HomeMy WebLinkAbout2007/01/16 Item 6
CITY COUNCIL
AGENDA STATEMENT
JanuilliY 16, 2007
Item Co
ITEM TITLE:
SUBMITTED BY:
REPORT ON THE DRAFT ARTS MASTER PLAN /lfJ
CULTURAL ARTS COMMISSION AND CULTURAII'~X~.
ARTS MANAGER RODERICK REINHART VIA
ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER DAVID PALM~
JIM THOMSON, INTERIM CITY MANAGER JI
VIA:
REVIEWED BY:
4/5THS VOTE: YES
NO X
BACKGROUND
On November 16, 2004, Council approved funding for the creation of a Cultural Arts
Master Plan. In April 2005 the City Council approved a contractual agreement with the
consulting fInn, The Arroyo Group, to assist the City in crafting the City's fIrst Arts
Master Plan. After twenty months of effort, an Arts Master Plan has been drafted which,
if approved, will guide the growth of arts and culture for the next decade. (Attachment
A). It will also begin to implement the policies, goals and objectives contained within the
2005 General Plan Update that specifIcally call for the City's increased promotion and
support of arts and culture.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The Environmental Review Coordinator has reviewed the proposed activity for
compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and has determined
that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a signifIcant effect on the
environment; therefore, pursuant to Section l5061(b)(3) of the State CEQA Guidelines
the activity is not subject to CEQA. Thus, no environmental review is necessary.
RECOMMENDATION
Council hear the report, receive public testimony, approve the Draft Arts Master Plan,
and direct staff to bring back specifIc policies for further Council consideration.
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BOARDS/COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION
The Cultural Arts Commission has provided considerable input throughout the
development of the plan. At their meeting of October 9, 2006, the Commission
unanimously voted to support the Arts Master Plan (Attachment B).
DISCUSSION
Arts and culture are an integral part of the cultural, economic and aesthetic environment
of the Chula Vista community, and should be promoted and coordinated by the City in a
manner that creates a favorable image, climate for artistic development and cultural
awareness.
To support the potential for growth of the arts in Chula Vista, the 2005 General Plan
Update calls for the development of an Arts Master Plan that will:
I. outline policies that promote and support arts and culture in Chula Vista
2. coordinate with other current planning processes including the Urban Core,
Bayfront, and University projects
3. guide future arts programming and development
4. provide a vision for how the City could develop arts and culture facilities
5. identify possible community partnerships
6. promote opportunities for coordination among different public and private
entities, and
7. make recommendations for ongoing fmancial support of the arts.
In the broadest sense, the Arts Master Plan outlines a vision for the role that art can play
in improving the quality of life for current and future residents of the City.
The Process and Timeline:
~ At the recommendation of Council, a Citizen's Advisory Committee was
established in June 2005, chaired by Mary Salas, with 20 public members. It met
six times over a 12-month period; two times facilitated by The Arroyo Group, and
four times with Office of Arts and Culture staff facilitation.
~ Twelve personal interviews were conducted by The Arroyo Group consultants in
July 2005. Interviewees included former Mayor Padilla, all then-sitting Council
members, the former City Manager, and local and regional arts and arts education
leaders.
~ Two focus group sessions were facilitated by The Arroyo Group in July 2005;
with 10-12 participants each.
~ An open Public Forum was facilitated by The Arroyo Group in July 2005.
~ A special Cultural Arts Commission focus group-type meeting was facilitated by
The Arroyo Group in July 2005.
A Chula Vista Arts Master Plan Background Information booklet was provided to staff in
late July 2005 with the following contents:
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~ Memorandum of Existing and Currently Proposed Arts Plans and Policies
~ Memorandum Identifying Existing Grants and Scholarships
~ Individual Interview Notes
~ Focus Group Meeting Notes
~ Public Forum Meeting Notes
~ Citizen's Advisory Group Meeting Notes
~ Cultural Arts Commission Meeting Notes
In October 2005, The Arroyo Group provided City staff and the Citizen's Advisory
Committee with the first draft of the Arts Master Plan. The Committee reviewed the draft
and provided feedback, numerous suggestions for clarification, and suggested
prioritization of the plan's recommendations at a consultant-facilitated meeting October
25,2005.
Beginning in late 2005, Office of Arts and Culture staff continued the process of editing
and revising the draft plan while incorporating individual feedback from the following:
~ Citizen's Advisory Committee (three meetings)
~ The Interim City Manager and Assistant City Managers
~ City Attorney's Office
~ The Directors of Finance, Office of Budget & Analysis, Public Works Operations,
General Services, Recreation, and Planning & Building
~ Senior Managers from the Library, Planning & Building and Community
Development Departments
In 2006, the Office of Arts and Culture staff encouraged input and dialogue for the draft
Plan in several ways, including: mailing 1,000 meeting announcement postcards,
prominently posting meeting information and the draft Plan on the City's website,
notifying all City commissions and boards, notifying all members of the Third Avenue
Village Association, Chula Vista Chamber of Commerce, Bonita Professional
Association, Chula Vista Rotary Club, Chula Vista Kiwanis Club, Bonita Sunrise Rotary,
Crossroads II, the Northwest Civic Association, and the Office of Visual and Performing
Arts for the Sweetwater Union High School District.
~ A large scale public meeting, hosted by the Cultural Arts Commission, was
conducted in Council Chambers on August 29, 2006 which included a formal
presentation of the draft Arts Master Plan. Considerable public input was received
during the meeting.
~ Office of Arts and Culture staff made formal presentations of the draft Arts
Master plan to the Third Avenue Village Association Board of Directors and the
Chula Vista Chamber of Commerce's Public Policy Committee and Board of
Directors in the fall of 2006.
~ Office of Arts and Culture staff has met personally with several commercial
development representatives to answer questions about the draft Plan since
August 2006.
~ In December 2006 the T A V A Board of Directors voted to endorse the draft Arts
Master Plan to Council.
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~ In December 2006, the Chula Vista Chamber of Commerce voted to endorse the
draft Arts Master Plan to Council with the recommendation that the Plan's
recommendation for a 2% for Arts Council policy requirement on Commercial
development be amended to a voluntary status.
The Plan's Recommendations:
The draft Arts Master Plan contains three broad recommendations:
1. Adopt Policies to Support the Growth of Public Art
1.1 Adopt a "2% for Public Art" policy on City's above grade Capital
Improvement Projects of $250,000 or more, with street paving/sealing,
sidewalk installations/rehabilitations, curb and gutter and ADA curb ramp
installations and modifications exempted from the policy.
1.2 Adopt a "2% for Public Art" policy on private, non-residential, for profit
commercial development projects of $250,000 or more.
1.3 Establish a Public Art Trust Fund
2. Support and Expand the Arts in Chula Vista
2.1 Enhance existing opportunities
. Renovate the Civic Center Branch Library's auditorium
. Conduct a local history museum needs assessment
. Integrate the visual and performing arts into the planning for the
university site
. Create citywide arts focal points
. Expand neighborhood art programs
. Create neighborhood art plans
2.2 Create a Northwest Area Arts District
2.3 Address both short term and long term funding needs
. Assess funding needs oflocal arts groups and school programs
. Increase funding of the Performing & Visual Arts grants
. Expand collaboration and partnerships
. Investigate and recommend specific public and private funding
methodologies
2.4 Enhance the role of the Cultural Arts Commission
3. Increase Marketing and Promotion of the Arts
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DECISION MAKER CONFLICT
Staff has reviewed the decision contemplated by this action and has determined that it is
not site specific and consequently the 500 foot rule found in California Code of
Regulations section 18704.2(a)(1) is not applicable to this decision.
FISCAL IMPACT
Approval of the Arts Master Plan will have no fiscal impact until such time as specific
Council policies regarding arts funding mechanisms are approved.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment "A" - Arts Master Plan
Attachment "B"- Minutes of Cultural Arts Commission, October 9, 2006.
Prepared by: Roderick Reinhart, Cultural Arts Manager, Office of Arts & Cultures
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ARTS MASTER PLAN
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CITY OF
(HULA VISTA
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DRAFT ARTS MASTER PLAN
December 12,2006
City of Chula Vista, California
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. CllY OF
CHUlA VISTA
Cheryl Cox, Mayor
Rudy Ramirez, Councilmember
John McCann, Councilmember
Jerry R. Rindone, Councilmember
Steve Castaneda, Councilmember
Jim Thomson, Interim City Manager
Prepared by:
THE CHULA VISTA OFFICE OF ARTS AND CULTURE
Consulting services provided by:
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The Arroyo Group with Caryl Levy
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Cultural Arts Commission
Christopher Redo
Frances E. Cornell
Ron Bolles
Sara Deavenport
G. Kerry Knowlton
Susana Liston
Diannah Smith
Tiffany Vinson
Todd Voorhees
Chair
Vice Chair
Commissioner
Commissioner
Commissioner
Commissioner
Commissioner
Commissioner
Commissioner
Chula Vista Office of Arts & Culture
David J. Palmer
Roderick L. Reinhart
Assistant City Manager. Library Director
Manager. Office of Arts and Culture
Citizen's Advisory Committee for the Arts
Mary Salas
Willie Blair
John Clingan
Sara Deavenport
Glenda de Vaney
Del Herbert
Bonnie Johnston
Lisa Moctezuma
Armando Nunez
Susan O'Shaughnessy
Rudy Ramirez
John Raue
Christopher Redo
Paul Schaeffer
Diannah Smith
David Swift
Dwight Sykes
Pete Tillack
Lourdes Vaidez
Theresa Wulf
Chair
Congressman Bob Filner's Office
Chula Vista Boys and Girls Club
California Ballet
Chula Vista Heritage Museum Society
Bonita and Chula Vista Art Guilds. Artist
Arts Educator
Third Avenue Village Association
Artist
Bonitafest Melodrama
Businessman
Sweetwater Union High School District
Chula Vista Cultural Arts Commission
OnStage Playhouse
Chula Vista Cultural Arts Commission
House of Blues" Concerts
Chula Vista Elementary School District
Artist
Chula Vista Chamber of Commerce
San Diego Junior Theatre
City Staff Representatives
Joe Gamble
Jeri Gulbransen
Maria Kachadoorian
Mary Ladiana
Nancy Lytle
Buck Martin
Shauna Stokes
Ric Todd
General Services Department
Chula Vista Library, Heritage Museum
Finance Department
Community Development Department
Planning & Building Department
Recreation Department
Recreation Department
Office of Arts & Culture
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CONTENTS
GUIDING PRINCIPLES ................................................................................................5
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ....................................................................................... 6-15
1. THE CHULA VISTA SETTING FOR THE ARTS................................................... 16
Natural Setting .......... ........ ..... .... ........... ....... ........ ........... .... .... ..... ..... ........ ... ... .... ...17
Historical Setting ... ....................... ......... ......... ............................ ........... ........... 19-21
Regional Setting.................................................................................................... .23
Developmental Setting.......................................................................................... .25
2. EXISTING VENUES, FACILITIES AND PROGRAMS .........................................27
Performing Arts Venues .................................................................................. 28.31
Visual Arts/Heritage Facilities ......................................................................... 31.32
Arts Programs ................................................................................................. 32-38
3. COMMUNITY INPUTS...........................................................................................40
Insights Regarding the Value of the Arts to the Lives of Individuals and the
Community in Chula Vista................................................................................ 41-42
Community Observations Regarding Potentials to Expand and Enhance
the Arts in Chula Vista ..........................................................................................43
4. PUBLIC FUNDING & INVESTMENT IN THE ARTS AT THE LOCAL LEVEL IN
CALIFORNIA................................................................................................... 44-46
Impact of Cultural Tourism .....................................................................................46
TOT Funding .............................. ....... ...... .......... ...... .................. ............... ....... 46-47
Cultural Districts............................................................................................... 47-48
Percent for Art Funding ..........................................................................................48
Comparison Table of Percent for Art Programs in California Cities ................. 49-50
5. RECOMMENDATIONS .........................................................................................51
Introduction........................................................................................................... .52
Recommendations........................................................................................... 53-66
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FIGURES
1 - Natural Setting for the Arts in Chula Vista........................................................18
2 - Historical Setting for the Arts in Chula Vista ...................................................22
3 - Regional Setting for the Arts in Chula Vista .....................................................24
4 - Developmental Setting for the Arts in Chula Vista :.........................................26
5 - Existing Visual and Performing Arts Venues, Facilities and Programs in
Chula Vista ...................................................... ......... .................... .................. .39
APPENDICES
Appendix A: Background Information Report for the Chula Vista Arts Master Plan
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PURPOSE OF THE ARTS MASTER PLAN
The purpose of the Arts Master Plan is to provide recommendations regarding how the
City of Chula Vista can increase the contributions of the visual and performing arts to
the quality of life of the residents of Chula Vista, build upon and expand existing arts
programs, provide recommendations for appropriate ne\N facilities for the arts, and
integrate the arts with the ongoing development and revitalization of the City.
ORGANIZATION OF THE ARTS MASTER PLAN
The Arts Master Plan is organized into the following sections.
Section 1 - The Chula Vista Setting for the Arts - discusses the natural, historical,
regional and developmental settings of the City which have influenced the
recommendations.
Section 2 - Existing Venues, Facilities and Programs - describes the currently
existing arts resources which provide a foundation for the recommendations to increase
the presence of the arts in the life of Chula Vista
Section 3 - Community Inputs - describes the insights of the community regarding the
value of the arts to individuals and the community and the community's observations
regarding the potential to expand and invigorate the arts in Chula Vista.
Section 4 - Public Funding and Investment in the Arts at the Local Level in
California - describes different funding mechanisms and methodologies that have
proven to be beneficial to more than 70 California cities and counties.
Section 5 - Recommendations - describes a variety of programs, projects and funding
means to expand and enrich the visual and performing arts in Chula Vista.
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Arts Master Plan process was undertaken with the firm belief that arts and culture
can create a more livable city, stimulate the local economy, enhance the urban
environment, celebrate the natural environment, engage a wide spectrum of people,
and empower neighborhoods. Art has the power to draw the community together,
creating opportunities not only for enjoyment and appreciation of beauty, but also for
increased dialogue, cross cultural understanding, and intellectual growth.
