Spring 2002

Dear Friends:

The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors is pleased to present the San Mateo County Cultural Plan 2002. San Mateo County takes great pride and interest in the talented people and organizations that represent the arts in our Community. This Plan presents a prelude to the greater commitments and dedication to the arts that exists in San Mateo County.

Through the use of Town Hall meetings, a community survey utilizing a questionnaire and strategic group planning sessions, a primary view of San Mateo County's cultural landscape has been revealed. And, the result offers an array of opportunities as well as presenting engaging challenges.

The Board of Supervisors is grateful to the many people who were able to take the time to devote energy to this very important and worthwhile project. Remarkably like a fugue, overall themes established themselves demonstrating our common humanity, while allowing for the individuality of voices to express these ideas in their own way. This very inclusive effort reached out to the broader San Mateo County community and netted many exciting ideas with which to develop and accomplish our goals.

The outcome of these efforts is a fluid, living document that will be used for continuing dialogue. As we complete tasks, we can stand back and review our direction, fine tuning the instrument as the composition unfolds. The Board of Supervisors believes that the end result will provide ample opportunity for audience and artist alike to avail themselves of a full range of cultural experiences in San Mateo County.

Best regards,

Jerry Hill
President, Board of Supervisors

Report prepared by the San Mateo County Cultural Plan 2002 Logistics Group:

Marcia Raines
Director, San Mateo County Environmental Services Agency

Rocio Kiryczun
San Mateo County Manager's Office

Juda Tolmasoff
San Mateo County Supervisor Jerry Hill's Office

Henry Use
Bonny Zanardi
Donalyn Julihn
ARTshare San Mateo County

Bill Bulick
Creative Planning, Inc.

Beverly Thames
San Mateo County

400 County Center
Redwood City, CA 94063
(650) 363‑4121

www.co.sanmateo.ca.us

© 2002 San Mateo County

Overview

This Cultural Plan of San Mateo County reflects findings and agreements forged over eighteen months of planning and assessment involving hundreds of cultural advocates, community leaders and citizens. It is presented as a living document ‑ a framework for future cultural development and further planning to be owned and adapted by the community as the recommendations are refined and developed. The Plan sparks a new beginning for County‑wide cultural development as the County's newly formed Arts Commission and the County's new Arts Partner, ARTshare, take the helm in supporting and helping to guide that development.

The Cultural Planning Process

A Cultural Plan Feasibility Study was begun in Summer, 2000 under the auspices of the Arts Council of San Mateo County and included meetings with numerous community leaders in government, education, arts, the media and other key areas. Goals were to gain a working knowledge of the San Mateo County cultural sector and broader community issues, develop shared understanding among leaders about planning approaches and outcomes, identify strategies for community outreach and agree on roles. In the Summer of 2001, Creative Planning Consultants facilitated meetings with cultural planning leaders, conducted key interviews and focus groups and held workshops with representatives of local arts commissions. A Feasibility Study summarized findings and recommendations for further stages of planning.

On January 15, 2002 ARTshare of San Mateo County was awarded the contract to provide County‑wide cultural services and work began immediately to re‑ignite the planning process and bring the current round of planning to a successful conclusion. A Cultural Planning Logistics Group collaborated on the design of a survey instrument and a series of community meetings to gain further input into issues, needs, strengths, challenges and strategies to be incorporated into the final plan document, building on the input gathered in earlier planning phases. Community meetings were held in the cities of San Mateo, Half Moon Bay, Redwood City and South San Francisco. Surveying was conducted at the meetings and via mail.

Community input and background Materials from all phases have been synthesized into the current document.

Arts and Cultural Needs

Cultural needs and aspirations in eight primary areas were apparent from input gained at community meetings, interviews, focus groups and surveying. They are listed here in priority order.

• Additional cultural facilities of many types throughout the County.

• Increased networking and communication to share information and resources.

• Increased advocacy.

• Increased visibility and audience development for arts organizations and artists.

