Sonoma County Board of Supervisors Strongly Support the Arts, Giving ACNV a partner in North Bay arts advocacy
“The county of Sonoma is making a sizable investment in the local “creative economy,” adopting a strategic plan that calls for a new county arts agency to help promote artists and creative professionals.
One of the key recommendations in the 30-page Arts Action Plan adopted by the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday is the formation of Creative Sonoma, an agency that would raise the visibility of nonprofit, for-profit, individual artists and creative professionals.
“The arts not only enrich the lives of individuals, (but also) arts enrich our community and economic vitality,” said board Chairman David Rabbitt. “This plan helps us move our creative economy to new heights. Supporting our local artists, businesses, and creative economy will help make Sonoma County a destination for artists and tourists, while making the community even more vibrant for our residents.”
Art is an important area for economic growth potential, and until now there has been no coordinated strategy for supporting the creative economy countywide, according to county officials.
Of 210 nonprofit arts organizations in the county in 2012, 103 were actively operating and filing with the IRS, according to the latest figures from the National Center for Charitable Statistics cited in the plan. Total revenues were $36.6 million that year and total assets, $98.6 million.”