The recent update of the City of Chula Vista's General Plan incorporated specific
policies and objectives regarding the provision of arts and culture to the Chula Vista
community for the first time in the history of the plan. The inclusion of arts and culture
represented a watershed moment in the City's history and is perfectly in sync with the
widely shared community belief that the arts should be an essential part of Chula Vista,
both intrinsically and economically, and that the arts can and do make significant
contributions to the quality of life.
In addition to opportunities to experience the arts throughout the community, Chula
Vista stands on the verge of realizing several important and community-altering
planning projects - renewal of the Urban Core, development of the Bayfront, and
development of the University site. Incorporating arts and culture elements into the
planning of these major projects is critical for the successful provision of arts and culture
for the residents of Chula Vista for the future.
Interviews, focus groups and public meetings revealed broad support for the arts as well
as the many challenges that currently thwart the ability of the arts to thrive in Chula
Vista. Readily identified major challenges included: 1) a lack of performing and visual
arts facilities; 2) limited funding; 3) lack of affordable spaces for artist housing and
studios; 4) small number of Chula Vista-based arts groups; 5) lack of coordination of
marketing and promotion; and 6) school budget constraints.
This draft Arts Master Plan contains three broad recommendations to address these
challenges and thus increase the contributions of the arts to the people of Chula Vista.
The Plan's recommendations are based on direct community input as well as the study
of successful arts programs in other cities including Pasadena and San Diego. The
goals of the Plan are to provide a civic environment where artistic expression and
cultural diversity can flourish, where art becomes an essential element in the lives of all
Chula Vistans, where the support and encouragement of artists is viewed as critical to
the successful development of Chula Vista, and where City leaders philosophically and
financially support the development and growth of the City's cultural resources.
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GUIDING PRINCIPLES
Inherent to the development of the draft Arts Master Plan were the following Guiding
Principles that were first articulated in the Arts and Culture Element of the General Plan
Update and subsequently embraced by the Citizens' Advisory Committee:
Arts Education is Essential
The City values arts education as a critical component of learning for all people, both in
the classroom and in other educational, recreational, and cultural settings. Arts
education helps build academic skills, increase academic performance, improve
behavior, reach kids who are at risk of dropping out of school, improve self-esteem, and
build the kind of creative skills that are required of people in the workforce.
While learning in other disciplines may often focus on development of a single skill or
talent, the arts regularly engage multiple skills and abilities. Engagement in the arts,
whether the visual arts, dance, music, theatre or other disciplines, nurtures the
development of cognitive, social, and personal competencies When the arts become
central to the learning environment, schools and other settings become places of
discovery.
Public-Private Cooperation
Cooperation between the City, artists, cultural organizations, and the private sector is
essential to ensuring the well being of the cultural community. The City's primary role is,
and should remain, one of "assistance to" rather than "responsibility for" the provision of
cultural services.
Economic Impact
A healthy, vibrant cultural environment enhances the economic vitality of the City. The
arts are valued as an industry because of their contribution to the City's economy, which
encompasses quality of life, economic development, and tourism.
The Arts BrinQ TOQether Diverse People
Artistic, cultural educational and humanistic activities are essential aspects of the life of
the City. All Chula Vista residents should be provided equal opportunities for access to
the arts and the means of cultural expression. Cultural expression provides a bridge of
understanding among the City's diverse cultures.
Citizen Involvement
Citizen involvement is an essential component of the City's cultural planning and
decision-making processes. The arts are integral to civic dialogue and community
building.
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SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS
A creative, committed workforce, and in particular, a thriving community of artists, is
vital to a rich civic life. Artists and other creative workers can make meaningful, unique
contributions to Chula Vista in economic, physical and social terms. Investing in the
creative sector is smart economics. It is also essential to promoting Chula Vista as a
vibrant, progressive city. Chula Vista's policies, systems and spending priorities should
enable artistic talent to flourish for the benefit of the entire community.
This draft Arts Master Plan document is a road map for Chula Vista's future, a future
where Chula Vista is a place that champions its diverse heritage and embraces and
supports the arts. The recommendations are based on the successful experiences of
the Plan's consultants in other California cities including Pasadena and Riverside, the
considerable feedback received from local interviews, focus groups and public
meetings, the recommendations of the City's Cultural Arts Commission, and Arts and
Culture staff study of other cities' successful arts and culture programs.
The Plan's specific recommendations are as follows:
1. ADOPT POLICIES TO SUPPORT THE GROWTH OF PUBLIC ART
Introduction: More than 70 California cities have Public Art Programs in place. These
programs, from small population cities like Emeryville (pop. 6,882) to large cities like
San Diego, share similar goals: to create an artistic and visual harmony among the
cities' buildings, landscapes and open spaces, and to serve the people of the
community by bringing art into their daily lives and ensuring that the visual
experience of the city is enriching and engaging.
Increasingly, cities are discovering the power of public art in creating a unique sense
of place and preserving and celebrating history, heritage and culture. Public art also
creates greater opportunities for cultural tourism, economic development and image
building.
It is recommended that the City address the need for increased funding of public art,
as well as the visual and performing arts in Chula Vista, in accordance with the
recently adopted policies of the General Plan Update. In particular, Policy PFS20.1
states, in part, "Prepare a citywide Cultural Arts Master Plan that.. ..recommends
ongoing financial support for the arts through consideration of a percentage for arts
program...." In addition, Policy PFS 20.3 states "Encourage the installation of art
pieces in publicly owned spaces and require developers to pay fees or provide art
pieces that seNe to enhance an individual project and contribute to the appearance
and vitality of the development."
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1.1. Adopt a 2% for Art Policy on City Capital Improvement
Projects (CIP) >$250,000
This recommended policy would be specifically for the City's above-grade projects of
$250,000 or more within and out of redevelopment areas. It is further recommended
that Council revise the Chula Vista Redevelopment Agency's current 1 % for Art
Policy (applicable only to Towncenter I and Bayfront as adopted in 1979) to a 2% for
Art Policy and expand to all redevelopment zones It' is recommended that street
paving/sealing and sidewalk rehabilitation projects, curb and gutter installations, and
ADA curb ramp installations and modifications be exempted from this policy, along
with those portions of other CIP project budgets that have outside funding sources
(e.g. Transportation Sales Taxes, Gas Taxes, etc.) that prohibit use of funds for
anything outside of specific project expenses.
1.2. Adopt a 2% for Art Policy on Private, Non-residential,
Commercial Development Projects >$250,000
This 2% for public art policy could be satisfied through provision of a suitable onsite
public art piece or art elements that have successfully passed the review of the
Public Art Sub-Committee and Cultural Arts Commission or through a developer
paid contribution to a Public Art Trust Fund in lieu of public art. The 2% set-aside
should be based on projected building construction costs documented on building
permit applications.
Note: This Plan recommends 2% for Arts policies on City CIP and Commercial CIP
instead of 1% for Arts policies for the following reasons:
. A recent survey of public art programs nationwide revealed that 1 % for Arts
policies or ordinances are falling short of providing the necessary funds for
the purchase of quality art pieces as well as ongoing maintenance, and
administration costs of the programs.
. Typically, around 70% of monies collected are spent on the purchase of the
public art piece, and the remaining 30% of the monies are spent on site
preparation, installation and maintenance (preservation, restoration and
repair) plus program administration (community participation activities, project
documentation, publicity, community education activities).
. Several California cities that have had long-tenm One Percent for Arts
programs in place have recently increased to Two Percent, including
Pasadena, San Diego, Sacramento, Santa Cruz, Stockton, Ventura, San Jose
and San Francisco. Program administrators in each of these cities have
experienced difficulty in providing funding for the specialized maintenance
required for public art pieces under their previous One Percent programs.
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As an example of why a 2% for Arts Policy is more desirable than a 1 % for Arts Policy
for the City of Chula Vista, consider the following example:
Chula Vista Fire Station #7
Actual Building Costs = $5.2 million
A 1% for Arts policy would have generated $52,000
A 2% for Arts policy would have generated $104,00IJ
Actual purchase cost for the bronze 9/11 commemorative public art sculpture
"Courage, Dedication, Honor"= $75,000
Installation, site preparation, ongoing maintenance, and preservation is estimated
at $30,000+
Total actual cost for public art installation = $105,000+
1.3. Establish a Public Art Trust Fund
This new City-controlled Public Art Trust Fund would be a perpetual fund that would
exist for the purpose of receiving and expending Percent for Arts policy monies and
other monetary contributions. Recommended allowable expenditures and definitions
of eligible artworks are as follows:
Public Art Works EXDenditures:
. Commissioned or acquiredlpurchased original art pieces
. Structures which enable the display of artwork
. Design, materials, and fabrication fees
. Labor and other contracted services for production and installation
. Permit andlor certificate fees
. Business and legal costs directly related to the public art project
. Transportation, site preparation, installation, and additional utility costs
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. Insurance
. Artist travel and per diem expenses
Public Art Proaram Operatina Costs:
. Program management including staff time, direct costs and overhead
. Documenting and cataloguing
. Maintaining/refurbishing public art when the cost of such maintenance
exceeds funds available for maintenance of public property in general
. Expenses which are, or may become, an integral part of the public art
program including community educational activities and public events
Eliaible Artworks
. Sculpture: free-standing, wall-supported or suspended; kinetic, electronic; in
any material or combination of materials
. Murals or portable paintings: in any material or materials,
. Earthworks, fiber works, neon, glass, mosaics, photographs, prints,
calligraphy, any combination of forms of media including sound, literary
elements, film, holographic images and video systems; hybrids of any media
and new genres
. Fumishings or fixtures, including but not limited to gates, railings, streetlights,
signage, seating, fountains, and shade structures, if created by artists as
unique elements or limited editions
. Artistic or aesthetic elements of the overall architecture or landscape design if
created by a professional artist or a design team that includes a professional
visual artist
. Temporary artworks or installations
. Incremental costs of infrastructure elements, such as soundwalls, utility
structures, bus and trolley stops, roadway elements and other such items if
designed by a professional artist or a design team that includes a professional
visual artist
Ineliaible Artworks
. "Art objects" which are mass produced or of standard manufacture, such as
playground equipment, fountains or mass produced statuary
. Landscape architecture and landscape gardening except where those
elements are designed by a professional visual artist and/or are an integral
part of an artwork by an artist
2. SUPPORT AND EXPAND THE ARTS IN CHULA VISTA
Introduction: Reports on the economic impact of the nonprofit arts and culture industry
in various California communities have demonstrated that investing in this industry does
not come at the expense of economic benefits, but rather strengthens the economy and
fuels economic revitalization by supporting local jobs, stimulating consumer spending,
and generating revenue to local governments. In short, arts and culture are good for
business and the local economy.
Dr. Richard Florida, the Hirst Professor of Public Policy at George Mason University and
a Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution, stated in his 2002 best-selling book, The
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Rise of the Creative Class and How It's Transforming Work, Leisure, Community and
Everyday Life, "The bottom line is that cities need a people climate even more today
that they need a business climate. This means supporting creativity across the board-in
all of its various facets and dimensions--and building a community that is attractive to
creative people, not just to high-tech companies. And as former Seattle mayor Paul
Schell once said, success lies in .... .creating a place where the creative experience can
flourish. Instead of subsidizing companies, stadiums and retail centers, communities
need to be open to diversity and invest in the kinds of lifestyle options and amenities
people really want. In fact, you cannot be a thriving high-tech center if you don't do this."
2.1. Enhance Existing Opportunities
Introduction: Arts and culture opportunities within Chula Vista are often
neighborhood-related. For example, the City of Chula Vista's Recreation Department
offers a variety of dance, music, and visual arts classes to people of all ages at
many of the existing community/recreation centers. The Chula Vista Public Library
provides gallery space for the visual arts at the South Chula Vista Branch Library,
and the Civic Center Branch Library offers free film festivals and other cultural
programs on a regular basis.
In order to continue connecting neighborhood residents to the arts, arts programs,
events and classes should be expanded at existing and proposed
community/recreation centers, parks and libraries. The General Plan also
recommends the creation of Landmark Parks throughout the City. These large parks
should include unique landscaping, gardens, museum spaces, public art pieces, and
performance spaces. Neighborhood arts programs should also be provided in these
future Landmark Parks.
Planning for public facilities and programs, including parks, elementary schools and
recreation centers, has been a validated part of the historical tradition of planning for
good neighborhoods. Some of the planning for portions of eastern Chula Vista has
been based on the concept of village planning. These villages incorporate many of
the principles of traditional neighborhood planning while also recognizing the positive
potentials for community interaction that can be created by grouping schools, parks,
recreation/community centers, artistic elements and performance spaces.
To enhance existing opportunities to further arts and culture, the City should:
. Renovate the Civic Center Library Auditorium
. Conduct a needs assessment for expansion/relocation of the Chula Vista
Heritage Museum
. Integrate the visual and performing arts in the planning for the University site
. Explore forming a college of Fine Arts at University
. Provide performance and exhibition spaces
. Provide cross-cultural visual and performing arts programs
. Link to school districts' visual and performing arts programs
. Involve Office of Arts and Culture staff and the Cultural Arts Commission
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in concept development phases
. Extend the energy of the arts to all Chula Vista neighborhoods and villages
and create additional citywide arts focal points
. Expand neighborhood arts programs, events and classes
. Create neighborhood and village arts plans
. Create an artist colony
. Create additional citywide arts focal points at Southwestern College,
Olympic Training Center, Eastern Urban Center, and other locations
2.2. Create a Northwest Area Arts District
Nearly all of the participants in the community inputs process emphasized that the
City of Chula Vista and the South Bay region have a great need for performing arts
venues and visual arts facilities. The planned revitalization of the Urban Core and
the ongoing Bayfront development plans present unprecedented and timely
opportunities for Chula Vista to create prominent, appropriate locations for
performing and visual arts venues and facilities, as well as places for artists to both
live and work.
The Northwest Area Arts District should encompass the Urban Core planning area
and the Bayfront Development area, with H Street designated as an Arts
Promenade.
. Prepare a feasibility study for the location and development of a Downtown
Arts Center and a Bayfront Arts Center
. Assist in the development of Artist Activated Spaces within the District
. Create H Street Arts Promenade
2.3. Create a Blue Ribbon Task Force to Generate Major
Funding for the Arts
This Blue Ribbon Task Force should be appointed by Council and should be
comprised of City neighborhood, business and educational leaders who would be
charged with a concentrated effort of raising private funds on a major scale. Recent
and current developers of eastem Chula Vista, the Bayfront and other major projects
in Chula Vista, as well as wealthy individuals, should be given the opportunity to
contribute funds for near term construction of new visual and performing arts
facilities and to provide for support/expansion of existing facilities. The Chula Vista
Public Library Foundation could serve as the tax-exempt fiscal agent for receipt of
charitable gifts and grants.