• Increased funding.

• Stronger arts education programs.

• Recognition of diversity.

• More opportunities for art in public places.

Recommended Cultural Strategies:

Recommendations are grouped by topic in priority order:

• Plan Implementation: ARTshare should disseminate the cultural plan to a wide range of constituents and stakeholders, take the lead role in tracking cultural plan implementation and work with the County to incorporate cultural strategies into other community planning efforts. 

• Networking/Communication/Advocacy: Develop a printed and web based information resource for the arts community; expand and consolidate the County‑wide inventory of organizations, artists, facilities and resources; provide training and workshops in non‑profit management; stimulate collaborations and partnerships; convene and organize the arts community on behalf of more robust advocacy efforts.

• Visibility/Marketing: Create an attractive, regular County‑wide calendar of arts events; advocate for expanded media coverage; investigate joint marketing and audience development strategies.

• Facilities: Expand and consolidate existing facilities inventories; undertake additional needs assessment.

• Funding: Investigate strategies to increase public and private funding for arts and Culture.

• Arts Education/Youth Programs: Enhance advocacy for arts education programs; conduct an in‑depth needs assessment; encourage the development of a variety of year‑round arts programs for youth.

• Public Art: Research and advocate for additional opportunities for art in public places.

A Vision for Arts and Culture

ARTshare, the County's new Arts Partner, will play an important role as a Countywide service organization dedicated to promoting outreach, inclusion, open communication, collaboration and resource development. As a further commitment to the arts in San Mateo County, the Board of Supervisors is appointing a five member County Arts Commission to advise it on cultural issues. ARTshare will be a collaborative partner.

Implementation Strategy

The following are suggested as guiding principles for the immediate work ahead:

• Sustain the involvement of planning participants and seek their help in widening the circle of implementation advocates.

• Continue to engage new and broader leadership on behalf of cultural development.

• Use the Cultural Plan as a means of increasing the visibility of the arts and of cultural strategies.

• Communicate results and successes to stakeholders, community leaders and the general public; keep the community's eye on the plan as a reference point for cultural development.

• Remain sensitive to opportunities for collaborative efforts as well as to the autonomy of individual organizations and local communities and their arts commissions.

ARTshare will work with the County Arts Commission to refine and develop specific actions to respond to the cultural needs and strategies generated through this cultural planning process.

This Cultural Plan of San Mateo County reflects findings and agreements forged over eighteen months of planning and assessment involving hundreds of cultural advocates, community leaders and citizens. It is presented as a living document ‑ a framework for future cultural development and further planning to be owned and adapted by the community as the recommendations are refined and developed. The Plan sparks a new beginning for County‑wide cultural development as the County's newly formed Arts Commission and the County's new Arts Partner, ARTshare, take the helm in supporting and helping to guide that development.

The Cultural Planning Process

During the Feasibility Phase of cultural planning, done under the auspices of the Arts Council of San Mateo County, meetings were conducted with numerous community leaders in government, education, arts, the media and other key areas. Goals were to gain a working knowledge of the San Mateo County cultural sector and broader community issues, develop shared understanding among leaders about planning approaches and outcomes, identify strategies for community outreach and agree on roles. It was agreed that Cultural planning should be "phased," to permit gradual development of existing, new and broader leadership for the cultural arts in the County.

The Arts Council worked throughout the Winter and Spring of 2001 to assemble a leadership group and resources for further planning. In the Summer of 2001, Creative Planning, with Bill Bulick as lead consultant, facilitated meetings with cultural planning leaders, conducted key interviews and focus groups and held workshops with representatives of local arts commissions. A Feasibility Study summarized findings and recommendations for further stages of planning.

On January 15, 2002, after a thorough review process, the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors awarded ARTshare of San Mateo County the contract to provide County‑wide cultural services. Work began immediately to re‑ignite the planning process and bring the current round of planning to a successful conclusion. The County Board of Supervisors and ARTshare retained the same lead consultant in order to maintain a continuity of inquiry and community consensus building.

