Governor & First Lady Join Supporters and Launch the "Million Plates Campaign for the Arts"
Campaign will raise $40 million for California arts by selling one million Arts License Plates

Governor Schwarzenegger and First Lady Maria Shriver joined the California Arts Council on Monday, June 28, 2010, to launch the Million Plates Campaign for the Arts. Hollywood and entertainment industry powerhouses have already enlisted as "Arts Ambassadors" to support the efforts to provide $40 million for the arts and arts education in California. On Monday, the Twitter feeds and Facebook postings were a-buzzing. See the full video and transcript of the Million Plates launch, click "more" to read the initial release, or look through "Arts in the Media" for articles and blog postings about the unprecedented event.

Film & Television Incentives to Generate $2 Billion in Direct Spending
Governor announces that the state's Film & Television Tax Credit Program created and retained jobs in its first year, with more to come

The California Film & Television Tax Credit Program -- part of last year's budget agreement -- has achieved its desired goal of keeping scores of film and television productions in state, according to Governor Schwarzenegger. The Governor's press office announced that the program successfully created and retained tens of thousands of jobs and generated spending in California.

Arts License Plates installed on the first business fleet in California!
A Sacramento landscaping company is the first to take advantage of the fact that Arts Plate fees may be considered charitable contributions for tax purposes

Burnie Lenau knows arts -- or at least the California Arts License Plate and its importance for arts funding. Burnie is the first business owner to take advantage of the fact that Arts Plate fees may be considered charitable contributions to the California Arts Council. "It's an opportunity to give back, and it's an opportunity to help kids, the state and businesses," Burnie told the Sacramento Bee. "How do you beat that?"

Check out California's Arts Festivals for the Summertime and Beyond
Comprehensive California Arts Council website lets you find out about the Golden State's hundreds of arts and cultural festivals

Memorial Day kicks off an unofficial beginning of summertime in California, so it's time to hit the beach, hike the mountains, and check out the best arts and cultural festivals the Golden State has to offer. The California Arts Council has the perfect website to help Californians and visitors find the best festivals for music, visual arts, film, local arts, even fairs and culinary festivals. Hundreds are listed and viewers can browse by location, month, and type. SEE ARTS FESTIVAL WEBSITE

California Cultural Data Project information--useful for arts advocates, but needs finished profiles
Useful tool for arts advocates requires more information from state's arts organizations

Information from the California Cultural Data Project can be a powerful tool for arts advocates -- but only if the organizations' profiles are complete. Grant applicants and others: please finish your profiles! And if you're new to the California Cultural Data Project, read on to learn more about this useful tool and powerful information resource.

Wayne Thiebaud, artist behind the Arts License Plate, nominated for California Hall of Fame
Other arts and culture nominees include James Cameron, Merle Haggard, Dr. Kevin Starr, Barbra Streisand and Betty White

In early July, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and First Lady Maria Shriver released the names of the 2010 inductees to The California Museum's California Hall of Fame. There's a familiar name on that list for arts lovers following the Million Plates Campaign for the arts: Wayne Thiebaud, the internationally known pop artist from California who created the Arts Plate in 1993.

"Creative California" scores near the top in study examining arts-related economy
California scores third highest in Creative Vitality Index, a report examining creative for-profit and non-profit economy

California has the third highest Creative Vitality Index (CVI) score in the nation for both 2006 and 2007, according to a study that measures the annual changes in the economic health of an area's creative sector and includes both for-profit and nonprofit activities. Only New York and Massachusetts scored higher than the Golden State. 

Official Statements in Support of Arts Education Passed by California Arts Council
Governing-body members of the state's arts agency urges increase in arts education statewide and the continuation of arts education programming in LAUSD

Members of the California Arts Council unanimously approved two official statements recently that support instruction of the visual and performing arts education in the classrooms of California's K-12 schools. A proclamation addressing the visual and performing arts throughout California was approved last October, and a resolution addressing concerns about proposed reductions of arts education in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) was approved on January 26, 2010.

Video Clips Available of 2010 California Poetry Out Loud Finals
California Arts Council posts students' performances, recorded by Senate TV, on YouTube; competition was viewed live by thousands

Video clips of the 27 competitors in the California Poetry Out Loud state finals are available to view on YouTube (see article for links). The contest was viewed by a capacity crowd in the state Senate chambers and by thousands statewide through a Cal Channel broadcast. (View archived webcast from Cal Channel of entire competition: PART 1 and PART 2.)