Funding Cuts Spur County Arts Council Efforts

A new arts council is aiming to help Ventura County artists who have languished in the wake of federal funding cuts to cultural programs and declining attendance.

The Ventura County Arts Council, formed in December, hopes to become the cultural community’s hub and will work to foster the development and continued support for arts programs.

Its mission, according to council organizer Susan Feller, is to enhance the quality of life for county residents through the development and support of a vibrant cultural community.

Thursday evening, council representatives met with two state arts officials to learn about grants and funding available from the state and to learn more about the role the arts council can play.

There are more than 3,800 such local agencies throughout the country.

“This is the only county of any significance in California that didn’t have an arts council,” Feller said. “I think we’ll probably be able to make the arts in Ventura County much stronger than they have been in the past.

“It’s absolutely essential if you want to have an arts community,” the 42-year-old Thousand Oaks resident said. “With a council like this, we can work on a lot of different levels to support the arts in Ventura County.”

There are more than 200 arts organization in Ventura County, ranging from orchestras to ballet companies to visual arts troupes. However, Feller said all have struggled in recent years due to funding shortages and declining attendance.

While still in the organizational stages, the council has already received a $30,000 grant from the California Arts Council to implement a number of initiatives.

Plans include forming a fund to help offset operating costs of established and new organizations, as well as rounding up business and corporate sponsorships to fund arts programs and increase awareness in communities about the programs available to them.