2.4. Address Short and Long-term Funding Needs
The City of Chula Vista's financial support of local arts groups and arts activities in
public schools has been, to date, restricted to the annual re-granting of monies
received through a contractual agreement with House of Blues@ and Coors
Amphitheater. These pass-through funds have totaled in the $35,000-$50,000 range
for the past seven years and have been re-granted to local groups and schools in
amounts ranging from $500 - $2,500 each. Input from local arts leaders and school
administrators indicated that these small grants, while appreciated, have no long
13
6-19
term impact on the provision of arts and culture programming in Chula Vista and
have had no impact on the provision of additional arts and culture facilities.
It is recommended that the City address both short and long-term financial needs of
the arts in the following ways:
· Assess periodically the funding needs of local. arts groups and school arts
programs
· Increase the funding for the Mayor's Performing and Visual Arts Task Force
Grants from the current annual $35,000-$50,000 level
· Continue and expand collaborations and partnerships with local and regional
arts groups and schools
· Instruct the Cultural Arts Commission and staff to investigate and recommend
to Council specific public and private funding methodologies that have proven
successful in other municipalities.
Additional funding would allow the City and its partners to:
. Support the growth of local arts groups
. Support professional arts performances and exhibits taking place within
Chula Vista
. Support a broad range of neighborhood arts programs
. Support future cultural arts centers
. Enhance cultural tourism through support of marketing and promotion
efforts
2.5. Enhance the Role of the Cultural Arts Commission
The role of the Cultural Arts Commission is to advise the City Council on matters
related to arts and culture. That role should be enhanced to include providing
guidance for the implementation all of the recommendations contained in the Arts
Master Plan.
· Oversee implementation of the Arts Master Plan
. Recruit more artists/arts administrators to Commission
. Provide annual report to Council
. Preserve artists' rights
. Develop a plan for oversight of public art cataloguing
. Oversee five-year public art maintenance surveys
. Oversee periodic renewal of the Arts Master Plan
· Advocate for adequate staffing for Office of Arts and Culture
3. INCREASE MARKETING AND PROMOTION OF THE ARTS
Introduction: Chula Vista should be the hub of cultural activities for people living in the
South Bay. Chula Vista is already recognized for the beauty of its natural environment,
historic residential architecture, and diverse cultural life. Arts and culture events and
festivals are important assets in the City's tourism industry and are marketable products
14
6-20
T
to residents, visitors and future conventioneers. Encouraging cultural tourism will help
the City stimulate its economy by redefining its image, providing a return on investment
in cultural attractions, promoting Chula Vista's historic character as an asset, and
generating new tax revenues to support City services.
3.1. Implement a Comprehensive Arts M~rketing and Promotion
Program
. Create an Arts Movement program
. Create City art gateways at points of connection with regional freeway system
and at existing and proposed transit stations
. Create an arts banner program to demarcate arts districts
. Publish arts movement and art walk maps
. Designate an arts shuttle bus for the Northwest Area Arts District
. Establish Art Nights in Chula Vista
. Expand regional dialogues/programs with San Diego and Baja California
6...111
Section 1
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6-22
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The visual and performing arts in Chula Vista have been and will be influenced by the
context in which they are created. Particularly important contextual elements for the arts
in Chula Vista include the City's natural, historical, regional and developmental settings.
NATURAL SETTING
Chula Vista, prior to a substantial amount of habitation, was a desert environment at the
edge of a great bay. As the Sweetwater River wove its way through Chula Vista, it
deposited the sediments that created the Sweetwater wetlands.
The Sweetwater Marsh National Wildlife Refuge, the largest tract of preserved wetlands
in the South Bay, is home to more than 200 birds and a variety of endangered species.
The nationally-recognized Chula Vista Nature Center is located within the Refuge, and
provides local nature programs and exhibits for children and adults.
The hills surrounding Chula Vista are comprised of coastal sage scrub plant
communities, which are found along the California coast from San Francisco to San
Diego. Plants in this community include low-growing species such as Sage Brush. The
coastal sage environment is an important component of the local ecology of Chula
Vista.
The natural environment of Chula Vista has been altered by irrigation systems
constructed to support both agriculture and the development of new communities. Yet
the desert environment, ocean, wetlands, animals, plants and birds have and will
continue to inspire the arts and artists of Chula Vista. Artists and their arts can relate to
these elements by creating individual expressions and interpretations of local flora and
fauna, as well as creating responses to Chula Vista's ocean, wetlands and coastal sage
setti ng.
Figure 1 illustrates the major components of the natural environment .that remain in Chula Vista today,
including the bay, the Sweetwater Marsh National Wildlife Refuge, the Otay reservoirs, and the southerly
greenbelt. This greenbelt, as defined in the Chula Vista General Plan, will provide a continuous corridor of
undeveloped open space which will preserve a natural environment for the City and provide hiking
connections from the reservoirs to the wildlife refuge. The hills located to the east of the reservoirs also
provide an appealing visual backdrop for Chula Vista.
17
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HISTORICAL SETTING
History creates a sense of place and identity for everyday life and a context for the arts.
The Chula Vista Heritage Museum has created "A Brief History of Chula Vista," which
describes the major eras in Chula Vista's history.
The following is an overview of Chula Vista's history, as described in this exhibit.
3000 BC - EARLIEST INHABITANTS
Nomadic Yuman-speaking Indians first migrated into the area now known as Chula
Vista about 5,000 years ago, around the same time that construction of Stonehenge
began in England. The natives subsisted on a diet of fish, small game, and a variety of
wild seeds, berries and nuts-especially the acorn which became their main staple.
Descendants of these original inhabitants are known today as the Kumeyaay Indians.
1769 - SPANISH MISSIONARIES ARRIVE
While several Spanish ships had previously sailed into San Diego Bay, white settlement
didn't begin in the region until Father Junipero Serra led a party of missionaries and
soldiers north across the present-day border of Mexico. On July 1, 1769, they traveled
through Chula Vista and established the first of a string of 21 California missions in San
Diego. The missionaries dramatically changed the Indians' way of life by imposing a
feudal "serf" system and using them to grow crops. "EI Rancho del Rey" (the King's
Ranch), which encompassed the Chula Vista region, was used to graze their horses
and cattle.
1821- MEXICAN RULE AND LAND GRANTS
The Spanish empire in the new world crumbled which left California to be governed by
the newly established country of Mexico. Under Mexican rule, the mission system was
secularized-control was seized from the Catholic Church and favored citizens were
given large land grants including several near Chula Vista. In 1845, California Govemor
Pio Pico gave "EI Rancho del Rey" to John Forster, his brother-in-law, and it was
renamed "Rancho de la Naci6n" (the National Ranch)
1850 - CALIFORNIA BECOMES A US TERRITORY
California became a U.S. territory following the Mexican-American War in 1847. Only
one year after the gold rush of 1849, California became a state. Most of the land grants
that were established under Mexican rule were allowed to continue as private property
although the U.S. required proof of ownership. While John Forster kept his land in the
Chula Vista region, it took him a number of years to verify ownership using such
informal methods as witness accounts and scraps of paper.
1868 -RAILROAD RELA TED DEVELOPMENT
Entrepreneurs Frank, Warren and Levi Kimball bought "Rancho de la Naci6n" for
$30,000. To increase the value of their investment, Frank Kimball successfully lobbied
19
6-25
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the Santa Fe Railway to build a line to National City, just north of Chula Vista. In
exchange for its investment, Kimball gave the railroad almost 40 percent of his holdings
and that 10,000 acres encompassed the entire area that became Chula Vista. With that
incentive, the railroad formed a subSidiary called the San Diego Land and Town
Company and made plans to develop Chula Vista.
1887 - CHULA VISTA IS PLANNED
Colonel William Dickinson, one of the Santa Fe Railway's town planners, was hired to
plan the new community of Chula Vista. The first tract was subdivided into five-acre lots,
which initially were sold for $1,500 with the requirement that the owners build an
orchard house and plant citrus trees. Developers of the region also anticipated that this
agricultural adventure would need a reliable source of water. At the same time lots were
being sold by the San Diego Land and Town Company, the railroad financed
construction of the Sweetwater Dam. Soon Chula Vista proclaimed itself the "Lemon
Capital of the World" and by 1898 the community had 60,000 lemon trees and two
packinghouses.
1911- CHULA VISTA GROWS
Chula Vista continued to grow both in size and prestige, and by 1911 its amenities
included a bank, post office, school, library, hospital, yacht club, churches and more. Its
citizens voted to incorporate the 5.3-square-mile community. Unfortunately early years
of prosperity were followed by two years of drought in 191415, then disastrous rains in
early 1916 sent floodwaters through the earth abutments at Sweetwater Dam and broke
the Otay Dam to the south of Chula Vista. Many agricultural assets were destroyed and
an undocumented number of lives were lost.
1916- CHULA VISTA HELPS FIGHT WORLD WAR I
At the beginning of World War I, the Hercules Powder Company opened a factory along
the bay in Chula Vista to extract certain chemicals from kelp-a type of seaweed. The
company combined these chemicals to make an explosive used by the British for fuses
during the war and offered employment to more than 1,500 residents. After the war the
plant was closed but to this day the site is still frequently referred to as Gunpowder
Poi nt.
1941- CHULA VISTA HELPS FIGHT WORLD WAR /I
Just months before the attack on Pearl Harbor, Fred Rohr moved his fledgling aircraft
company to Chula Vista. Rohr Aircraft manufactured ready-to-install engine units for
military and civilian aircraft, and at the height of its World War II production employed
9,000 workers. As a result, several massive temporary housing projects were built
where orchards once stood. These changes signaled the eventual end of Chula Vista's
rural lifestyle. In the 1990s Rohr was bought by BF Goodrich.
1985 - CHULA VISTA ANNEXES HISTORIC OTA Y AND GROWS EAST
Two factors during this decade brought tremendous growth in Chula Vista. The former
Montgomery Fire Protection District, that included the historic Otay community, voted in
20
6-26
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favor of annexation bringing more than 25,000 new residents to Chula Vista. In addition,
the city annexed the first of several large parcels of land to the east (encompassing
parts of "EI Rancho del Rey" and other original land grants) and approved its first
master planned community-EastLake. Other master planned communities would soon
follow, including the launch of Otay Ranch in 1993.
Artists and their arts can continue to draw inspiration from the rich and unique history of
Chula Vista.
Figure 2 - Historical Setting for the Arts in Chula Vista depicts these eras.
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REGIONAL SETTING
Chula Vista is located between the major metropolitan area of San Diego, which is
contiguous with the City, and Mexico whose border is located only seven miles to the
south. The connections between Chula Vista and Mexico have been strengthened in
modern times by the construction of the Interstate 5 freeway and the San Diego
Metropolitan Transit System Trolley Blue Line.
The City of San Diego provides residents of Chula Vista with artistic and cultural
opportunities that are not available in Chula Vista. Major San Diego arts venues, such
as the San Diego Opera and The Globe Theatre, can continue to support the vitality of
the arts in Chula Vista's growing community.
Tijuana is the major entrance point into Mexico from Southern California, as well as the
gateway into the beautiful Baja Peninsula. The movement of people and ideas between
Baja California and the South Bay creates an opportunity for cultural exchange and
understanding, new partnerships, and heightened cultural awareness.
Chula Vista's geographic location between the San Diego metropolitan area and the
Baja Peninsula provides opportunities for exciting new partnerships and continuing
existing collaborations for the visual and performing arts. Tijuana offers a variety of
artistic and cultural opportunities. For example, Tijuana has a conservatory of music,
dance and art schools and the Tijuana Cultural Center (CECUT) hosts the Orchestra of
Baja California, the Center for Scenic Arts and the Hispanic-American Center for Guitar.
The Baja California Cultural Institute (ICBC), promotes arts and cultural groups, and has
gallery spaces in a variety of locations, including Tijuana and Ensenada.
Figure 3 - Regional Setting for the Arts in Chula Vista - illustrates the proximity of Chula Vista to San
Diego and Baja California and the freeway connections to both areas. The San Diego to Border Trolley
Line generally follows the alignment of Interstate 5. Regional access to Chula Vista will soon be
enhanced by completion of the SR-125 South Bay Expressway, which will enter the City near the
proposed University Site. The accompanying satellite photo in Figure 3 illustrates the proximity of Chula
Vista to San Diego and Baja California, and the location of the hills, which enhance the natural
environment of Chula Vista.
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DEVELOPMENTAL SETTING
Chula Vista is currently in the advanced planning stages of major new development and
revitalization projects, which will dramatically change the character of Chula Vista in a
positive manner.
The Downtown Urban Core will experience a combination of new development and
revitalization through changes in land use and public improvements. The resident
population of Downtown Chula Vista will increase dramatically as projects are approved
and constructed in the near future.
The Bayfront project will bring new retail, residential, hotel and convention/meeting
space to the Bayfront and connect it to the Downtown Urban Core.
The continuing development of the Southeast Portion of Otay Ranch will add
thousands of new residents to Chula Vista who will live in village environments. Within
the Southeast Portion of Otay Ranch, the site for a University Site has been set aside
and is currently being planned for a new complex of educational institutions. This new
multi-university/ college complex will dramatically enhance the educational and cultural
environment of Chula Vista and can strengthen Chula Vista's educational, cultural and
artistic connections with Mexico.
Redevelopment of the City's older Southwestern and Northwestern areas will result
in additional parks, public gathering places, more pedestrian friendly neighborhoods,
increased housing density, and improved public amenities. These redevelopment
projects will provide numerous opportunities for the City to incorporate artists in the
planning and execution of revitalization efforts, thus assuring that the projects
successfully reflect the City's rich cultural heritage.
The opportunity exists to integrate facilities and programs for the visual and performing
arts into each of these major development projects. This integration of the arts with
development and revitalization is one of the greatest opportunities to make the arts a
greater part of life in Chula Vista.
Figure 4 - Developmental Setting for the Arts in Chula Vista-illustrates the scope of these projects.
6331
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EXISTING ARTS VENUES, FACILITIES AND PROGRAMS
Within the natural, historical, regional and development contexts previously
described, Chula Vista features an excellent variety of school programs for the
visual and performing arts. The same cannot be said for professional arts groups.
