{"id":780051,"date":"2026-05-07T16:54:19","date_gmt":"2026-05-07T16:54:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/780051\/"},"modified":"2026-05-07T16:54:19","modified_gmt":"2026-05-07T16:54:19","slug":"san-diego-artists-rally-against-cuts-to-arts-programs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/780051\/","title":{"rendered":"San Diego artists rally against cuts to arts programs"},"content":{"rendered":"

SAN DIEGO \u2013 Artists in Pacific Beach and La Jolla are speaking out about Mayor Todd Gloria\u2019s proposal to freeze nearly $12 million in funding for art programs and grants in San Diego to fill a massive budget deficit. <\/p>\n

While the final amount in cuts won\u2019t be decided until the city council votes to adopt the budget, local artists and artisans say cutting funding for the arts impacts the community in a number of ways. <\/p>\n

To hear from local artists, Times of San Diego did a shout-out on social media and via an email blast, asking artists and coastal residents their take on this year\u2019s budget.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what they had to say:<\/p>\n

Hanna Daly<\/a> \u2013 San Diego Muralist-<\/p>\n

\"Mural<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cAs a local artist who has painted hundreds of public murals, I\u2019m super disappointed with Todd Gloria\u2019s proposal to cut the arts,\u201d said Daly, whose work graces buildings in both La Jolla and Pacific Beach. <\/p>\n

\u201cLook around our city streets. Public art creates a sense of community and brings daily moments of joy to residents. And if happier, healthier San Diegans aren\u2019t enough, public art also leads to more tourism and higher spending at local businesses.\u201d<\/p>\n

Daly said that her murals and those from other artists create a vibrant sense of community, building community pride and identity. Public murals also bring joy to those passing through. Daly also says murals actually generate revenue and are not a drain on public coffers. <\/p>\n

\u201cStudies show that public art is a powerful economic driver, bringing between $1.75- $11 for every dollar spent. Ask any business owner who has a mural outside. Art creates interest, which leads to attention and sales. Art isn\u2019t just for fun. It\u2019s essential,\u201d Daly said. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe could all live in grey cement buildings and wear grey clothing, but we chose not to. Why? Because color and design bring joy and wonder to our world. Artists remind us how magical it is to be alive,\u201d said Daly.<\/p>\n

Fellow San Diego muralist Jack Stricker agrees.<\/p>\n

Jack Stricker <\/a>\u2013 Muralist<\/p>\n

\"Mural<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cThis kind of cut means fewer grants, shows, murals, and fewer chances for artists to even be seen,\u201d said Stricker, who recently installed a Padres mural at Harbor Town and a Portuguese-themed mural for United Portuguese S.E.S., Inc. <\/p>\n

\u201cSan Diego\u2019s art scene was finally starting to rebuild after COVID, and now the city wants to cut arts funding by 85%. That hits everyone: visual artists like me, musicians, and theater communities.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI get it\u2026there\u2019s a budget deficit, and tough choices have to be made,\u201d he continued. \u201cBut cutting the arts this deeply sends a message about what the city values. San Diego runs on tourism. Why not use a small portion of hotel tax revenue to support the arts? Other cities do it; it works, and it doesn\u2019t put more pressure on residents. Visitors help pay for the culture they come to experience. It\u2019s one of the least painful ways to fund the arts without hitting residents harder.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sarah Stieber<\/a>: Painter, muralist and jewelry designer \u2013<\/p>\n

\"Mural<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cWhile my own art business generally operates independently of public funding, I know that nothing exists in a vacuum,\u201d said Steiber, a muralist whose airport-themed artwork adorns the Monsaraz Hotel in Point Loma. \u201cCutting $12 million from the arts would have a devastating, lasting effect on every creative and every resident here. As an artist hoping to open an art gallery in San Diego, this proposed budget cut makes me question the city\u2019s future. We would be telling visitors and residents alike that we don\u2019t value culture, and that San Diego is not a place to visit for art. The cut would dampen San Diego\u2019s soul and destroy the creativity that makes our city special.\u201d<\/p>\n

And while artists and muralists alike decry cuts to the arts budget, so too are residents. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe fact that the number of unclassified middle managers has increased by over 450% with a 1% population increase should be staggering to all San Diegans,\u201d said Pacific Beach resident and advocate Scott Chipman. \u201cThere is no justification for that increase, and I know of no one who thinks city services have dramatically improved in recent years or improved at all.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pacific Beach resident Marcie Beckett agrees, stating residents shouldn\u2019t be punished for the city\u2019s poor financial decisions. \u201cThe City would not be in this desperate budget situation if elected officials had not repeatedly squandered taxpayer money on debacles such as 101 Ash Street and ill-planned pension reform,\u201d said Beckett. \u201cThe solution is to elect competent leaders who will work for the people, not special interests.\u201d<\/p>\n

La Jolla resident Melinda Merryweather cautions San Diego\u2019s politicos about the larger impact slashing arts could have on a city. \u201cIf you cut the arts, you cut the heart,\u201d said the longtime La Jollan. \u201cIt is the path in this country from the ghetto to success.\u201d<\/p>\n

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