Coronado's Cultural Arts Commission is pivoting to three concrete goals after the City Council trimmed the body from seven members to five, chair Dawn Richards told the Coronado Eagle & Journal in an interview published Monday, Aug. 24.
The commission now operates with just four active members. Richards said she wants the smaller group to zero in on supporting local arts nonprofits, expanding grant and exhibition access for individual artists, and boosting public engagement through video content and a potential community singing program.
Workshops for nonprofits
Richards plans to spend part of the commission's budget bringing in experts to lead workshops on board development, fundraising and grant writing for the city's Arts Partners, a network of nonprofits that includes Safe Harbor, the Coronado Island Film Festival, Coronado Promenade Concerts and the Jr. Arts League, among others. A full roster is listed on the city's Arts Partners page.
Some groups have struggled to maintain consistent boards over the years, Richards said. She sees the workshops as a path to long-term stability.
Grants and exhibitions for artists
Richards, who tracks arts programs in other cities through her memberships in Californians for the Arts and San Diego Art Matters, is working with city staff to build an "arts opportunities" section on the city website where grant listings and exhibition resources will be posted.
"Our artists may not always realize all of the things they could be eligible for so I want to make all of that information available to them," she said.
Video, social media and a 'Terrible Chorus'
On the engagement front, Richards wants to produce short video reels featuring interviews with Arts Partners before and after their events, segments using the city's public art piano, and an art-walk series. The clips would go on the commission's YouTube page and social media channels.
The most novel idea: a "Terrible Chorus" modeled on the Coronado Terrible Orchestra, the community group for lapsed musicians that rehearses at the Coronado Community Center. Richards said the orchestra's concerts are always sold out with a waitlist. The chorus would welcome anyone who wants to sing popular music without learning to read sheet music or harmonize.
That demand is real, she said.
"I know there's a need for something like that because so many people have asked us for it," Richards said, adding that she plans to hold a public meeting to gauge interest.
What's next
The commission holds about 10 regularly scheduled meetings a year and continues to review public art submissions, present them to the City Council and survey existing pieces across Coronado for maintenance needs. Richards called public art maintenance "an area that could use some attention."
Residents interested in filling the commission's open fifth seat can find application information at the city's Cultural Arts Commission page. The commission's next meeting date has not been announced; check the same page for updates.
