reid, lreid@oaklandnet.com, (510) 238-7007
At-Large, Rebecca Kaplan, rkaplan@oaklandnet.com (510) 238-7008

Not sure who your council member is? Click here to find out: http://gismaps.oaklandnet.com/councils

More info available on the Pro Arts website.

Oakland Arts Funding Preserved

Strength in numbers, that's my conclusion from last night's successful rally of Oakland arts enthusiasts who attended the City Council budget meeting and signed an online petition. We Saved Oakland Arts, for now.

Here are the outcomes:

Oakland City Council last night voted to fully reinstate all of the grants funding for this year (meaning we’ll have to fight again next year but will have more than three days to respond). Unfortunately, we lost a staff position, who is a treasured colleague and friend to many. We also lost parades and festival funding, and the public art staff now come out of the 1.5% for the arts which lowers the amount available for the art itself. All in all a victory!

We had 2776 people sign the petition, about 300 people showed up to the meeting and they had to open up an additional hearing room, the mayor addressed the council – which is fairly unprecedented at council meetings, and 200 people signed up to speak.

Oakland Arts Finds a United Voice

Here we are in the Council Chambers of Oakland City Hall speaking out against cutting the Cultural Arts Budget. There are hundreds of us and we are united to save the arts.

This is also a reunion of our Oakland Spokes of the Hub advocacy group started by "six women with an idea". Four of us are here this evening after a four year's absence. Girl power!

Save Oakland Arts

Well, as of tomorrow "there will be no there there" as Gertude Stein said of Oakland if the City Council follows through on their drastic proposal to cut 100% of funding to the arts and closing the Cultural Arts and Marketing Department. It would be the only city program completely cut and believe me you won't see it revived for decades.

What's the story with Oakland City Council members? Are they trying to kick this city in the heArt and soul?

Tonight we had an organizing meeting in preparation for tomorrow's City Council session. ProArts hosted and got 40+ plus people in the room with 24 hours notice. That's all the public got in terms of advance notice of the City Council's action.

Somehow I was pulled into facilitate the organizing meeting 3 minutes before it started. Tomorrow I'll be a point person for our Save Oakland Arts Vote No group. All this and I don't even live there any more...but I will always have a place in my heart for Oakland arts.