Only one such group, the San Diego Junior Theatre, currently operates within
Chula Vista, and that operation is a storefront branch facility of a group based in
San Diego.
For a city with a nearly one quarter million residents, it is surprising that Chula
Vista has nearly no dedicated facilities for either the performing or visual arts. If
Southwestern College's Mayan Hall is removed from the equation, Chula Vista is
left with no traditional, dedicated indoor facilities for either the performing or
visual arts. Without adequate facilities, the arts and culture scene will not flourish
or grow in Chula Vista, cultural to.urism will languish, and the City will miss out on
a unique opportunity to take advantage of its diverse cultural traditions, strong
school arts programs, its natural, historical, and regional contexts, and its
development opportunities.
The City of Chula Vista's Public Facilities and Services Element of the recent
adopted General Plan Update states "While several facilities are available for
display and presentation of the arts throughout our City, including the City branch
libraries and recreation centers, there is limited availability of adequately
designed or appropriately located facilities for both performances and exhibits. A
main, central cultural arts venue, theater or center is lacking. Benefits of a
cultural arts venue include having an identifiable city facility that could serve
public and private performances and exhibits throughout the south San Diego
County region and stimulate economic development and redevelopment."
The following is an overview of existing venues, facilities and programs.
PERFORMING ARTS VENUESISPACES
Traditionally, the performing arts (theatre, dance, opera, music, et al) are best
served when viewed in a fixed-seat auditorium with a Proscenium Stage, an
overhead fly space for scenery and lighting, appropriate acoustics and good
viewing angles from all seats. A Proscenium Stage is the most typical stage
formation for theaters. The audience only sits in front of the stage and the stage
is framed on sides and the top, like a picture. The entire South Bay area has only
one sizeable facility that meets this description - Mayan Hall.
~ Mayan Hall
Mayan Hall is located in the central portion of eastern Chula Vista on the campus
of Southwestern College. Mayan Hall is Southwestem College's performing arts
facility, and has served students in the South Bay for over forty years. It also
serves as a lecture hall. Mayan Hall features a lobby and entrance plaza, and
was named for the Mayan architectural motifs that have been incorporated into
many of the buildings on the Southwestern College campus. Mayan Hall's main
28
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T.
auditorium and stage are used primarily for Southwestern College productions
and are only very rarely available for use by any outside groups. The main
auditorium seats 461 people. The lower level of Mayan Hall contains a "Black
Box" theatre as well as rehearsal space. A Black Box theatre is not called this
because the walls are painted black, though often they are. A Black Box theatre
has no permanent stage or seating area which allows the theatre to be
configured as needed for each performance.
Other notable South Bay fixed-seat performance spaces include:
)- Civic Center Library Auditorium
Chula Vista Public Library's Civic Center Branch features a fixed seat auditorium
that can accommodate up to 152 people. It has a tiny stage area appropriate for
lectures, readings, film/video screenings, and small group performances. Overall,
this is a 30-year old, outmoded facility that has never been renovated. From the
beginning it was not intended to be used as a "theatre" but rather as a space for
library programs to take place. Today is has uncomfortable seating, inadequate
lighting and sound systems, poor acoustics and no backstage area or fly space.
Despite these drawbacks, the auditorium is in regular use for children's
programming as well as serving as a film festival venue and space for meetings,
lectures, and music performances.
)- Coors Amphitheatre
The Coors Amphitheatre is located in southeastern Chula Vista. This is an
outdoor performing arts venue operated by the for-profit corporation House of
Blues@. Designed primarily for live music events, the theatre can seat 10,000
people in fixed seats, and approximately 10,000 more people can be
accommodated on a grass area behind the permanent seating. The
Amphitheatre is located seventeen miles from downtown San Diego and serves
the entire San Diego County metropolitan region. The Coors Amphitheater offers
primarily popular music concerts related to the varied cultural influences shaping
contemporary music. Performers who have appeared at the Amphitheater range
from Elton John to Jimmy Buffett.
Other notable South Bay performance spaces with portable seating and/or
portable stages include:
)- Bolles Theatre
The Bolles Theatre, named after current Cultural Arts Commissioner and School
for the Creative and Performing Arts Facilitator Ron Bolles, is located on the
Bonita Vista High School campus. The theatre serves as the annual location for
the Bonitafest Melodrama. The theatre has a proscenium stage and can seat up
to 200 people on folding chairs. Platforms in the seating area provide elevated
seating. Theatres of this same limited size can be found on most of the high
school campuses throughout the SUHSD.
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T.
~ Ruth Chapman Petforming Arts Center
The Ruth Chapman Performing Arts Center, built in 1995, is located on the
EastLake High School campus. The main performance area is actually a
multipurpose facility that features a proscenium stage and can seat up to 428
people on moveable chairs and in lecture hall seats. This often-used facility
serves as an important venue for the entire Sweetwater Union High School
District. In addition to the Ruth Chapman Theatre, the Center also has a Black
Box theatre for smaller events.
~ Chula Vista High School Theatre (a.k.a. The Theatre on K Street)
This frequently used theatre is a venue for the Chula Vista School for the
Creative and Performing Arts (SCPA), which is located in western Chula Vista.
The theatre has a proscenium stage, with movable chairs that can seat
approximately 200 people. The theatre has a small lobby with space for
displaying student artwork. The SCPA also has two other venues located on the
campus of Chula Vista Middle School: the original 1930s style auditorium seats
200 people in folding chairs; and a new multipurpose room seats 450 people on
moveable chairs. Both venues have proscenium stages.
~ Memorial Park Bowl
The Memorial Park Bowl is a City-owned outdoor amphitheatre facility located in
Memorial Park, adjacent to the Third Avenue Village. The Bowl can
accommodate up to seven hundred people on a fixed stone seating area and is
often used for the City's Music in the Park Summer Concert Series.
~ OnStage Playhouse
Onstage Playhouse is located on Third Avenue and F Street and is one of the
arts attractions of the Third Avenue Village. The OnStage Playhouse is currently
in its 27th season and is the only live community theatre in Chula Vista. The
storefront theatre operates year-round, producing six or more plays in an intimate
space that can seat up to 60 people.
~ Otay Ranch High School Theatre
This school has a proscenium stage situated in a multipurpose room with
portable seating that can accommodate up to 450 people.
~ Rancho del Rey Middle School Theatre and EastLake Middle School Theatre
Both schools have performance spaces that serve students of the respective
schools as well as other Sweetwater Union High School District students. The
performance spaces are actually frequent-use multi-purpose rooms with
proscenium stages. Each facility can accommodate up to 450 people on folding
chairs.
~ San Diego Junior Theatre
San Diego Junior Theatre originally began 58 years ago as a community
program by San Diego's Old Globe Theatre. Today, SDJT operates as an
independent, nonprofit organization for the benefit of children throughout San
Diego County and is the oldest continuing children's theatre program in the
country. SDJT offers classes at Balboa Park, in La Jolla, and in a renovated
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storefront facility in the heart of Chula Vista on Third Avenue. The Chula Vista
storefront facility offers year-round theatre classes to all age children and teens,
and also produces a series of four live plays throughout the year: one per
quarter, twelve performances per play. The storefront has folding chairs on
portable risers that can accommodate up to 120 people for each performance.
VISUAL ARTS AND HERITAGE FACILITIES
What was true about the surprising lack of adequately~equipped performing arts
facilities in the South Bay is, unfortunately, also true for the Visual Arts. In fact.
there are no specifically dedicated exhibition spaces for fine art in the entire
South Bay other than the 1200 square foot gallery at Southwestern College that
is predominately used by the college's own students and faculty.
Other notable visual arts-related spaces include:
~ The International Institute of Photographic Arts
Established in 1972 to further the acceptance of color photography as fine art,
the Institute houses a color photography collection that includes works by some
of the most prominent photographers in the world, including one of the largest
collections in the Dye Transfer medium. The Institute opened its doors to the
general public in 2006 offering high quality art services and a new 5,000 square
foot exhibition space.
~ OnStage Playhouse Art Gallery
In addition to their live community theatre productions, OnStage Playhouse has
a small lobby gallery space where local and regional artists are showcased.
~ Moctezuma Books and Gallery
Moctezuma Books and Gallery, on Chula Vista's Third Avenue, regularly hosts
artist receptions and poetry readings with local authors, artists, professors, and
friends of the arts. All readings and events are bilingual. Moctezuma Gallery
focuses on contemporary and modem art from the San Diego-Tijuana border
area, Mexico and the Californias. The small Gallery features original paintings,
drawings, ceramics, and prints. Established and emerging artists are exhibited
~ Rosemary Lane Galeria
The Rosemary Lane Galeria is located in the South Branch of the Chula Vista
Public Library, which was designed by famed Mexican architect Ricardo
Legoretta. The Galeria is essentially two linear hallway spaces that provide
exhibition space for local and regional artists. It is open to the public during
library hours and showcases between six to eight special exhibitions per year. It
also serves as the main exhibition space for an annual showcase of SUHSD
visual arts students.
Notable history and heritage-related exhibit spaces include:
~ Bonita Museum and Cultural Center
The nonprofit Bonita Museum is dedicated to preserving the culture and history
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of the Sweetwater Valley and South County. Established in 1987, the Museum
has collected historical artifacts, photographs and other materials. In 2003,
Supervisor Greg Cox announced that San Diego County would be constructing a
new Bonita-Sunnyside Library and Museum in the heart of Bonita. With the help
of numerous private contributions, construction was completed in the winter of
2005 and the Bonita Museum subsequently moved into its new 3000 sq. foot
space.
~ Chula Vista Heritage Museum
The Heritage Museum is part of the Chula Vista Public Library and is assisted by
the Heritage Museum Society, a division of the nonprofit Friends of the Chula
Vista Library. The 600 square foot Museum is dedicated to preserving the cultural
and historic legacy of Chula Vista and is located on historic Third Avenue.
ARTS PROGRAMS
Overview of Existing Programs Sponsored by the City of Chula Vista:
~ Mayor's Performing and Visual Arts Task Force Grant Program
In 1997, the Chula Vista City Council approved a sublease with the House of
Blues Concerts, Inc. (formerly Universal Concerts) that established a process
whereby a portion of ticket sales proceeds at the Coors Amphitheater would be
paid to the City and utilized for a Performing and Visual Arts Fund. This fund is
used for arts grants to the Chula Vista community for the purpose of promoting
and stimulating the growth of performing and cultural arts within the City of Chula
Vista.
As called for in the sublease, a Mayor's Performing and Visual Arts Task Force
was established and it annually makes recommendations to the City Council
regarding the arts grant awards. The Task Force is staffed by the Office of Arts &
Culture which formally conducts the grant application process. For 2006, the
Office of Arts & Culture received $52,500 from the House of Blues for the fiscal
year 2006/2007 grant cycle.
~ Chula Vista's Taste of the Arts Festival
Chula Vista's premier outdoor festival is the Taste of the Arts, which celebrates
all arts and culture disciplines and is the largest event of its kind in the South
Bay. The festival has been produced annually for 19 years and typically features
multiple stages with live professional music and dance performances, student
talent, juried art exhibits, a variety of art and crafts for sale, hands-on art-making
activities, and numerous vendor booths. For the past several years the festival
has been staged at Bayside Park.
~ Music in the Park - Summer Concert Series
Music in the Park is a summer concert series that has been presented by the City
of Chula Vista for the past forty-four years. Music in The Park is a series of free,
live music concerts of varying genres held in various parks throughout the city.
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~ Gayle McCandliss Arts Awards
Each year the Gayle McCandliss Arts Awards are presented during a City
Council meeting. Individuals and organizations are invited to submit nominations
for consideration. The awards are made possible by the Gayle McCandliss Art
Awards Memorial Fund that was established in 1991 in honor of the late Mayor
Gayle McCandliss. Consistent with her wishes, it was established as a perpetual
fund to recognize and provide monetary support or recognition to individuals or
groups who make substantial contribution to the arts in the City of Chula Vista.
Awards are given the following categories:
1. Rising Star Awards
These awards recognize artistic achievement by talented young artists in
every art form- dance, music, theater, medial, visual and literary arts.
Nominees must be graduating high school seniors, a resident of the City
of Chula Vista, and currently attending a public or private school.
Certificates and monetary prizes are awarded to the winners. Winners
may be invited to exhibit or perform their work at a City festival.
2. Bravo Award
This award recognizes significant artistic achievement by an individual
whose work has helped to build community pride and appreciation of the
art and culture of the City of Chula Vista. Out-of-school, adult individual
artists in all disciplines are eligible. Certificates are awarded to the winner
and they may be invited to exhibit or perform their work at a City festival
3. Distinguished Service Award
This award recognizes community service by an individual or group who
has voluntarily given time and donated resources in support of Chula
Vista's art, artists and the community's cultural life. Individuals, arts
patrons, corporations or businesses, local government representatives,
educators, and other non-profit organizations are eligible. A certificate of
appreciation is presented to the honoree.
4. Literary Award
This award recognizes literary achievements by an individual or
individuals whose works have helped to build better community
understanding, appreciation and pride in the literary arts. The nominees
are screened by a committee of the Library Board and Library staff and
recommended to the Cultural Arts Commission for final approval. Eligibility
is limited to Adult (18+) individual writers in any format who are residents
of Chula Vista. Award plaques and monetary prizes are awarded to the
winner(s).
~ Public Art Program
The Office of Arts & Culture provides advisory services and administrative
support for a broad array of individuals and organizations engaged in the field of
public art in Chula Vista and the South Bay region. The Office of Arts & Culture
maintains a listing of current artists working in a range of media.
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The majority of funding for current public art opportunities comes from the Unified
Port of San Diego's 1 % for Art Ordinance on development projects within Port
tidelands which include the areas of Port tidelands within the Chula Vista city
limits. The Chula Vista Office of Arts & Culture staff and the Cultural Arts
Commission's Public Art Sub-Committee periodically manage the public art work
selection process for Port-funded public art projects in Chula Vista.
The City's Office of Arts & Culture has recently enacted, with Council approval, a
process whereby loaned pieces of public art can be put on public display on City-
owned properties for a period of time of one to three years.
