arts groups and there were 2,684 full- time jobs created by those 42 nonprofit arts groups. Schlelein says another exciting thing is that cultural tourists spend three times the money that wine tourists do. “So if you enhance the culture of your community, then that’s really beneficial to communities,” she says. “Cultural tourists stay three times as long as wine tourists, and they’re often the same target audiences,” Schlelein says. “So both for people that are living in the community and for people that are visiting the community, the arts are important financial drivers.” The Sonoma County Office of Education created its “Portrait of a Graduate” that illustrates the hopes for six important strengths that students would have when they graduate. Those strengths include curiosity, empathy, communication, initiative, to be ethical and engaged, and to be good at collaboration. All of these skills are strengthened by the arts. Schlelein says that Proposition 28—aka the Arts and Music in Schools Funding Guarantee and Accountability Act approved by voters in 2022—will be helpful in restoring arts education in California. “Prop. 28 doesn’t solve everything because it’s been 45 years of neglect since Prop. 13 [led schools to] cut the arts in California,” she says. “It’s a lot of time to have to make up and a lot of damage has been done. A lot of generations have had inadequate critical and creative thinking education.” With Prop. 28 funds, the Sonoma Valley Unified School District is preparing to hire elementary teachers, restore arts teachers, restore classrooms and buy equipment. Schlelein says the next big push will be in finding those arts educators, since many would-be arts instructors entered other fields because of the lack of teaching jobs in the arts in recent years. “People that are photographers or videographers or animators or musicians—there are pathways for them to become teachers,” she says. “We’re starting at the elementary level and we’re rebuilding, but kids are going to get turned on and there’s a whole lot of innovation with small companies now in tech,” Schlelein says.
“I think this is going to be a major boost for the creative economy in California, and we have one of the greatest creative economies in the world. Can you imagine if we can improve our education system, what it’s going to be like?” Schlelein says they are showing the community the way to help with positive change. “I have to tell you the school board meeting that we presented to two weeks ago was almost like an emotional eruption,” she says. “After our presentation, the board took a break and the entire room went into a group hug. It was just riveting, you know, exhilarating.” Schlelein believes it will be a positive result for arts educators who have been “neglected” for years. Next fall, local classrooms will start to see weekly art and music again, especially at the elementary level, she says. Everyone is creative, and everybody has the ability to grow their creativity and critical thinking,” Schlelein says. “They just need to [have] the right guidance to do that and that really benefits our planet.”
Arts Council Napa Valley The Arts Council Napa Valley (ACNV) is supporting the arts and arts education through grants, a creative directory and education alliance, helping to create equitable and inclusive access to the arts for all students in Napa County. Crysta Tim, programs and administration manager for Arts Council Napa Valley, says it’s important the community understands that art isn’t like a decoration. “It’s key to cultural movements, political movements, just making a place have personality and character and bringing people together.” she says. “It’s a lot more than just something extra. It’s something essential, and that’s just really important for the community to understand and be a part of.” She describes arts education as “kind of a constant battle.” “As funding comes up, sometimes it doesn’t go to the right place,” says Tim. “But we’re always at the door trying to make sure things are going where they should go and we’re advocating for the teachers and the kids.” Tim says the arts programs are
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