A Cultural Planning Logistics Group made up of ARTshare Board members, its executive director and staff from the County Board of Supervisors, Environmental Services Agency and County Manager's Office began immediate action. The consultant was brought up to date via conference calls, phone interviews, email exchange and review of additional background materials on ARTshare and the current situation in the County.

The consultant and the Cultural Planning Logistics Group collaborated on the design of a survey instrument and a series of community meetings to gain further input into issues, needs, strengths, challenges and strategies to be incorporated into the final plan document building on the input gathered in earlier planning phases. Community meetings were held in the cities of San Mateo, Half Moon Bay, Redwood City and South San Francisco. Surveying was conducted at the meetings and via mail. Approximately 70 people attended the meetings and 110 filled out the surveys.

The consultant and the Cultural Planning Logistics Group have synthesized comÐmunity input and background materials from all phases into the current document (see Appendices for list of participants, survey instruments, etc.)

Cultural Planning Mission

The mission of San Mateo County's Cultural Plan is to be a catalyst for the design of the Cultural roadmap of the region. This will be accomplished by bringing together all segments of the community interested in the arts to define goals for increased success of San Mateo County's cultural arts organizations and individual artists and enhanced opportunities for the public to participate.

Cultural Planning Goals:

• Broaden the potential leadership base for the arts in the County. In cities where no civic cultural arts commission exists, identify individuals and organizations actively involved in the arts and encourage alliances.

• Strengthen the network of cultural arts organizations to promote resource sharing and help prevent overlapping or competing events, exhibits, and activities.

• Develop a complete inventory of cultural resources and venues in the County.

• Identify the strengths and needs of cultural arts organizations and individual artists and prioritize those needs.

• Identify and develop more effective methods of communication within the arts community and between the arts community and the public.

• Increase public awareness of the arts, including arts education, in the County.

• Focus efforts for developing arts facilities for the County.

• Develop a mechanism for annual revisiting of the Cultural Plan to update and refocus efforts in light of a changing environment.

It is always important to set cultural planning and development within the broader context of community history, issues and leadership. The first phases of planning, especially, attempt to identify linkages and forces which will have a bearing on successful implementation of cultural strategies. The findings of community research, follow‑up interviews and community meetings indicate significant challenges for cultural planning and development, as well as opportunities.

Challenges for cultural planning and development

• Geographic diversity can act as a barrier to participation in the Arts.

• San Francisco and San Jose, as large, independent single government cities, are magnets for resources, talent and audiences.

• San Mateo County's individual cities and communities of independent governance create a widespread, but less focused, arts scene.

• Affordable housing and traffic congestion are two overarching County issues. Both have huge implications for the County's Cultural sector.

• Arts and Cultural groups tend to work independently from one another, competing for resources,

Opportunities for cultural planning and development

There are also great opportunities for cultural development in San Mateo County, many coming in response to the challenges mentioned above.

• Cultural activity is dispersed, but strengths exist in every corner of the County.

• Arts commissions or councils now exist in twelve separate cities in the County. ARTshare has been a strong advocate for their development since 1992 and has provided frequent workshops and assistance to local leaders.
   

• San Mateo County has many strong leaders in the arts who support County‑wide community cultural development.

Cultural needs and aspirations in San Mateo County have been consistently expressed during cultural planning. The earliest key interviews, meetings with arts groups and the most recent burst of surveying and community meetings also reinforce the findings of previous Cultural studies and forums.

The following cultural needs are clustered by topic. They are listed in the priority order established by votes at the recent community meetings. The first five "needs clusters" received a substantial portion of the votes.

Facilities

The need for additional cultural facilities in San Mateo County is deeply felt. Desired facilities include: performing arts facilities of several sizes, studio space for artists, meeting spaces, work spaces, offices, rehearsal spaces, fine arts galleries, exhibition space for crafts, classrooms, space for after school youth programs, storage space for equipment and props.