In addition, there are currently in place two Chula Vista Redevelopment Agency
1 % for Arts policies applicable to development projects within the
Redevelopment Zones of Town Center I and Bayfront. Both policies impose
public art selection and fund collection on the Redevelopment Agency itself, with
design review conducted by the City's Design Review Committee. These policies
were adopted prior to the creation of the current Office of Arts & Culture, the
Chula Vista Cultural Arts Commission, and its Public Art Sub-Committee.
Approximately 20 public art works and architectural enhancements (such as
fountain features and stained glass windows) have been created as a result of
these policies since 1979. Detailed information about each work is included in the
City's "Public Art in Chula Vista" guide, coordinated by the Office of Arts &
Culture and published by the Chula Vista Heritage Museum.
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>- Chula Vista Public Library Programs
At its three branches, the Chula Vista Public Library presents over 150 cultural
programs annually. Programs include live music concerts, film presentations,
book discussion groups, and author lectures. Almost 9,000 people attended
cultural programs in 2004-05. In addition, over 22,000 children attended some
600 programs in that same year. Although most children's programs were
literacy based, many introduced young people to music, movement, puppetry,
and other cultural activities. In 2006, the Chula Vista Public Library also created a
new Foundation to support the library as well as arts and culture in Chula Vista.
>- City of Chula Vista Recreation Department Programs
The City of Chula Vista Recreation Department offers ongoing classes, open to
the general public through a class fee and registration system, in a wide variety
of arts and culture disciplines. Class subjects typically include: Ballet, Tap,
Mexican Folk Dance, Belly Dancing, Polynesian Dance, Salsa, Hip Hop,
Flamenco, Drawing, Sculpture, Cartoon Drawing, Creative Clay,
DrawinglWatercolors, Acting, Guitar, Keyboards, and Little Voices Chorus.
Annual class enrollment exceeds 7,000 individuals at the Recreation Centers and
satellite locations. Approximately 440 classes are offered annually with an
average enrollment of 16 students per class. Class instructors are drawn from a
pool of arts and culture professionals within the community and they are
compensated for their services.
Overview of Existing School-Based Arts and Culture Programs
>- Sweetwater Union High School District Visual and Performing Arts
The Sweetwater Union High School District (SUHSD) has the largest school-
based visual and performing arts program in the State of California and is the first
district to offer formal Mariachi and Ballet Folklorico training. Recently, SUHSD
arts students' academic test scores are consistently higher than non-arts
students. Participation throughout the SUHSD is strong in all disciplines, with
53% of all district students participating in visual/performing arts programs.
The Chula Vista School for the Creative and Performing Arts (SCPA), housed at
Chula Vista High School and Chula Vista Middle School, has over 800 students
who have selected a "major" from many artistic disciplines, including Choir,
Orchestra, Band, Ballet Folklorico, Ballet, Jazz, Tap Dance, Piano, Guitar,
Mariachi, Music Theory, Computer Arts, Traditional Art, Stage Technology and
Theatre Arts. SCPA students, on the average, have a GPA that is a full grade
point higher than other students at Chula Vista High School.
SCPA also annually sponsors the Chula Vista Band Review, a weekend-long
event that draws up to 4,000 visitors to Chula Vista from throughout California.
Bonita Vista High School's Show Choir, the Music Machine, has performed in 22
countries. Of the more than 16,000 high school choirs in the United States, the
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Music Machine is consistently ranked in the top 10 in the nation. Music Machine
has won over 300 awards in regional, state, national and international
competitions.
~ Chula Vista Elementary School District
The Chula Vista Elementary School District (CVESD) has two "Arts Magnet"
schools in Allen Elementary School and Kellogg Elementary School. Both
schools feature programs that involve students in curriculum-related, sequential
skill-based instruction in dance, vocal music, drama, and art provided by
specially trained staff and professional consultants.
~ Southwestem College
Southwestern College is organized into academic units, referred to as schools.
The School of Arts & Communication houses the disciplines of Art, Commercial
Music, Dance, Graphic Design, Interdisciplinary New Media, Journalism, Music,
Speech, Telemedia, and Theatre. The School's main objective is to provide
quality comprehensive programs that serve student needs. The broad curriculum
offers students the opportunity to learn academic theory while gaining hands-on
experience. Southwestern College maintains state-of-the-art equipment and
facilities to support the growth and development of their programs.
Southwestern's Arts & Communication classes include instruction in Art,
Ceramics, Drawing, Painting, Printmaking, Photography, Graphic Design, Design
in Wood, Jewelry & Metalwork, Interdisciplinary New Media Studies, Modern
Dance, Ballet, Jazz Dance, Ballroom, Latin American, African, and Tap Dance.
Music classes cover Instrumental Jazz Ensembles, Vocal Jazz Ensembles,
Choral Music, Commercial Music, the nations only Mariachi Studies program,
African Drumming, Chamber Singers, Piano, and Guitar. Theatre classes include
Acting Workshops, Directing, and Technical Theatre.
Overview of Chula Vista-Based Arts Groups/Programs
~ Bonitafest Melodrama
Now in its 29th year, the Bonitafest Melodrama is a community-based nonprofit
organization that annually produces an original musical theatre production that
celebrates the history of the Bonita and Chula Vista communities. Family-
oriented melodramatic productions involve scores of theatre artists of all ages
and run for four performances in conjunction with the Bonitafest celebration held
every fall.
~ Chula Vista Art Guild and Bonita Artists Potpourri
Both the Chula Vista Art Guild and the Bonita Artists Potpourri are all-volunteer
based membership guilds of local visual artists practicing in all mediums. Both
organizations display the works of their respective memberships throughout the
City including local businesses, libraries, courthouses and outdoor venues.
Neither group has its own facility.
~ Chula Vista Community Concert Band
This is a recently-formed all volunteer community-based ensemble dedicated to
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providing Chula Vista residents performances of band performances. Their goal
is to reach 60 members and to work closely with school music programs in the
City through workshops, clinics and master classes.
~ Dance Instruction Studios
Chula Vista is home to approximately one dozen private dance instruction
studios offering classes for students of all ages, with a major emphasis on
children's instructional dance programs. These studios feature performances for
live audiences on a regular basis. .
~ Friends of the Arts
Friends of the Arts is an all-volunteer non-profit agency founded in 1995 for the
purpose of promoting, preserving and preserving fine arts in Chula Vista and the
South Bay. Recent programs have emphasized music, art and drama workshops
for children ages 5-17.
~ Imagination Express
Imagination Express is a professionally trained Mime Troupe that performs
mostly for school assemblies and community festivals. This is a private home
based organization without a performance facility of its own.
~ Mariachi Scholarship Foundation
In 2005 the Mariachi Scholarship Foundation, which is affiliated with SUHSD,
sponsored the First Annual Chula Vista International Mariachi Conference,
serving students of the South Bay as well as throughout California, Arizona and
Texas with four days of mariachi instruction and performance.
~ OnStage Playhouse
The OnStage Playhouse is currently in its 27th season and is the only live
community theatre in Chula Vista. OnStage has a paid, part-time staff and
operates year-round, producing six or more plays in an intimate storefront space.
~ South Bay Community Chorale
This non-auditioned 1 DO-voice choir is open to people of all ages. They have an
extremely varied repertoire and annually produce two major concerts held at the
Ruth Chapman Performing Arts Center. Through a partnership with the SCPA,
the choir rehearses in the Theatre on K Street and provides scholarships for
vocal music students. The choir is offered through the Chula Vista Adult School.
~ Third Avenue Village Association
The Third Avenue Village Association (TAVA), formerly the Downtown Business
Association, annually produces several community festivals including Cinco de
Mayo, the Lemon Festival, and Artwalk. Each festival features live entertainment
elements and visual arts presentations. In addition TAVA annually produces a
series of live music concerts during July and August in conjunction with the
Thursday aftemoon Farmer's Market. Free concerts are staged in Memorial Park
across from the Farmer's Market. TAVA has recently launched Third Thursdays
on Third, a monthly celebration of local visual artists held in local businesses.
The TAVA office is used by the Chula Vista Art Guild as a small exhibition space
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for its members. TAVA has also sponsored local artists who have painted utility
boxes in the downtown urban core area and a Farmer's Market mural project,
both with funding provided by the City's Performing and Visual Arts grants.
~ Regional Arts Groups in the Schools
Multiple grants from the Mayor's Performing and Visual Arts Task Force have
been made to fund educational outreach efforts to the schools, including:
o San Diego Opera's educational prograrT\ming to Middle School
students
o California Ballet's dance demonstrations to Middle School students
o Playwright's Project's work in Language Arts with High School students
o La Jolla Playhouse's stagecraft technical instruction for high school
students
o Old Globe Theatre's educational programming in acting and dance for
high school students
o The San Diego Symphony strings have provided both middle and-high
school level student stringed instrument instruction
o Installation Gallery has been working with elementary school students
for several years with artist in residence programs
o Imagination Express has been working with K_Sth grade students on
dealing with social issues through performance art
o Figure 5 - Existing Visual and Performing Arts Venues, Facilities and Programs in
Chula Vista illustrates the locations of Chula Vista's existing venues and facilities for
the visual and performing arts as well as the locations of major programs.
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Section 3
COMMUNITY INPUTS
ARTS MASTER PLAN - DRAFT
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During the spring and summer of 2005, interviews were conducted with four
members of the City Council, the Mayor, the City Manager, representatives from
several City departments, leaders in arts education, artists, and representatives
of several non-profit arts organizations. Focus groups were conducted with arts,
government, community, and educational leaders. Several meetings were also
held with a twenty-five member Citizens Advisory Committee, created to provide
critical feedback to this plan, and with the Cultural Arts Commission. Two public
forums, open to any resident of Chula Vista, were also held.
Two kinds of input were obtained from interviews, meetings, focus groups and
workshops: 1) ideas regarding the value of the arts to Chula Vista and 2)
observations and suggestions regarding needs and potentials for arts venues,
facilities and programs. The first input relates to the value of the arts in the lives
of individuals and the Chula Vista community. The second input addresses
specific needs and opportunities for the arts in Chula Vista.
INSIGHTS REGARDING THE VALUE OF THE ARTS TO THE LIVES OF
INDIVIDUALS AND THE COMMUNITY IN CHUlA VISTA
Following are quotes from members of the Chula Vista community regarding the
value of the arts to the life of individuals and the community.
~ Art is an intrinsic part of life and should be an important part of Chula Vista.
The process of making and viewing art can expand our minds and change the
way we think about the world.
~ Art has the power to bring people of different ages, ethnicities, and religions
together, and can therefore create a more united city.
~ Art is a medium to get people to think and to dream.
~ There is a good mix of cultures in this city that will support the arts.
~ The kids in Chula Vista sparkle and shine. There is an incredible amount of
artistic talent here.
~ A community is judged by the quality of its art programs.
~ Building a city is an art.
~ Art changes the way you think, the way you are.
~ People can build community through the arts.
~ Everyone is an artist.
~ There is a need for the arts in Chula Vista and people will support it. There is
a market for the arts in Chula Vista.
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)> The revenue needed so support the arts is coming to Chula Vista.
)> The arts are a pathway for careers and partnerships.
)> The arts are a place where you can discover.
)> The purpose of art is to exercise the mind.
)> Art expands your mind and experience and this is invaluable.
)> In order to be a great city, Chula Vista must have funding for the arts.
)> The problems of the world can be solved through creative expression.
)> Creating an exciting place is not attainable without the arts.
)> Chula Vista should exude the Arts.
These inputs from members of the Chula Vista community have provided
inspiration for the arts recommendations contained in section 5.
6348
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COMMUNITY OBSERVATIONS REGARDING POTENTIALS TO EXPAND
AND ENHANCE THE ARTS IN CHULA VISTA
Following is a summary of the principal observations of community members
regarding the current state of arts venues, facilities and programs in Chula
Vista.
~ There is a broad consensus that Chula Vista needs' additional performing arts
venues. These venues are needed for school and community groups, and
traveling professional companies.
~ There is a broad consensus that the visual and performing arts are under-
funded in Chula Vista.
~ Chula Vista is severely lacking in adequate, dedicated gallery space for the
public display of the visual arts.
~ Chula Vista has sound programs in performing and visual arts in the City's
schools, libraries and community centers. These programs need to be
nurtured and realized in better facilities.
~ There are current, major opportunities to enhance the visual and performing
arts in Chula Vista by incorporating the arts as keystones of the revitalization
of Downtown and the development of the Bayfront and University sites.
~ There is a lack of synergy between the existing arts venues and the areas
around them - synergies such as the availability of restaurants, galleries and
specialty retail.
~ The potential of Chula Vista's artists and arts organizations is underutilized.
Chula Vista has the potential to exude a sense of creative expression but
currently doesn't.
~ Additional resources are needed to coordinate and promote the visual and
performing arts.
~ Chula Vista lacks places for artists to live and work in the community.
~ Chula Vista should do more to take advantage of its regional setting in terms
of collaborations with arts organizations in San Diego and Baja California.
These inputs from members of the Chula Vista community have significantly
influenced the arts recommendations contained in section 5.
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Section 4
PUBLIC FUNDING AND
INVESTMENT IN THE ARTS AT
THE LOCAL LEVEL IN
CALIFORNIA
ARTS MASTER PLAN - DRAFT
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PUBLIC FUNDING AND INVESTMENT IN THE ARTS
The significant economic impact of the arts challenges the perception that the
arts are only worthy of support in prosperous times, but hard to justify when the
economy is struggling. According to the 2002 report Economic Impact of the
Nonprofit Arts Industry in Califomia, by the California Arts Council, during fiscal
year 2001-2002 expenditures by nonprofit arts and culture organizations
generated $18.2 million in tax revenue in California; $7.6 million for local
government and $10.6 million for state government. Furthermore, nonprofit arts
and culture organizations attracted and leveraged an additional $25.2 million in
contributed income from other public and private resources.
Other reports on the economic impact of the nonprofit arts and culture industry in
various California communities have demonstrated that investing in this industry
does not come at the expense of economic benefits, but rather strengthens the
economy and fuels economic revitalization by supporting local jobs, stimulating
consumer spending, and generating revenue to local governments. In short, arts
and culture are good for business and the local economy.
