What is Arts, Culture, & Creativity Month?

In 2019, CA for the Arts successfully campaigned for the state to recognize and celebrate the arts by declaring April as Arts, Culture, & Creativity Month (ACCM) through a concurrent resolution passed in the California Senate. In 2021, an additional resolution was declared to recognize artists as second responders.

CA for the Arts directs this annual month-long spotlight on the arts to raise visibility and awareness about the value of our sector, to empower arts advocates to take action, and to spur greater investments in our industry and workforce.

Our goal is to activate the state and make it easy and educational for you to participate in ACCM. In the months ahead we will release FREE toolkits and resources to generate a social media campaign, get your local government to proclaim April as Arts, Culture, & Creativity Month, learn how to conduct a visit with your legislator and leverage local media to support getting your community talking about the value of the arts.

This year’s ACCM programming and activations are shaped by the theme "Health, Healing, Hope," will explore the vital intersection of arts with community wellness and recovery while also emphasizing that Art Work is Real Work – building on our successful advocacy for artists as essential workers in our communities. “Art Work is Real Work.” Artists play an essential role in our daily lives with critical contributions across a variety of impact areas including health, education, housing, climate, youth development, and the economy. Help us amplify the message that artists and creatives are essential to California's well-being and economic prosperity.

Download our resources, amplify our social media campaigns, and sign up for advocacy opportunities across the state with the goal of raising awareness of the need to invest in creative workers and creative solutions. From the CA Arts & Culture Summit and Advocacy Day to press conferences, online conversations, and legislative meetings, we invite you to engage with us all month long!

Become a Sponsor!

Summit sponsors are our vital partners in elevating the visibility and impact of Arts, Culture, & Creativity Month (ACCM). Over the last five years, ACCM has built upon the momentum to support the sector's sustainability and to encourage Californians to value the arts as a critical component of their lives, thriving communities, and thriving economies. ACCM has impacted local municipalities and delegates from every region of CA and has seen over 60,000+ visits and views to the ACCM webpage.

For maximum visibility, we invite just one innovative partner to be a month-long exclusive ACCM Sponsor! With direct reach to over 25,000 engaged arts advocates in the State and networks to thousands of arts organizations, creative businesses, arts workers, cultural bearers, elected officials, funders, and art patrons– your sponsorship puts you in front of committed and influential arts, culture, and creative industries leaders and shows your commitment to valuing and recognizing the impact of arts, culture, & creativity to California.

For more information on sponsorship opportunities, please contact: nefesha@caforthearts.org

Thank You to our Sponsors!

Arts Champion Awards

We are bringing back the Arts Champion award where we recognize state arts and culture policy leaders.

Past Legislative Arts Star Award recipients include:

• 2023
  Speaker Emeritus, Anthony Rendon
  Senator Toni Atkins
  Assemblymember Tasha Boerner Horvath
• 2022
  Governor Gavin Newsom
  Assemblywoman Sharon Quirk-Silva
• 2019
  Assemblymember Richard Bloom
  Senator Scott Wilk
• 2018 
  Senator Ben Allen
  Senator Jim Nielsen
• 2017
  Assemblymember Ian Calderon

*Note: in 2020-21 : No awards were issued