Other facilities issues include:

• Maintenance and operating support for existing facilities;

• Information about available facilities and how to access them;

• Technical assistance to arts groups about facilities development and use;

• Development of shared facilities;

• Access to schools for programs and performances;

• Facilities that are not connected to schools whose schedules can preclude community use in any but short term arrangements; and

• Zoning for live/work space.

Networking/Communication

Information and resource sharing was identified as a strong need. Duplication of efforts and territorialism are limiting factors. Many organizations and individuals feel they are working in isolation and need information on resources, technical assistance and opportunities to collaborate.

Advocacy

Increased advocacy at the local level is needed. A unified voice within the arts community is seen as a critical first step towards gaining additional Cultural funding.

Visibility/Marketing

There is a strong need for increased visibility of arts organizations and artists in the County.

"Small organizations do not know how to write press releases, who to contact, how to market themselves. "

"We shouldn't have rivals for the same audience within 15 or 20 miles of each other. Scheduling should be calendared on a county‑wide basis.

Other expressed needs were a county‑wide calendar and web site, an arts newspaper insert, improved media coverage, more critical reviews from both San Francisco and County media, collaborative marketing campaigns, and marketing workshops.

Resources/Funding

Increased funding for the arts was a need expressed by nearly every participant in the planning process. Many cited the need to coordinate efforts, avoid duplication and streamline requests. Another strongly felt issue is the need for accountability to funding sources.

"We need to follow up to see how the money is used or abused. There should always be accountability, checks and balances."

Arts Education and Youth Programs

The arts should be a part of a child's total education. Cutbacks in arts education funding have impacted the current school environment and learning opportunities for students.

Other arts education priorities are integrated arts curriculum in schools, enrichment experiences, opportunities for students to attend performances and exhibits, and for more year round arts programs. It is also important to maintain support for current programs,

Recognition of Diversity

As stated at one of the recent community meetings:

"Diversity is the enriching gift we give to each other "

The population of San Mateo County is increasingly diverse and its cultural offerings reflect this. Many ethnic organizations feel the need for increased access to funding, technical assistance, facilities and broader audiences,

Public Art

Opportunities abound for art in public places, from major transportation infrastructure projects in the works to local public art ordinances, to privately endowed commissions.

Cultural Strategies are grouped by topic and in priority order. All recommendations are labeled to indicate a time frame: as soon as possible (asap), 1‑3 years, long term.

Plan Implementation

The following recommendations should be acted on as soon as possible:

• ARTshare will assume the role of tracking cultural plan implementation and reporting progress to the County Arts Commission, Board of Supervisors, arts constituencies and the general public.
   

• ARTshare will distribute the cultural plan to a wide range of civic organizations including governments, chambers of commerce, tourism agencies, school districts, etc.
   

• ARTshare should work with the County to incorporate Cultural strategies based upon the Cultural Plan into Shared Vision 2010 and with other community planning efforts such as Sustainable San Mateo County.

Networking/Communication/Advocacy

• Develop a printed and web based newsletter for the arts community which includes a calendar of events and other useful information about available resources and opportunities, advocacy, meetings, etc. These resources should be 'äself service" as much as possible, with organizations inputting and accessing the information. There is a strong wish in the arts community for an information resource that will help to avoid competing events and duplication of services (asap, 1‑3 years).
   

• Consolidate and assume responsibility for a County‑wide inventory of arts organizations, artists, facilities, arts services and resources, working with local arts commissions to assure coverage of all communities. This will require continued management to keep it current. As above, it should be "self service," with arts organizations responsible, as much as possible, for Updating their information (asap), The database should be expanded to enable tracking of audiences, expenditures, educational opportunities, etc. so that it could be used as a resource in developing arts impact data for advocacy and visibility purposes (1 ‑3 years).
   

