Support for the Arts Will Be Missed : Hedgecock Pushed Government to Back Arts Community

When his years of public service are added up, Roger Hedgecock may have done more for the arts in San Diego than any other elected official.

His conviction on felony conspiracy and perjury charges notwithstanding, Hedgecock took an unparalleled activist’s approach to the arts.

He understood the importance that arts amenities make in a community’s quality of life and vigorously promoted them at a level duplicated by very few politicians, first as a county supervisor and later as San Diego mayor.

Hedgecock helped make palatable local government support of the arts. His progressive style of leadership extended not only to environmental and growth management issues but naturally to the arts.

Whether it came from the advice of his cultural aide, Kathi Howard, or an innate feeling for the arts dating from beyond his college days as a rock ‘n’ roll promoter of such acts as the Jefferson Airplane, Jimi Hendrix and Jim Morrison and the Doors, Hedgecock gave more than lip service to the arts.

Jazz impresario Rob Hagey recalled that Hedgecock was the first person to appear at a fund-raiser for his San Diego Jazz Festival . . . and remained for hours. “Roger was always reachable. He had an emotional interest in the arts,” Hagey said. As mayor, Hedgecock took as much time to make appearances at fund-raising events for the arts as for other, more traditional political press-the-flesh activities.

Local arts administrators have underscored Hedgecock’s impact on the arts. “He has been the most visible and staunchest supporter of the arts of any public servant in the community,” said Old Globe Theatre artistic director Jack O’Brien.

Hedgecock, who once convincingly played the heavy in a high school production of “Stalag 19,” has attended every opening night at the Old Globe--”voluntarily,” according to O’Brien. “It was a visible boost that we haven’t seen in the arts since the Kennedy regime as far as I can see,” O’Brien said.

Ironically, Hedgecock, who enjoys surfing and camping, helped to forge a new public support for the arts in a region where theater, museums, dance and music had always played second fiddle to the natural amenities and beauty of the landscape. While he is not the only elected official to support the arts (U.S. Sen. Pete Wilson supported a $1-million city grant to the Old Globe while he was mayor), Hedgecock often waded in against the prevailing tide. While on the Board of Supervisors, he led the effort to support the Old Globe with a $250,000 grant when an arsonist destroyed the theater.

Hedgecock’s advocacy of the arts has ranged from creating a public recognition program at the county level for major arts leaders (dropped when he left the Board of Supervisors), to support for the tiny Bowery Theatre on its first anniversary by proclaiming a week in its honor, to lining up a visit to the new Museum of Photographic Arts by Britain’s touring Prince Andrew.

It was typical of Hedgecock that he was the only supervisor to vote in favor of placing a sculpture at a new county building when the other supervisors voted to renege on the agreement with the artist, who had won a county-sponsored contest.

COMBO Executive Director Robert Arnhym, who clashed with Hedgecock over arts funding philosophies, nevertheless called Hedgecock a “vociferous supporter of the arts.” With Hedgecock’s leadership, the county four years ago adopted the first program in the nation in which residents may support the performing and visual arts by making contributions at the time they pay their property taxes.

“He was always adventurous, ready to let the professionals in their field make their case,” said Steve Brezzo, director of the San Diego Museum of Art and a friend of the mayor. “More than others, he recognized that the arts reflected the style of the community.”

In assessing Hedgecock’s performance in the arts arena, a picture arises of a man who actively assisted arts groups. His support for a broad-based and powerful--rather than wimpy--Public Arts Advisory Board could produce Hedgecock’s most important legacy to the arts. Although the legislation creating the PAAB was sponsored by City Councilmen Mike Gotch and William Jones, Hedgecock had supported such a board since taking office as mayor.

The absence of Hedgecock from the City Council meetings may leave a void among elected officials, or his forward-looking example may be picked up by his successor and other council members.

Clearly Hedgecock has helped make government support for the arts more popular. With him, it was an attitude that extended well beyond a politician’s predilection for PR.

As O’Brien said, Hedgecock has done more than anyone in San Diego to glamorize the arts. That will be truly missed.

Editor’s Note

These commentaries were prepared before Mayor Roger Hedgecock announced Friday that he would not resign.