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2026 Cultural Arts Program Update (Ercie Santos, Cultural Arts Specialist)
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RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
It is recommended that the Parks and Recreation Commission be updated on the 2026 Cultural Arts Program.
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BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION
The Cultural Arts Program is generally not within the advisory scope of the Parks and Recreation Commission, rather the Cultural Arts Commission, however staff is providing the following presentation as a general update for awareness.
The Cultural Arts Program promotes and encourages community interest in arts, culture and creative expression. It encompasses three components, the Public Art Program, Art Gallery Program and Youth in Arts. The nine-member Cultural Arts Commission, established in 1994, oversee this work and act as an arts advisory body to the City Council. Support staff include Parks and Recreation Department Director Greg Mediati, Deputy Director Angela Duldulao, Business Program Manager Erin O’Brien, and Cultural Arts Specialist Ercie Santos - who has served in this capacity for over 2.5 decades.
The City’s first Public Art Master Plan was published in 2023 to provide a clear set of goals, policies, and objectives that will provide guidance for the development, improvement, and enhancement of the City’s public art inventory and cultural arts programs. This comprehensive plan establishes a foundational pathway and achieves executable guidelines that strengthen the City’s unique, regional identity from the present to the future.
The Public Art Program
The City’s public art program provides for the installation of temporary and permanent art accessible to viewing at public and private locations. Past projects have also included renovations of treasured icons, embellishment of City entrances and parks and beautification of the downtown area. An inventory and historical archive of these cultural treasures is maintained; detailed information on the public art may be viewed on the “Interactive Public A...
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