• Regular (biannual/annual) meetings with local arts commission and councils should be convened for exchange of information, to stimulate collaborative work on County‑wide strategies and to define and commit to cultural advocacy objectives.
   

• ARTshare should take the lead role in planning County‑wide advocacy on behalf of a more visible and vital role for the arts in San Mateo County, working closely with the new Arts Commission to provide regular briefings for the Board of Supervisors. ARTshare should also enlist local arts commission representatives and elected officials from their communities to build support for a strong, integrated role for arts and culture in San Mateo County, including sustained and increased public support (asap and ongoing).
   

• ARTshare should join the California Assembly of Local Arts Agencies (CALAA) and Americans for the Arts (a national arts service organization) and partner with the California Arts Council to take advantage of statewide and national networking opportunities. These can include access to information, program models, conferences, training and resources as well as opportunities to participate in broader advocacy efforts (asap).
   

• Technical Assistance: Sponsor workshops for arts organizations and artists on such topics as marketing, board building, fundraising, creating a local arts commission, volunteer coordination, access to and use of cultural facilities, etc. Information about valuable non‑profit management workshops offered by other service organizations also should be disseminated (1 ‑3 years).
   

• Cultural organizations throughout the County should build upon the networking which occurred during cultural planning to stimulate new collaborations among arts organizations and with other community partners such as tourism agencies, schools, business organizations and others. Goals include: sharing resources and space, joint marketing, group insurance and health benefits, accessing new pools of volunteers and management advice from other sectors, public art projects, integration of cultural strategies into community planning and revitalization efforts (1 ‑3 years and long term).

Visibility/Marketing

• Create an attractive, regular, timely County‑wide calendar of arts events as an audience development, joint marketing and general visibility building tool. This could be a media insert or mailer and might be connected to a web site and/or 800 number. Possible sponsors include the media, the tourism agency, a consortium of arts organizations or other marketing entities (1 ‑3 years).
   

• Advocate for more frequent, more visible coverage of arts events in local and San Francisco/San Jose media (1‑3 years).
   

• Visibility and marketing opportunities should be examined, including work with marketing representatives of arts organizations, representatives of the media and advertising sectors, and public officials (asap).

Facilities

• Existing database should be expanded and consolidated (asap). Organizers might look to recent development by the California Arts Council of a state‑wide facilities inventory as a model and also assure that San Mateo facilities are catalogued in that database.
   

• Facilities needs and opportunities should be more thoroughly examined (1 ‑3 years). Given the astounding range of needs voiced during cultural planning and for the last several years, this research might be divided into subgroups to mix and match strategies addressing such areas as:

Funding

• ARTshare must build its capacity to raise private funding to supplement public funding in order to sustain its own operations and to begin to provide the increased level of services recommended by the Cultural Plan. It also should research and access the full spectrum of California Arts Council programs and the National Endowment for the Arts (asap).
   

• Strategies should be developed to enhance cultural funding. Work should include key community leaders, cultural representatives, and public officials (1 ‑3 years). Potential strategies may include:

  ‑ Development of increased public funding, possibly from a dedicated source such as the Transient Occupancy Tax, development fees or other options (long‑term).

  ‑ Development of an endowment or funding pool from private sources to be used for regranting to cultural organizations in the County (long‑term).

Arts Education / Youth Programs

• ARTshare should clearly define its role with respect to arts education. Plan participants did not recommend that the organization take on a direct role in providing arts education services, but rather act as an advocate for integrating the arts into education and youth programs. ARTshare needs information on current services, capacities and needs so that it can work with other advocacy organizations for improvements and help to broker partnerships to address service needs (asap).
   

• Conduct a mote in‑depth needs assessment of arts education, working with school districts and local arts commissions (1 ‑3 years). This role might be taken on by existing arts education providers in the County or a new entity created to forward the arts education agenda (1 ‑3 years).
   

