By SDCN Editor
San Diego, CA–The City of San Diego has published data from the past fiscal year that highlights City-funded nonprofit arts and culture organizations in areas citywide.
The annual update to the data-driven and multilayered mapping tool, launched in 2019, displays the meaningful impact these organizations have had in neighborhoods through performances, exhibits, festivals, and arts education, despite the COVID-19 pandemic.
The mapping tool helps users visualize and view data, identify gaps and trends, and compare arts and culture activities throughout all San Diego neighborhoods from fiscal years 2019 to 2021.
“The maps measure the overall reach of our partnering arts and culture organizations across the City and their vital role in enhancing the quality of life for our communities,” said Jonathon Glus, Executive Director for the Commission for Arts and Culture. “The latest update also captures the COVID-19 impacts on the outreach activities and programming and the importance of the City’s investment in the local arts and culture ecosystem to sustain and support these organizations as they build back.”
In the fiscal year 2021, the City directed $5.7 million to 168 nonprofit organizations. While some organizations experienced challenges with the delivery of programming, more than 460,000 participants engaged in activities at more than 360 schools, libraries, parks, and other unique locations citywide last year. Outreach activities and programming decreased from the previous year by about 220 venues. This decrease is mainly attributed to the disruption to operations and negative financial impacts caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Despite reduced availability of project sites and outreach venues in 2021, City-funded organizations responded to COVID-19 by moving some services to online platforms that created new and engaging ways to experience the arts.
Using the mapping tool, it was discovered that a museum in downtown San Diego, for example, reached all nine of the City’s Council districts by augmenting virtual or hybrid learning at 45 schools and a library, as well as at 13 other venues.
“The 2021 map is a powerful visual marker that recovery efforts for these organizations to return and rebuild to pre-COVID-19 outreach and programmatic levels will take time,” said the City’s Chief of Civic Arts Strategies Christine Jones. “The City’s investment in the local arts and culture sector is vital for the well-being of San Diego’s creative life and helps to support a dynamic and diverse cultural workforce and infrastructure for arts engagement of people across all of our neighborhoods.”
The City of San Diego advances and drives an equitable and inclusive creative economy and cultural ecosystem by investing in the work of artists and creatives, and the institutions and systems that amplify creative work and experiences. To learn more, visit sandiego.gov/arts-culture.