History of the California Arts Council

The California Arts Council was established in January 1976 by the state Legislature and signed into law by Edmund Gerald "Jerry" Brown, Jr. The opening paragraph of the California Code, Section 8750-8756 reads:

  • The Legislature perceives that life in California is enriched by art.
  • The source of art is in the natural flow of the human mind. Realizing craft and beauty is demanding, however, the people of the state desire to encourage and nourish these skills wherever they occur, to the benefit of all.

[For the government code, see http://law.justia.com/california/codes/gov/8750-8756.html .]

The California Arts Council was established to encourage artistic awareness, participation, and expression; to help independent local groups develop their own arts programs; to promote the employment of artists and those skilled in crafts in both the public and private sector; to provide for the exhibition of art works in public buildings throughout California; and to enlist the aid of all state agencies in the task of ensuring the fullest expression of our artistic potential.

In the 30+ years of the history of the agency, the California Arts Council has contributed to the artistic and creative fabric of California through dozens of grant programs and initiatives that affected hundreds of artists and organizations, and in turn millions of Californians.