Dr. Richard Florida, the Hirst Professor of Public Policy at George Mason
University and a Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution, stated in his 2002
best-selling book, The Rise of the Creative Class and How It's Transforming
Work, Leisure, Community and Everyday Life, "The bottom line is that cities need
a people climate even more today that they need a business climate. This means
supporting creativity across the board--in all of its various facets and dimensions-
-and building a community that is attractive to creative people, not just to high-
tech companies. As former Seattle mayor Paul Schell once said, success lies in
....creating a place where the creative experience can flourish.' Instead of
subsidizing companies, stadiums and retail centers, communities need to be
open to diversity and invest in the kinds of lifestyle options and amenities people
really want. In fact. you cannot be a thriving high-tech center if you don't do this."
Dr. Florida goes on to state, "We can, of course, do much better than this [older
models of development]. To do so, we need to shift both public and private funds
away from investments in physical capital and toward investment in creative
capital." San Francisco, San Diego, Los Angeles, and Sacramento, are among
the leading areas in the country. Dr. Florida also warns, however, that we cannot
rest on our laurels, that the creative environment must be nurtured through public
investment. Naturally the arts, along with science, are at the forefront in building
creative capital. Florida concludes that "The creative places of the future will be
places that draw creative people and that promote creative activities."
Throughout California, local communities demonstrate their priorities and values
by the programs and services they support with public funds. Investments in the
arts provide public benefits that have consistently proven to be deserving of
community investment. The arts create access to and facilitate participation in
the life of the community. They promote diversity and understanding among
different cultures and broaden educational opportunities for people of all ages.
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Investments in the arts have proven to be fiscally advantageous for many
California communities. Local cultural amenities and public art installations attract
tourists and visitors who spend more and stay longer in the "arts rich"
communities they visit.
> Impact of Cultural Tourism
Cultural tourism is travel motivated entirely, or in part, to experience the arts,
heritage, natural resources and special character of a place. It is the fastest
growing sector of the travel industry. Cultural tourism attracts travelers who are
better educated, more affluent, and have higher expectations for experiences
that are both enjoyable and educational. This travel niche is important because
cultural tourists not only help preserve and sustain a city's culture and heritage,
but they contribute to the city's overall economic vitality.
For example, according to the Travel Industry Association's most recent 2003
study, historic/cultural travelers spend 38% more per trip (average $623 vs.
$457, excluding cost of transportation) and stay 38% longer away from home as
do other travelers. Thirty percent of historic/cultural travelers say they were
influenced to visit given destinations by specific historic or cultural events andlor
activities. The contributions of travelers to cultural and heritage resources help
supplement the financial capabilities of local governments and economies.
The arts are proven to be a significant draw for visitors. Visitors spend money in
connection with their attendance at arts events in restaurants, at retail shops,
hotels, for gas and travel, and for parking. These expenditures are often a key to
regional economic development, drawing income into the local economy.
Developing a successful strategy to attract cultural tourists to Chula Vista and
ultimately to its arts and culture attractions and traditions will require a concerted
effort of planning, partnership development, and most importantly, investment. It
will also entail coordinating the activities of the City, business associations, the
tourism industry, and cultural and conservation organizations in order to increase
audiences, overnight stays, and tax revenues while protecting local resources
and managing growth and development.
> TOT Funding
Many California city decision makers link revenue streams to expenditures in
ways that their communities understand. For example, Transient Occupancy
Taxes (TOT) are a common source of measuring support for the arts and
promotion of tourism. This mechanism taxes tourists and visitors, in part, for the
benefit they gain from the community's cultural offerings. Taxes on hotel
accommodations and car rentals have emerged over the past three decades as a
primary means to finance activities that encourage tourists and visitors. Tourism
taxes have historically been used for a broad range of services and activities -
from operating support for visitors' bureaus to funding summer concerts and
fireworks displays. More recently, they have served as economic development
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tools to build tourism infrastructure, including convention centers, sports
stadiums, and, more pertinent to this plan, cultural facilities.
California communities differ tremendously in the ways they fund the arts through
tourism taxes. An equivalent portion of general fund revenues that are tied to a
percent of TOT collections can be dedicated to a specific arts facility or event,
forwarded to a local arts agency, disbursed through a re-granting program,
andlor paid directly to arts presenters or producers. .A common thread is that
funded programs and facilities have some connection to local tourism.
In San Diego, the San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture's primary task
each year is to allocate nearly $7.0 million in Transient Occupancy Tax related
funds to over 130 arts, culture and community based non-profit organizations that
provide programs and services accessible to residents and visitors alike. This is
made possible through three distinct funding areas: 1) Organizational Support
Program; 2) Festivals and Celebrations Program; and 3) the Neighborhood Arts
Program.
San Diego's investment of TOT related funds to the arts provides large economic
returns. According to the 2004 Economic and Community Impact Report (ECIR),
an annual study prepared each year by the San Diego Commission for Arts and
Culture and the San Diego Regional Arts and Culture Coalition, in fiscal year
2004, San Diego's arts and cultural attractions brought at least 1.5 million cultural
tourists to the region. These tourists directly contributed $369 million to the local
economy. Arts and culture organizations supported by the Commission provided
4,889 jobs, 1.3 million free admissions to the public, and nearly 3,000 free
events.
~ Cultural Districts formed through Public/Private Partnerships
Cultural districts are increasingly used as anchors of attraction for downtown
redevelopment. A cultural district is defined as a well-known, labeled, mixed-use
area of a city in which a high concentration of cultural facilities serves as the
anchor of attraction.
For example, the award-winning Merced Multicultural Arts Center transformed a
dilapidated downtown building into a vibrant center for the arts and served as a
catalyst for downtown revitalization. It represents a highly successful partnership
among the City of Merced (population 69,500), its redevelopment agency, and
the Merced County Arts Council.
Berkeley Califomia's Addison Streets Arts District, winner of the 2002 grand prize
in the Awards of Excellence competition sponsored by the California Association
for Local Economic Development, is the linchpin of that city's downtown
revitalization effort. The Berkeley Repertory Theater anchors the District. The
District was developed through a collaborative partnership of arts and cultural
organizations, developers, and the City. Recent additions to the District include
the Berkeley Repertory Theater's new 600-seat Roda Theater, the 150-seat "in-
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the-round" Aurora Theater, the nationally recognized Jazz School, the Nevo
Education Center, and the unique Brazilian Capoeria Arts Cafe.
The Addison Streetscape Project is one element of the Addison Street Arts
District. This public art project celebrates the Arts District, honors Berkeley's
poetry heritage and the history of crafts in Califomia, and provides an uplifting
focal point for Addison Street and downtown Berkeley.
>> Percent for Art Funding
The percent-for-art model is the most common funding source for public art in
California and the United States. Percent-for-art policies set aside a percentage
of funds from the construction budgets of public and private capital projects for
the acquisition and commissioning of artworks. Specific policies vary greatly [see
following table] among more than 70 California cities and counties, but most
address three elements: 1) the definition of Capital Improvement Projects (CIP)
that are eligible, 2) the percentage of the CIP budget identified for public art, and
3) guidelines for the use of percent-for-art funds.
The CIP eligibility criteria have a great influence on the scope and quality of the
public art projects supported. The wide variety of a city's CIP projects can make
for an impressive list to consider: office buildings, transit projects, libraries, parks,
fire stations, city buildings, etc. A broader definition of eligible CIPs that includes
private development greatly expands the scope of a public art program.
Percent for art ordinances vary across California but typically range from 0.5
percent to 2.0 percent. Funds generated support public art project administration
and maintenance costs as well. Recently enacted programs have identified 2.0%
as the amount needed to provide adequate funding for purchasing artwork,
program administration, and ongoing maintenance. Many of California cities'
long-term percent for art programs, including those of San Diego, Sacramento,
San Francisco, San Jose and Stockton have recently increased to 2.0% to
ensure adequate funding.
Successful development of a livable community should include installations of
works of public art. Public art works help foster cultural awareness and a sense
of place. Currently, much of Chula Vista is filled with broad areas of largely
undifferentiated development. Signature public artworks can and will add greatly
to the visual quality of the City's neighborhoods.
Chula Vista's Office of Arts & Culture currently collaborates with the Public Art
Program of the San Diego Port District in development and placement of public
art on Port property within Chula Vista's bay front. Working in cooperation with
the Port and with local businesses, the City has seen growth in its public art
installations on Port tidelands. most recently with the installation of George
Peters and Melanie Walker's Wind Oars at Bayside Park, and of James T.
Russell's Hope Within at the Community Health Group site. The impact of these
striking forms in urban landscapes is difficult to measure but they surely playa
role in defining a sense of community.
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COMPARISON OF PERCENT FOR ART PROGRAMS IN CALIFORNIA CITIES
City Name 2003 Percent for Applicable to: Other
Estimated Art Policies & information
Population Year adopted
SAN DIEGO COUNTY
Carlshad 87,372 1.0% (1985) City CIP except sewer &
water proiects
Escondido 136,093 Formula (1989) City CIP: 15~ per square
foot for projects >2,000
square feet
Oceanside 167,082 1.0% (2000) City CIP
San Diego 1,266,753 2.0% (2004) 2.0% City CIP & TOT related
Redevelopment projects funding =
of at least $250,000. approx. $7.0
Recently enacted million
ordinance increase from annually for
1.5% to 2.0% artssuuuort
Solana Beach 12,860 1.5% (2005) City CIP
OTHER CALIFORNIA CITIES
Berkelev 102,049 1.5% (1998) City CIP
Beverlv Hills 34,941 1.0% (1983) City & Private CIP
Brea 37,889 Formula (1975) City & Private CIP 1.0%
for projects >$500,000
Burbank 103,359 1.0% (1992) City & Private CIP
Chico 67,509 1.0% (1990) City & Private CIP TOT funds
annual art
fITants
Claremont 34,964 1.0% (1997) City CIP
Davis 64,348 1.0% (1973) City CIP
Emeryville 6,882 Formula (1990) 1.5% City CIP; 1.0%
private >$300,000; 0.4%
for private >$2.0 million
Fremont 204,525 1.0% (1978) City CIP
Glendale 200,499 1.5% (2000) City CIP
Huntington 194,248 Honor System Require public art
Beach (1989) element in City CIP &
private develonment
Laguna Beach 24,126 1.0% (1986) City & Private CIP (Incl.
residential if >4 lots)
Lodi 61,027 1.0% (2000) City CIP
Los Angeles 3,819,951 Formula 1.0% City CIP;
City (1989); Redevelopment Agency
Redevelopment Commercial = 1.57/sq.ft.
Agency (1986) Retail = l.31/sq. ft.
Hotel = .52/sq. ft.
Manufacturing = 51/sq.ft.
Warehouse = .39/sq.ft.
Mountain View 69,366 1.0% (1991) City CIP + commercial &
industrial projects
accessible to public
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COMPARISON OF PERCENT FOR ART PROGRAMS IN CALIFORNIA CITIES
City Name 2003 Percent for Applicable to: Other
Estimated Art Policies & information
Pouulation Year adouted
Oakland 398,844 1.5%(1989) citY CIP
Palm Desert 45,624 Formula (1986) 1.0% for City CIP;
0.5% for commercial;
0.25% for residential
Palm Springs 45,228 Formula Same as Palm Desert
(988)
Palo Alto 57,233 Formula Arts funding = 50% of
General Fund's annual
interest earnings
Pasadena 141,114 2.0% (988) City & Private CIP
Richmond 102,327 Formula (1997) 1.5% City &
Redevelopment >$300K
Sacramento 445,335 2.0% (1977) City & Redevelopment Increased to
CIP 2% in 1999
San Francisco 751,682 2.0% (1967) City CIP Increased to TOT funds =
(City & County) 2.0% in 1999 $28.7 million
for annual arts
support
San Jose 898,349 2.0% (1984) City & Private CIP TOT related
funding = $2.3
million for
annual arts
grants
San Luis Obispo 44,202 Formula (1990) 1.0% City CIP; Also have
0.5% non-residential Municipal Art
private Fund
Santa Cruz 54,262 2.0% (999) City CIP
Santa Monica 87,162 1.0% (982) City CIP
Sausalito 7,300 TOT related
funding = $1.0
million for
annual arts
grants
Stockton 271,466 2.0%(2000) citY CIP
Ventura 105,000 2.0%(1992) citY & Private CIP
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Section 5
,~~.
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RECOMMENDATIONS
ARTS MASTER PLAN - DRAFT
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CrTYOF
CHUIA VISfA
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Introduction
The Arts Master Plan provides 3 recommendations based on the
following:
~ The Plan's Guiding Principles
o Arts Education is Essential
o Public-Private Cooperation is Essential
o The Arts have a Significant Economic Impact
o The Arts Bring Together Diverse People
o Citizen Involvement in the Arts is Essential
~ The Objectives and Policies adopted in the Public Facilities and Services Element of
the City of Chula Vista's General Plan Update
~ The documentation of Chula Vista's existing arts venues, facilities and programs
~ The natural, historical, regional and developmental settings for the arts in Chula
Vista
The City of Chula Vista's consideration of the recommendations of this plan should be
firmly based on the communitv's stronalv expressed desires for the followina:
~ Creation, installation and maintenance of public art within the City Of Chula Vista
~ Providing increased support for Arts education
~ Forging strong partnerships and collaborations between public and private
organizations
~ Development of new arts facilities
~ Increased opportunities for the active participation of all residents in:
o Developing their creative skills
o Increasing their awareness of cultural traditions
o Deepening their appreciation for arts and culture
~ The potential for growth of local non-profit arts organizations
~ Increased public awareness of Chula Vista's arts and culture scene and the City's
role in promoting and/or co-promoting cultural and artistic programs that satisfy the
interests and needs of all Chula Vista residents and visitors
~ Creating an environment wherein artists and cultural organizations can thrive
~ Maintaining quality, creativity and diversity in all forms of art and culture
~ Fostering intercultural understanding on a local, regional and intemationallevel
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RECOMMENDATIONS
A creative, committed workforce, and in particular, a thriving community of artists, is
vital to a rich civic life. Artists and other creative workers can make meaningful, unique
contributions to Chula Vista in economic, physical and social terms. Investing in the
creative sector is smart economics. It is also essential to promoting Chula Vista as a
vibrant, progressive city. Chula Vista's policies, systems and spending priorities should
enable artistic talent to flourish for the benefit of the entire community.
This draft Arts Master Plan document is a road map for Chula Vista's future, a future
where Chula Vista is a place that champions its diverse heritage and embraces and
supports the arts. The recommendations are based on the successful experiences of
the Plan's consultants in other California cities including Pasadena and Riverside, the
considerable feedback received from local interviews, focus groups and public
meetings, the recommendations of the City's Cultural Arts Commission, and Arts and
Culture staff study of other cities' successful arts and culture programs.
