The California Arts Council made its way from Sacramento to downtown Merced last week to conduct one of their five yearly meetings. Led by Executive Director Anne Bown-Crawford, the state agency is responsible for advancing the arts in a state where lives are enriched by access and participation.
The eight-hour meeting started out at the Multicultural Arts Center with a call to order, followed by the Arts Center’s Executive Director Colton Dennis welcoming the panel to the downtown gallery. Following an acknowledgment of Tribal land by Brown-Crawford, members of Merced ShakespeareFest took to the stage to provide the visiting officials with a local sampling of the performing arts with a scene from the recent production of “Taming of the Shrew.”
Several interested residents were able to address the visiting council members, and local arts organizations thanked the leaders for making their way to the Central Valley. Highlighting this region’s cultural diversity, locals urged the council to keep the Central Valley, and what it has to offer, in mind when making decisions about the arts in California.
For more information regarding the California Arts Council, including additional meeting details and upcoming opportunities to speak with the council, go online to: arts.ca.gov.