Rally Will Call for Arts Funding

The San Diego arts community has put out a spirited call to “show your heart for the arts” on Thursday.

The 12:30 p.m. rally at the Civic Theatre concourse is billed as a protest against a proposed city budget that would cut the heart out of arts funding. Faced with a looming $60-million budget shortfall, San Diego City Manager John Lockwood has proposed eliminating funding to arts organizations from next year’s $1.2-billion municipal budget. Such groups as The Old Globe Theatre, the La Jolla Playhouse, the San Diego Repertory Theatre, and the San Diego Symphony would receive nothing if the City Council adopts the proposal.

But rather than hold a wake, rally organizers are planning a protest to demonstrate what the arts do best, according to Adrian Stewart, founder and president of the San Diego Arts and Cultural Coalition which is coordinating the event.

The Starlight Musical Theatre Company will perform numbers from the Follies and the O’Farrell School performing arts troupe will also provide dance and music, said Stewart. “We know how to have fun.”

Thousands of art patrons are expected to attend the rally, Stewart said.

“We need people who care to come. The rally is for everybody who’s ever listened to a symphony, watched a ballet dancer or looked at a painting and been inspired.”

Noting that 560,000 school children attended arts performances last year, Stewart said the rally is for “anyone who cares about the quality of life for their children.”

The arts organizations are not a frill, Stewart said. “We’re an essential part of the quality of life in this city. America’s finest city is America’s finest city because of its arts and cultural scene.”