1. ADOPT POLICIES TO SUPPORT THE GROWTH OF PUBLIC ART
Introduction: More than 70 California cities have Public Art Programs in place. These
programs, from small population cities like Emeryville (pop. 6,882) to large cities like
San Diego, share similar goals: to create an artistic and visual harmony among the
cities' buildings, landscapes and open spaces, and to serve the people of the
community by bringing art into their daily lives and ensuring that the visual
experience of the city is enriching and engaging.
Increasingly, cities are discovering the power of public art in creating a unique sense
of place and preserving and celebrating history, heritage and culture. Public art also
creates greater opportunities for cultural tourism, economic development and image
building.
It is recommended that the City address the need for increased funding of public art,
as well as the visual and performing arts in Chula Vista, in accordance with the
recently adopted policies of the General Plan Update. In particular, Policy PFS20.1
states, in part, "Prepare a citywide Cultural Arts Master Plan that....recommends
ongoing financial support for the arts through consideration of a percentage for arts
program...." In addition, Policy PFS 20.3 states "Encourage the installation of art
pieces in publicly owned spaces and require developers to pay fees or provide art
pieces that serve to enhance an individual project and contribute to the appearance
and vitality of the development."
1.1. Adopt a 2% for Art Policy on City Capital Improvement
Projects (CIP) >$250,000
This recommended policy would be specifically for the City's above-grade projects of
$250,000 or more within and out of redevelopment areas. It is recommended that
street paving/sealing and sidewalk rehabilitation projects, curb and gutter
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installations, and ADA curb ramp installations and modifications be exempted from
this policy, along with those portions of other CIP project budgets that have outside
funding sources (e.g. Transportation Sales Taxes, Gas Taxes, etc.) that prohibit use
of funds for anything outside of specific project expenses.
For Capital Improvement Program building projects that are under the aegis of the
Redevelopment Agency, monies should be segregated from other funding sources
as legally required and expended in accordance with the restrictions of any
applicable bond, loan, or grant covenants and conditions.
Current City Redevelopment Agency policies applying to building development and
renovation projects in Town Center I and Bayfront Redevelopment Project areas
require a 1 % public art allocation. These policies, adopted in 1979, should be
changed to a 2% contribution and made applicable to all Chula Vista
Redevelopment zones. Public art selection review for Redevelopment Project Areas,
currently under the purview of the Design Review Committee, should be transferred
to the City's Office of Arts & Culture and the Cultural Arts Commission, pending
review by the Chula Vista Redevelopment Corporation.
1.2. Adopt a 2% for Art Policy on Private, Non-residential,
Commercial Development Projects >$250,000
This 2% for public art policy could be satisfied through provision of a suitable onsite
public art piece or art elements that have successfully passed the review of the
Public Art Sub-Committee and Cultural Arts Commission or through a developer
paid contribution to the Public Art Trust Fund in lieu of public art. The 2% set-aside
should be based on projected building construction costs documented on building
permit applications.
Note: This Plan recommends 2% for Arts policies on City CIP and Commercial CIP
instead of 1% for Arts policies for the following reasons:
. A recent survey of public art programs nationwide revealed that 1 % for Arts
policies are falling short of providing the necessary funds for quality art pieces
as well as ongoing maintenance, and administration costs of the programs.
. Typically, around 70% of monies collected are spent on the purchase of the
public art piece, and the remaining 30% of the monies are spent on site
preparation, installation and maintenance (preservation, restoration and
repair) plus program administration (community participation activities, project
documentation, publicity, community education activities).
. Several Califomia cities that have had long-term 1 % for Arts programs in
place have recently increased to 2%, including Pasadena, San Diego,
Sacramento, Santa Cruz, Stockton, Ventura, San Jose and San Francisco.
Program administrators in each of these cities have experienced difficulty in
providing funding for the specialized maintenance required for public art
pieces under their previous 1 % programs.
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As an example of why a 2% for Arts Policy is more desirable than a 1 % for Arts
Policy for the City of Chula Vista, consider the following example:
Chula Vista Fire Station #7
Actual Building Costs = $5.2 million
A 1% for Arts policy would have generated $52,000'
A 2% for Arts policy would have generated $104,000
Actual purchase cost for the bronze 9/11 commemorative public art sculpture
"Courage, Dedication, Honor"= $75,000
Installation, site preparation, ongoing maintenance, and preservation is estimated
at $30,000+
Total actual cost for Dublic art installation = $105,000+
1.3. Establish a Public Art Trust Fund
This new City-controlled Public Art Trust Fund would be a perpetual fund that would
exist for the purpose of receiving and expending Percent for Arts policy monies and
other monetary contributions. Recommended allowable expenditures for and
definitions of eligible artworks are as follows:
Public Art Works Expenditures:
. Commissioned or acquired/purchased original art pieces
. Structures which enable the display of artwork
. Design, materials, and fabrication fees
. Labor and other contracted services for production and installation
. Permit and/or certificate fees
. Business and legal costs directly related to the public art project
6]51
. Transportation, site preparation, installation, and additional utility costs
. Insurance
. Artist travel and per diem expenses
Public Art Proaram ODeratina Costs:
. Program management including staff time, direct costs and overhead
. Documenting and cataloguing
. Maintaining/refurbishing public art when the cost of such maintenance
exceeds funds available for maintenance of public property in general
. Expenses which are, or may become, an integral part of the public art
program including community educational activities and public events
Eliaible Artworks
. Sculpture: free-standing, wall-supported or suspended; kinetic, electronic; in
any material or combination of materials
. Murals or portable paintings: in any material or materials,
. Earthworks, fiber works, neon, glass, mosaics, photographs, prints,
calligraphy, any combination of forms of media including sound, literary
elements, film, holographic images and video systems; hybrids of any media
and new genres
. Fumishings or fixtures, including but not limited to gates, railings, streetlights,
signage, seating, fountains, and shade structures, if created by artists as
unique elements or limited editions
. Artistic or aesthetic elements of the overall architecture or landscape design if
created by a professional artist or a design team that includes a professional
visual artist
. Temporary artworks or installations
. Incremental costs of infrastructure elements, such as soundwalls, utility
structures, bus and trolley stops, roadWay elements and other such items if
designed by a professional artist or a design team that includes a professional
visual artist
Ineliaible Artworks
. "Art objects" which are mass produced or of standard manufacture, such as
playground equipment, fountains or mass produced statuary
. Landscape architecture and landscape gardening except where those
elements are designed by a professional visual artist and/or are an integral
part of an artwork by an artist
2. SUPPORT AND EXPAND THE ARTS IN CHULA VISTA
Introduction: Reports on the economic impact of the nonprofit arts and culture industry
in various California communities have demonstrated that investing in this industry does
not come at the expense of economic benefits, but rather strengthens the economy and
fuels economic revitalization by supporting local jobs, stimulating consumer spending,
and generating revenue to local governments. In short, arts and culture are good for
business and the local economy.
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Dr. Richard Florida, the Hirst Professor of Public Policy at George Mason University and
a Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution, stated in his 2002 best-selling book, The
Rise of the Creative Class and How It's Transforming Work, Leisure, Community and
Everyday Life, "The bottom line is that cities need a people climate even more today
that they need a business climate. This means supporting creativity across the board--in
all of its various facets and dimensions--and building a community that is attractive to
creative people, not just to high-tech companies. And as former Seattle mayor Paul
Schell once said, success lies in "...creating a place where the creative experience can
flourish. Instead of subsidizing companies, stadiums and retail centers, communities
need to be open to diversity and invest in the kinds of lifestyle options and amenities
people really want. In fact, you cannot be a thriving high-tech center if you don't do this."
2.1. Enhance Existing Opportunities
Arts and culture opportunities within Chula Vista are often neighborhood-related. For
example, the City of Chula Vista's Recreation Department offers a variety of dance,
music, and visual arts classes to people of all ages at many of the existing
community/recreation centers. The Chula Vista Public Library provides gallery space
for the visual arts at the South Chula Vista Branch Library, and the Civic Center
Branch Library offers free film festivals and other cultural programs on a regular
basis.
In order to continue connecting neighborhood residents to the arts, arts programs,
events and classes should be expanded at existing and proposed
community/recreation centers, parks and libraries. The General Plan also
recommends the creation of Landmark Parks throughout the City. These large parks
should include unique landscaping, gardens, museum spaces, public art pieces, and
performance spaces. Neighborhood arts programs should also be provided in these
future Landmark Parks.
Planning for public facilities and programs, including parks, elementary schools and
recreation centers, has been a validated part of the historical tradition of planning for
good neighborhoods. Some of the planning for portions of eastem Chula Vista has
been based on the concept of village planning. These villages incorporate many of
the principles of traditional neighborhood planning while also recognizing the positive
potentials for community interaction that can be created by grouping schools, parks,
recreation/community centers, artistic elements and performance spaces.
To enhance existing opportunities to further arts and culture, the City should:
. Renovate the Civic Center Library Auditorium
. Conduct a needs assessment for expansion/relocation of the Chula Vista
Heritage Museum
. Integrate the visual and performing arts in the planning for the University site
. Explore forming a college of Fine Arts at University
. Provide performance and exhibition spaces
. Provide cross-cultural visual and performing arts programs
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. Link to school districts' visual and performing arts programs
. Involve Office of Arts and Culture staff and Cultural Arts Commission in
concept development phases
. Extend the energy of the arts to all Chula Vista neighborhoods and villages
and create additional citywide arts focal points
. Expand neighborhood arts programs, events and classes
. Create neighborhood and village arts plans '
. Create an artist colony
. Create additional citywide arts focal points at Southwestern College, Olympic
Training Center, Eastern Urban Center, Coors Amphitheater, and other
locations
Neighborhood and Village Arts Plans
It is recommended that neighborhood and village scaled visual and performing arts
be strengthened through a series of Neighborhood and Village Arts Plans. These
Plans should consider:
. Boundaries of neighborhoods and villages as designated by the General Plan
and the Planning Department and as verified through discussions with the
Neighborhoods and Villages as each Neighborhood and Village Art Plan is
prepared
. Locations of existing and proposed schools, parks, recreation/community
centers, libraries and other public facilities
. Locations of local retail areas.
It is recommended that the City incorporate planning for the visual and performing
arts at the Neighborhood scale with the ongoing efforts of the City to upgrade the
older portions of Chula Vista. Visual arts, such as murals and pedestrian scaled
sculpture, can enrich the sites of existing and new schools, parks, libraries and
community/ recreation centers. Visual arts, such as banners and paving treatments
6..?~4
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can be used to create connections between existing and new public facilities and
local shopping areas.
It is recommended that the City and the school districts continue and expand their
cooperation and coordination of programs for the visual and performing arts
throughout the City. City and school districts programs for the performing arts, such
as music and dance, and for the creation of artwork, C9n be physically related to the
network of schools, parks and community/recreation centers in each neighborhood.
Create an Artist Colony
It is also recommended that the City study the possible creation of an Artists Colony
by investigating the adaptive reuse of industrial areas through amendment of the list
of allowed uses in the zoning code to permit artist live-work spaces.
Create Additional Citywide Visual Arts Focal Points
It is recommended that additional Visual Arts Focal Points be created at the
locations listed below. Public visual art pieces at these locations could include
sculpture, electronic and digital art, murals and mosaics, paving treatments,
fountains and earthworks. The following is an overview of the recommended
locations.
. Southwestern College Vicinity
Potential expansion of Southwest College and/or mixed use retail and
housing projects should be coupled with public art installations and additional
arts venues and facilities.
. Olympic Training Center Arts Elements
Arts Plazas or walkways could be created in the vicinity of the entry to the
Olympic Training Center to celebrate the connection between athletics and
art.
. Eastern Urban Center
As this major retail focal point for the eastside is implemented, plans for arts
venues and facilities and public art should be required of the developer(s) and
reviewed by the Cultural Arts Commission.
. Coors Amphitheater
The environment of the Coors Amphitheater should be enhanced with public
art elements such as sculpture and murals.
. Other locations
Other locations appropriate to become Citywide Art Focal Points include the
Otay Ranch Towne Center and Terra Nova Plaza.
2.2. Create a Northwest Area Arts District
Nearly all of the participants in the community inputs process emphasized that the
City of Chula Vista and the South Bay region have a great need for performing arts
venues and visual arts facilities. The planned revitalization of the Urban Core and
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the ongoing Bayfront development plans present unprecedented and timely
opportunities for Chula Vista to create prominent, appropriate locations for
performing and visual arts venues and facilities, as well as places for artists to both
live and work.
The Northwest Area Arts District should encompass the Urban Core planning area
and the Bayfront Development area, with H Street designated as an Arts
Promenade.
. Prepare a feasibility study for the location and development of a Downtown
Arts Center and a Bayfront Arts Center
. Assist in the development of Artist Activated Spaces within the District
. Create H Street Arts Promenade
Facilities for the Performing and Visual Arts in the Downtown Area
a. The Urban Core area is an ideal location for a Downtown Arts Center
comprised of a 400 to 600 fixed seat Proscenium theatre, a 99 seat Black Box
theatre, rehearsal spaces, and a dedicated area for visual art exhibits. It is
recommended that the City prepare a feasibility study for the location and
development of a Downtown Arts Center that includes specific recommendations
for siting criteria, funding, construction and operation of the facility. This feasibility
study should be undertaken as soon as possible - before the planned
revitalization of the area creates major increases in property values and
acquisition costs.
The Downtown area should provide up-to-date venues appropriate for
performances by community theater groups, school groups, visual artists, and
visiting professional companies. This Downtown Arts Center should be designed
to be of high caliber in every regard to make viewing of plays, musical
productions, and art exhibits an enjoyable, special experience. The facility should
be carElfully integrated with the scale and fabric of westem Chula Vista
b. Artist Activated Spaces should be located within the heart of the Third Avenue
Village. The Artist Activated Spaces could be comprised of one storefront module
in each block or several clustered within a block and would be either one or two
stories in height depending on the block and the building.
Once identified, these spaces should be made available for use by artists as
either gallery spaces for the visual arts and/or small performance spaces for live,
film or video productions. Artist live-work spaces could be incorporated into some
of these spaces - particularly if a two-story structure is acquired.
