Walnut Creek Symposium Feb. 15

Officials Will Champion Plea for More Funding for Arts, Culture Programs

Law enforcement and judicial officials will join arts advocates at a Walnut Creek public symposium designed to build support for more state funding for the arts, particularly community cultural programs.

The free event is scheduled from 3:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. on February 15 in Knight Stage 3 at:

A reception will follow.

Contra Costa County Sheriff Warren Rupf and Judge Josanna Berkow, commissioner and judge pro-tempore of the Contra Costa County Superior Court, will address the funding issue with the audience and other speakers. They include Mario Garcia Durham, presenting and multidisciplinary director for the National Endowment for the Arts, Erin Gabel, District Representative for State Senator Tom Torlakson, and Ann Schnake, director of ArtsChange, a program of the Richmond Health Center.

"We want to highlight the value of the arts in youth development, delinquency prevention, health care, economic vitality and other quality of life issues," said Alma Robinson, executive director of California Lawyers for the Arts, a statewide service organization that is sponsoring the event with the Arts and Culture Commission of Contra Costa County.

"We also want to bring public awareness to the need to restore funding for the California Arts Council, in order to sustain the community cultural programs which enhance the vitality of California."

The theme of the symposium, the first of which was arranged by California Lawyers for the Arts in Los Angeles last year, is "California Arts and Healthy Communities."

In addition to the lawyers' organization and arts commission, the Richmond Arts Commission and the City of Walnut Creek are providing support for this year's symposium.

The event will be videotaped for airing on dates to be announced on community TV channels throughout the state.

The sponsoring organizations are working with California Arts Advocates and the California Assembly of Local Arts Agencies to restore state funding for the arts to $37 million, about $5 million more than the level that existed before the budget was cut to $1.1 million four years ago.

"Our proposal to fund the California Arts Council at a $37 million level would bring back arts programs in communities throughout the state and revive inter-departmental activities with other state agencies. Without this support, we will continue to lose our state's most creative and talented people--a trend which is already happening," Robinson said.

"The need for arts funding is a basic community need, not just an issue which concerns the arts and artists. It affects economic vitality, ethnic relations, public safety, delinquency prevention, learning ability and public safety --in all of our communities, rural, suburban and urban."

Volunteer to help AC5!

AC5 needs your help with projects ranging from ushering at one-time events to participating in advisory committees. If you're willing to help, reply by email, ac5@ac5.org , or call the office at (925) 646-2278, and we'll have our volunteer coordinator get in touch with you. Very soon you will be able to volunteer by registering at our website, www.ac5.org. We'll keep you posted.

Sacramento County Fair Seeks Art, Photography for Exhibition and Sale

The Sacramento County Fair invites artists to display their artworks at this year's fair. All artworks will be displayed and judged for cash awards. Entry divisions include Paintings, Drawings, Mixed Media, 3D Art, Recycled Art, New Media, and Photography. There is also a special division for photographs taken at the Sacramento County Fair.

In addition to open entry classes, artists can enter their artworks into themed classes: People, Landscape, or Animals.

Entry is open to all artists residing in Sacramento, Amador, Contra Costa, El Dorado, Placer, San Joaquin, Solano, Sutter, and Yolo counties.

Entry forms and fees must be received by 5 p.m. on Friday, April 20, or postmarked on that date. Entry forms and guidelines are available online at: www.sacfair.com.

For more information or questions regarding the Art & Photography Exhibit, contact the Sacramento County Fair Office at (916) 263-2975, or e-mail them at info@sacfair.com . The 2007 Sacramento County Fair is themed "Imagine the Fun!" and will be held during Memorial Day Weekend, May 24 - 28, at the Cal Expo Fairgrounds.