This year's proposed
increase wasn't much, many officials agreed, but it would
have been symbolic of an improved outlook.
In statements to the press, H.D. Palmer, a spokesman for
the department of finance, said that this year's budget
gap of $15 million required cuts from all areas of state
government, and suggested that private fund-raising is
an option for the Arts Council. For the current fiscal
year, the council raised $893,000 from the sale of specialty
arts license plates, designed by Wayne Thiebaud. With a
matching grant for the National Endowment for the Arts,
the council's budget totals about $3 million. Juan Carrillo,
interim director for the agency, told the Sacramento Bee
that the council is reluctant to seek private donations
because it doesn't want to compete with the arts organizations
it is meant to serve.
Since last year's cuts, many arts groups have been dropped
from the list of grantees while the budgets of others have
dwindled. Those still receiving funds have made severe
cutbacks, including canceling free concerts, scaling back
programming and laying off staff