Artists or groups of artists from Chula Vista, the South Bay Region and Mexico
could be invited to submit proposals for use of the spaces. The City or its
Redevelopment Agency would need to make some investments in the
infrastructure of the spaces but some or all of this investment could be made by
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the artists themselves depending on the extent of infrastructure upgrading
required. Leases could be initially subsidized by the Redevelopment Corporation
to keep artists' costs low, with a decreasing amount of annual subsidy provided
over the period of the lease term.
The creation of Artist Activated Spaces will help jump-start the revitalization of
the Third Avenue Village area and create a vital component of arts activity in the
Northwest Area Arts District. With City assistance/subsidies of these spaces, the
presence of the working artists in the Village and Downtown will be assured for
the long-term.
Selection of the sites and evaluation of their impact on the Village should be
coordinated with the Third Avenue Village Association.
c. The near term planned renovation of the Civic Center Library should include
thorough renovation of the Library's outdated 152 seat auditorium into a modern,
adequately-equipped performing and media arts center. This facility should be
considered as a part of the Third Avenue Village arts scene and marketing and
programming of this venue should be coordinated with other arts activities taking
place on nearby Third Avenue.
Facilities for the Performing and Visual Arts in the Bayfront
The Bayfront is an ideal location for a Bayfront Arts Center comprised of a 1,800 to
2,400-seat theater, a 99-seat black box theater, associated rehearsal spaces and a
25,000 square foot Visual Arts Gallery. These facilities should be programmed for
use by both the Chula Vista community and visiting performing companies and
visual artists.
The City should immediately make certain that the Bayfront Master Plan provides
adequate waterfront space for the Bayfront Arts Center. The Center should be
visually prominent from the Bay and should also be located to create the visual
terminus of H Street. Locating the new Bayfront Arts Center on-axis with H Street, a
street running through the entire City, will create a powerful symbol of the
importance that the Chula Vista community places on the arts.
H Street Arts Promenade
H Street, in the Urban Core Specific Plan, is recommended to become a Grand
Boulevard - a high-density mixed-use area with townhouses, public transit
connections, larger buildings, new retail and commercial opportunities and open
space. The H Street Grand Boulevard should also be an Arts Promenade which
emphasizes the visual arts, including traditional sculpture, electronic media,
banners, temporary and permanent public art installations, murals, mosaics and
artist designed street furniture components.
The entire length of H Street, from far eastern Chula Vista to the Bayfront, should be
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treated as an "arts corridor" that serves to transport all residents to the major arts
facilities and events within Chula Vista and connects the eastern portions of the City
to the western portions.
F Street Connector
In the Urban Core Specific Plan, F Street is designated as a pedestrian and bicycle-
oriented street with public markets, pocket parks: and enhanced pedestrian
amenities. F Street will also serve as an important connector between the Third
Avenue Village and Baytront components of the Northwest Area Arts District.
2.3. Create a Blue Ribbon Task Force to Generate Major
Funding for the Arts
This Blue Ribbon Task Force should be appointed by Council and should be
comprised of City neighborhood, business and educational leaders who would be
charged with a concentrated effort of raising private funds on a major scale. Recent
and current developers of eastern Chula Vista, the Baytront and other major projects
in Chula Vista, as well as wealthy individuals, should be given the opportunity to
contribute funds for near term construction of new visual and performing arts
facilities and to provide for support/expansion of existing facilities. The Chula Vista
Public Library Foundation could serve as the tax-exempt fiscal agent for receipt of
charitable gifts and grants.
2.4. Address Short and Long-term Funding Needs
The City of Chula Vista's financial support of local arts groups and arts activities in
public schools has been, to date, restricted to the annual re-granting of monies
received through a contractual agreement with House of Blues@ and Coors
Amphitheater. These pass-through funds have totaled in the $35,000-$50,000 range
for the past seven years and have been re-granted to local groups and schools in
amounts ranging from $500 - $2,500 each. Input from local arts leaders and school
administrators indicated that these small grants, while appreciated, have no long
term impact on the provision of arts and culture programming in Chula Vista and
have had no impact on the provision of additional arts and culture facilities.
It is recommended that the City address both short and long-term financial needs of
the arts in the following ways:
. Assess periodically the funding needs of local arts groups and school arts
programs
. Increase the funding for the Mayor's Performing and Visual Arts Task Force
Grants from the current annual $35,000-$50,000 level
. Continue and expand collaborations and partnerships with local and regional
arts groups and schools
. Instruct the Cultural Arts Commission and staff to investigate and recommend
to Council specific public and private funding methodologies that have proven
successful in other municipalities. Additional funding would allow the City and
its partners to:
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. Support the growth of local arts groups
. Support professional arts performances and exhibits taking place within
Chula Vista
. Support a broad range of neighborhood arts programs
. Support future cultural arts centers
. Enhance cultural tourism through support of marketing and promotion
efforts .
. Collaborate with the non-profit Chula Vista Library Foundation in
conducting fundraising for the Foundation among individuals, businesses,
and private foundations to provide for a reliable private source of funding
to benefit the Arts in Chula Vista
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2.5. Enhance the Role of the Cultural Arts Commission
The role of the Cultural Arts Commission is to advise the City Council on matters
related to arts and culture. That role should be enhanced to include providing
guidance for the implementation all of the recommendations contained in the Arts
Master Plan.
. Oversee implementation of the Arts Master Plan
. Recruit more artists/arts administrators to Commission
. Provide annual report to Council
. Preserve artists' rights
. Develop a plan for oversight of public art cataloguing
. Oversee five-year public art maintenance surveys
. Oversee periodic renewal of the Arts Master Plan
. Advocate for adequate staffing for Office of Arts and Culture
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3. INCREASE MARKETING AND PROMOTION OF THE ARTS
Introduction: Chula Vista should be the hub of cultural activities for people living in the
South Bay. Chula Vista is already recognized for the beauty of its natural environment,
historic residential architecture, and diverse cultural life. Arts and culture events and
festivals are important assets in the City's tourism industry. and are marketable products
to residents, visitors and future conventioneers. Encouraging cultural tourism will help
the City stimulate its economy by redefining its image, providing a return on investment
in cultural attractions, promoting Chula Vista's historic character as an asset, and
generating new tax revenues to support City services.
3.1. Implement a Comprehensive Arts Marketing and Promotion
Program
. Create an Arts Movement program
. Create City art gateways at points of connection with regional freeway system
and at existing and proposed transit stations
. Create an arts banner program to demarcate arts districts
. Publish arts movement and art walk maps
. Designate an arts shuttle bus for the Northwest Area Arts District
. Establish Art Nights in Chula Vista
. Expand regional dialogues/programs with San Diego and Baja California
Following creation of the Northwest Area Arts District, the opening of more arts
venues and facilities, and the growth of the Third Avenue Village Association's Third
Thursdays on Third events, the City should help coordinate an Art Nights in Chula
Vista program to allow residents and visitors to experience the visual and performing
arts available in the City.
Arts Shuttle buses and/or the Bus Rapid Transit buses should be available during
off-peak hours to take participants on customized routes, which could vary
somewhat with each Art Night. Buses should be scheduled to arrive at each arts
venue or facility on approximately one-half hour intervals to provide the potential of
visiting multiple locations over a period of three to four hours.
A comprehensive arts promotion and marketing program should include the creation
of an Arts and Culture Page on the City's Web Site. This page should publicize City-
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sponsored events such as the Taste of the Arts festival and Music in the Park
Summer Concert Series, and provide links to the web sites of the School Districts
and the various arts organizations located in the South Bay, San Diego and Tijuana.
A web-based, comprehensive Arts and Culture Calendar should be created and also
printed for distribution in libraries or by mail..
It is recommended that Chula Vista create an Arts Movement Program in
coordination with the Chula Vista Transit System and the San Diego Metropolitan
Transit System. The Arts Movement Program should be created by the following
actions.
. Create City Art Gateways at points of connection with the regional freeway
system and at the existing and proposed stations of the San Diego Trolley
Blue Line
The City Art Gateways should consist of artist-conceived Gateways that could
include one or more visual art elements including sculpture, murals,
landscaping, earth forms, sign age and lighting. The City Gateways should be
located at freeway interchanges, freeway underpasses and other appropriate
street locations that make significant connections to the regional freeway
network.
Artists should be involved in the planning stages for the new rail transit
stations and in retrofitting existing stations with public art. The Public Art Sub-
Committee should be overseeing the selection of artists recommended to the
Cultural Arts Commission and City Council. The art themes at the local rail
stations should reflect artist insights about the immediate vicinity of a station
and/or artist's insights about the relationship of Chula Vista to its natural,
historical and developmental setting.
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. Create An Arts Banners Program
Banners can also be considered works of art. An Arts Banners Program
should be designed through a collaboration of artists and graphic designers to
demarcate the Northwest Area Arts District. Banners along Third Avenue, H
Street and E Street can define the concept for and general extent of the
Northwest Area Arts District immediately. These. banners could be in place for
several years. The banners can be replaced from time to time with special
event banners relating to arts events within the District.
Citywide Arts Banners should be located along H Street and other major
transportation corridors to announce arts events and reinforce the connection
to the Northwest Area Arts District, and to other City arts venues or facilities.
The Public Art Sub-Committee should be responsible for recommending the
selection of the graphic designer/ artist teams to implement the Urban Core
Arts District and Citywide Arts Banner Programs in coordination with the
Cultural Arts Commission and the Office of Arts & Culture.
. Publish Arts Movement and Art Walk Maps
The City, in coordination with the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System and
the Chula Vista Transit System, should publish maps relating all the existing
arts venues and facilities as they relate to the network of Chula Vista public
transportation. The maps should be periodically updated as the various
components of the Arts Master Plan are implemented.
The City should also continue to publish Art Walk Maps related to the
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Northwest Area Arts District and other areas in which multiple arts and
cultural facilities are located within walking distance of each other.
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free admision
free parking
great food
. Establish an Arts Shuttle Bus that connects the components of the
Northwest Area Arts District
The Arts Shuttle Bus should serve as a connector between the Third Avenue
Village and the Bayfront components of the Northwest Area Arts District.
Conceptually the Arts Shuttle Bus should circulate continually along Third
Avenue, H Street and E Street.
The Arts Bus should be completely "wrapped" in art scenes relevant to the
history and culture of Chula Vista. These art scenes should be created by
local and regional artists.
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Attachment B
MINUTES OF
CULTURAL ARTS COMMISSION
Monday, October 9, 2006
5:30pm
Library Conf. Room
Chula Vista Public Library
1. Call to Orderl Roll Call
Vice Chair Cornell called the meeting to order at 5:32 pm.
Commissioners Present:
Cornell, Redo, Bolles, Deavenport,
Knowlton, Smith, Vinson, Voorhees
Commissioners Absent:
Liston (excused)
Reinhart, Todd, Noguera
Staff Present:
Others Present:
2. Approval of Minutes
Motion was made (Knowlton) to approve the minutes of the September 11, 2006
meeting. Motion was seconded (Vinson) and carried unanimously.
3. Old Business
a. Urban Core Specific Plan Update - Cornell
The design review meeting has been postponed to a later date. The plan will
be presented to the Planning Commission on Wednesday, October 11.
b. Bayfront Project EIR Available - Cornell
There will be meetings at Just Java on Thursday, October 19 and Monday,
October 23 to discuss the Draft Environmental Impact Report's relocation
plan for the power plant.
4. New Business
a. Recommendation of Draft Arts Master Plan to City Council - Reinhart
Page 9 of the Draft Arts Master Plan has been revised to include more
emphasis on Arts Education.
Motion was made (Voorhees) to recommend the Draft Arts Master Plan to
Council. Motion was seconded (Knowlton) and was passed unanimously.
5. Staff Updates
a. Taste of the Arts 2007 Planning - Todd
The smaller gym at Parkway Recreation Center will be used to accommodate
the National Arts Program exhibitions next May Staff member Todd met with
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representatives of the San Diego Youth Symphony and discussed details
about their Chula Vista performance on May 20, 2007.
b. 24-Hour Fitness public Art Project - Todd
24-Hour Fitness is responsible for making sure that 1 % of the construction
costs on their new Third Avenue facility are used to purchase a public art
piece. Requests for Proposals have been sent to seven artists and
responses are due on October 27. The PubliC Art Sub-Committee will
have a meeting on November 6 to discuss the artists' proposals and the
committee will then recommend their selections to the Cultural Arts
Commission.
c. Concerts in the Park 2007 - Todd
There are a total of thirteen concerts scheduled every Sunday starting on
June 3 through August 26, 2007 at 5:00 pm - 6:30 pm. The three venues
are: Salt Creek Park (June), Veteran's Park (July) and Memorial Park
(August).
d. Selection of Port Public Art Representative - Reinhart
The Mayor recommended Mrs. Dency Souval as the next Port of San
Diego's Public Art Committee Representative from Chula Vista. Mrs.
Souval was a children's arts educator and is the volunteer coordinator for
the National Arts Program. She volunteers for the Office of Arts and
Culture every Wednesday.
e. Chula Vista Public Library Foundation - Reinhart
The Chula Vista Public Library Foundation is now active, serving the
Office of Arts and Culture and the Chula Vista Library programs. The
board of directors is being created. A recruitment luncheon has taken
place and another meeting is being planned for the near future. The
foundation plans to meet quarterly and will concentrate on specific
projects, the first being the sculpture garden for the new Rancho del Rey
Library.
6. Oral Communications
Commissioner Cornell mentioned that she has a list of writers who reside in the San
Diego area. This will be useful when inviting people to find out more about the
Literary Award.
Staff member Todd announced a sculpture show at the Port of San Diego
Embarcadero beginning on Friday, October 13.
Commissioner Deavenport presented the City of Chula Vista with a commemorative
photo of the California Ballet Company.
Staff member Reinhart announced that there will be an opening reception to benefit
the Chula Vista Public Library's Literacy Program at Barnes and Noble on November
7.
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Staff member Reinhart briefly discussed the Chula Vista Yacht Club's plans to
relocate as a result of the Bayfront Development Project. There is an interest in the
old boat yard with plans for a four hundred seat performance space with stage for
public use at a low rental fee.
Adjournment
Adjournment was made at 6:27 pm. The next Cultural Arts Commission meeting
will be held at 5:30pm on Monday, November 13, 2006 in the Library Conference
Room of the Civic Center Library.
Respectfully Submitted
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