• Encourage the development of a variety of year‑round arts programs sponsored by arts organizations, parks and recreation departments, youth development organizations and neighborhood based community development organizations. Promote partnerships between these organizations and with schools, social service organizations and juvenile justice agencies (1 ‑3 years).

Public Art

• Research and advocate for opportunities to adopt and/or implement public art ordinances. Great care must be taken to assure resources for adequate staff to manage such programs (1 ‑3 years, long term).

Priorities established by cultural planning activities over the past 18 months will serve as 'directional markers' for activity in the coming year on behalf of the arts in San Mateo County. This Cultural Plan is a Îwork in progress.' It will be revisited and expanded as the new County Arts Commission takes shape, resource databases are complete, and in‑depth public input has been obtained.

This Cultural Plan for San Mateo County combines the important earlier work of the Feasibility Study, public input from four community meetings, and results of questionnaires distributed by mail and County website. For the next phase of Cultural Planning, these findings will be brought to the County Arts Commission, once its members have been selected and approved by the Board Of Supervisors. Future public forums with the Commissioners will allow for much more extensive public input, after which the County Arts Commission and ARTshare will work together to develop specific projects and tasks which will be vehicles for expansion and enhancement of the arts involving the broad spectrum of cultures and interests in San Mateo County, with special efforts to encourage participation by those currently underserved.

ARTshare Role

The consensus built in all phases of cultural planning is that the County‑wide cultural organization should be a service organization, not a programming organization. Broadly speaking, its role and duties should encompass:

• Advocacy for the arts and culture and for their role in the quality of life of County residents.

• Communication: be an information resource for arts organizations and artists, their collaborators and the general public.

• Convening and connecting: ARTshare must work closely with its many cultural constituencies, the new County appointed Arts Commission, the Board of Supervisors and other community leadership entities.

• Resource development: to work towards increased public and private funding for the arts and Culture in San Mateo County.

The roles proposed by cultural planning participants are consistent with those adopted by ARTshare at its September 22, 2001 strategic planning retreat ‑ which also invited input from a broader arts constituency. They are also consistent with nearly all the cultural services proposed in the new contract with San Mateo County. It is important and valuable to have achieved this consensus around the role of the County's new arts partner. Equally important is to strengthen ARTshare and assure adequate financial and human resources to enable it to rise to the occasion of leading implementation of the cultural plan, consistent with its mission.

"ARTshare's mission is to ensure the continuity and strength of San Mateo County's cultural organizations, improve the quality of life, and enhance the image of San Mateo County as a culturally rich community. ARTshare accomplishes this by providing advocacy, promoting collaboration, and developing support for the arts."

The Board of Supervisors, as part of its commitment to the arts in San Mateo County, is appointing a five member County Arts Commission to advise it on cultural issues. ARTshare will be a collaborative partner.

Implementation Strategy

The following are suggested as guiding principles for the immediate work ahead:

• Sustain the involvement of planning participants and seek their help in widening the circle of implementation advocates.

• Continue to engage new and broader leadership on behalf of cultural development.

• Use the Cultural Plan as a means of increasing the visibility of the arts and of cultural strategies.

• Communicate results and successes to stakeholders, community leaders and the general public; keep the community's eye on the plan as a reference point for cultural development.

• Remain sensitive to opportunities for collaborative efforts as well as to the autonomy of individual organizations and local communities and their arts commissions.

It is hoped that the collaborative efforts of all involved in creating this Cultural Plan mark a new era in cultural development for San Mateo County.

Please note: this is a text version of the Cultural Plan 2002. To view the entire document, including appendices, please visit the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors web site: San Mateo County Board of Supervisors.

The following appendices are available through the San Mateo County web site: 

Appendix A: ARTshare Board
Appendix B: Resolution Creating the San Mateo County Arts Commission
Appendix C: Cultural Planning Participants
Appendix D: Questionnaire for Community Meetings
Appendix E: Why Cultural Planning?

© 2002 San Mateo County

For more information call ARTshare: 650.655.4605