Commission for Arts and Culture

Special Initiatives

Survive and Thrive Initiative

More Beauty For Your Buck. San Diego Arts and Culture, Entertainment That Has Value.

The City of San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture and the San Diego Foundation have partnered to assist nonprofit arts and culture organizations in surviving the economic downturn and thriving in a new world economy. A major component of this "Survive and Thrive" initiative is a regional marketing campaign that will excite and encourage audience members and donors to support the region's artistic programs with their participation and philanthropy. Additional support for the campaign is provided by the San Diego Convention and Visitors Bureau (ConVis), National Endowment for the Arts, California Arts Council, San Diego Grantmakers and other funders. Media support provided by sandiego.com

National Arts and Humanities Month: October

Photo of National Arts and Humanities Month

Held every October and coordinated by Americans for the Arts, National Arts and Humanities Month is the largest annual celebration of the arts and humanities in the nation. From arts center open houses to mayoral proclamations to banners and media coverage, communities across the United States join together to recognize the importance of arts and culture in our daily lives.

Diversity Initiative

The City of San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture launched its Diversity Initiative in 2003 as a multi-year, multi-dimensional project. The purpose was to encourage those arts and culture organizations in the Organizational Support Program (OSP) receiving funding through the City of San Diego's Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) to embrace the concept of developing boards and staff that more closely reflected the demographics of San Diego. The Commission believed that by diversifying boards and staffs, organizations would develop new programs and services designed to reach more diverse artists, audiences and participants.

Diversity Information from Around the Web

Cultural Tourism Initiative

The City of San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture and the San Diego Convention and Visitors Bureau were at the forefront of the development of cultural tourism in the United States and hosted the first conference for industry leaders in 1998. A subsequent cultural tourism marketing and promotional campaign dubbed San Diego Art + Sol was initiated in 2000 and continues to build momentum ten years later. Today, San Diego Art + Sol is hosted online by the San Diego Convention and Visitors Bureau and benefits from extensive web traffic, media and print ad advertising and promotions as well as special packages and discount programs. The Bureau website provides links to over 500 local arts and culture organizations, a comprehensive, up-to-date calendar and cultural tourism itineraries connecting visitors to arts and culture events in neighborhoods throughout the region. San Diego Art + Sol continues to assist both the local market and the tourism industry in ensuring that San Diego remains a sought-after arts destination. The Commission also holds regular Cultural Tourism Summits that help inform and build partnerships and collaborations between the arts and tourism industries.

Would you like to submit your event to the San Diego Art + Sol calendar? Get a password and use this simple tutorial (PDF) to get started. The following resources provide additional information about cultural tourism:

The City of San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture, in partnership with the San Diego Foundation, would like to share an exciting upcoming marketing and promotion opportunity with you as part of our ongoing efforts to help increase audience access and participation for your organization. We are working with the Port of San Diego and several other partners to present a special FREE COMMUNITY EVENT to help generate enthusiasm and interest in fall performances, exhibitions and festivals.

A New Special Arts and Culture Event
Fall for the Arts – A celebration of Arts and Culture on San Diego Bay provides an opportunity for the public to directly interact with dozens of arts and cultural organizations in one place, through performances, workshops, demonstrations and exhibits. It’s on Saturday, October 1, 11-4 pm, at the Broadway Pier and kicks off National Arts and Humanities Month. The promotion promises to showcase the diverse arts and cultural offerings available around San Diego Bay.

How You Can Benefit
The event is an opportunity for your organizations to let potential new audiences know about the year-round work you all do to improve the quality of life for the entire region. We plan a robust marketing, advertising and social media push, partially funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, to ensure attendance. Our first ad will appear in the Union-Tribune Fall Arts Preview on August 28 and will direct people to www.sandiego.org/arts where all your events should be posted. You can preview your offerings, or educate and energize the attendees in other creative ways. Whether its one-to-one interaction, demonstrations and sample workshops or mini-classes, to short showcase performances, we will help in presenting you in the best possible light.

How You Can Participate
Fall for the Arts is free to participate in and free to attend. We realize this is a quick timeframe so we encourage you to respond by August 29. Simply fill out the Port of San Diego registration form which will be returned to us. Questions about what you plan to do and what you need from us to facilitate are on the form. Once we get all interested organization's registration forms in we can evaluate what infrastructure and other needs we are able to provide. Meanwhile, feel free to contact Gary Margolis at (619) 236-6788, gmargolis@sandiego.gov