San Diego ART Matters

06/06/2026

🎶 Happening today! The San Diego Folk Heritage Annual Sam Hinton Folk Festival returns to Old Poway Park with a day full of music, storytelling, and family fun.

Enjoy bluegrass, Cajun, folk, and children’s music beginning at 10 a.m., along with storytelling, dancing, and activities for all ages. Best of all, admission is FREE!

Pack a chair, bring the family, and spend the day celebrating San Diego’s rich folk traditions. Find the FUN at https://sdfolkheritage.org/events/sam-hinton-folk-heritage-festival-free/ 🪕

06/05/2026

The San Diego Union-Tribune's David Garrick reports on today's historic announcement restoring arts and culture funding in San Diego.

After months of advocacy, collaboration, and community engagement, the City of San Diego will restore $6 million in arts and culture funding, joined by a $3 million investment from The Prebys Foundation and $1.35 million for cultural festivals and community celebrations. Together, these investments bring arts and culture funding to more than $10 million.

This achievement belongs to an extraordinary coalition of artists, cultural workers, nonprofit organizations, educators, students, labor partners, funders, business leaders, elected officials, and community members who came together around a simple belief: arts and culture matter.

As San Diego ART Matters, Executive Director Bob Lehman shared today:

"Today is about what happens when the people of a community come together with a shared vision."

What makes this moment especially meaningful is not just the funding restoration, but the partnership it represents. The City of San Diego, the County of San Diego, the Prebys Foundation, arts advocates, and cultural leaders are beginning a new conversation about how we build a stronger, more sustainable future for arts and culture throughout our region.

Thank you to Council President Pro Tem Kent Lee, Councilmember Henry L. Foster III, Supervisor Monica Montgomery Steppe, Grant Oliphant and The Prebys Foundation, Arts + Culture: San Diego, and everyone who raised their voice during this effort.

Today we celebrate. Tomorrow we continue the work.

Read the full story in The San Diego Union-Tribune at https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2026/06/05/san-diego-restores-10m-in-arts-funding-reversing-proposed-budget-cuts-heres-how/ ⬅️

The deal announced Friday morning was characterized as a crucial precedent for collaborative arts funding moving forward.

06/05/2026

Great news! A proposal to restore more than $10.3 million to arts and culture grant funding was announced this morning by the City of San Diego Council President Pro Tem Kent Lee who led a landmark collaboration with Council Budget Committee Chair Councilmember Henry L. Foster III, The Prebys Foundation CEO Grant Oliphant, County of San Diego Supervisor Vice Chair Supervisor Monica Montgomery Steppe, The City of San Diego Commission for Arts & Culture Vice Chair Keith Opstad, San Diego ART Matters Executive Director Bob Lehman, and Arts + Culture: San Diego Director Christine S. Martinez.

This proposed restoration of funding includes more than $6 million from the City and a $3 million investment by The Prebys Foundation to bring together this coalition to develop a regional arts and culture funding plan for long-term sustainability. We thank the Independent Budget Analyst and the overwhelming support for this proposal by City Councilmembers at the Budget Committee Meeting following the press conference.

What makes this moment truly historic is the collaboration that brought us here. We are witnessing the City of San Diego, the County of San Diego, philanthropic leaders, arts advocates, cultural organizations, and community stakeholders working together in ways we have not seen before.

We celebrate this victory and thank everyone who helped make it possible. And we look forward to working with our partners to build an even stronger future for arts and culture throughout San Diego.

Learn more in this CBS 8 San Diego report by Tori Apodaca.

06/05/2026

06/04/2026

San Diego's arts and culture scene is getting national attention.

A recent Forbes feature highlights why visitors should look beyond the beaches and sunshine to discover the region's incredible cultural treasures.

The article showcases:
🎨 "Giants: Art from the Dean Collection of Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys" at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego

🎉 The Centennial celebration at the San Diego Museum of Art, including "Forging a Legacy" and the rare Toulouse-Lautrec exhibition "Cafés and Cabarets"

🪶 "Clearly Indigenous: Native Visions Reimagined in Glass" coming to the Mingei International Museum

🌉 The iconic murals of Chicano Park and the important work of the Chicano Park Museum and Cultural Center

🐻 The renowned Stuart Collection at UC San Diego, featuring site-specific public artworks across campus

Together, these institutions tell the story of a creative region where world-class exhibitions, Indigenous and Chicano cultural heritage, public art, and community creativity thrive side by side.

We're grateful to see San Diego's artists, museums, cultural organizations, and creative communities recognized on a national stage. Arts and culture aren't just part of what makes San Diego special—they help define who we are.

Visit San Diego and start planning your next cultural adventure at https://www.forbes.com/sites/chaddscott/2026/06/01/enjoy-a-summer-of-art-across-san-diego/ ⬅️

Signature special exhibitions and milestone anniversary’s make summer of 2026 a perfect time to visit San Diego for paintings, glass art, architecture, sculpture, and street art.

06/03/2026

Pride Month continues this weekend with two great opportunities to celebrate community, creativity, and connection.

Bestselling author Matt Haig, beloved for ‘The Midnight Library’, will visit San Diego on Saturday to discuss his new novel, ‘The Midnight Train’, in conversation with Jason Blitman, host of the podcast G**s Reading. The event takes place Saturday at 4 p.m. at the Shiley Theatre on the campus of the University of San Diego. Learn more: warwicks.com/event/haig-2026

Also on Saturday, head to Oceanside for Pride by The Beach, a vibrant street festival presented by the North County LGBTQ Resource Center featuring live entertainment, dance performances, food, local vendors, community resources, and plenty of Pride spirit. The festival runs from noon to 6 p.m. at Civic Center Plaza. Learn more: pridebythebeach.org/2025-festival-details

Whether you're a book lover, festivalgoer, or both, it's a wonderful weekend to celebrate Pride across San Diego County.

06/03/2026

In a recent San Diego Union-Tribune “Handpicked by Locals” feature, reporter Karen Pearlman catches up with San Carlos entertainer JoeDreamz, whose inspirational street performances and positive messages have earned him millions of views and a devoted following.

Joe shares the local places that inspire him most, from Lake Murray and Mission Trails Regional Park to The Trails Eatery and Pure Press. It’s a great read about perseverance, community, and following your dreams.

Read more in the San Diego Union-Tribune at

These recommendations by Joe Dreamz, musician and inspirational speaker, include Lake Murray and The Trails Eatery

06/02/2026

Today's the day—vote! The arts are under threat, but the message from Americans is clear: 76% believe the arts are personally important.

Arts and culture strengthen communities, support local economies, inspire creativity, and bring people together.

Organizations like Americans for the Arts, California for the Arts and San Diego ART Matters for the Arts help connect artists, communities, and advocates across the country, reminding us that our voices matter. We speak up. We show up. We vote.

Because when the arts thrive, communities flourish.

The arts are under threat, but 76% of Americans believe the arts ar...

06/02/2026

Just in time for Pride Month, Diversionary Theatre is earning rave reviews for its bold new production of Rent. In a glowing review for the San Diego Union-Tribune, theater critic Pam Kragen praised the production's innovative use of live video, immersive audience experiences, and diverse cast, calling it a fresh and urgent reimagining of the beloved musical. With themes of affordable housing, healthcare, arts funding, and community once again at the center of national conversations, this ambitious production proves that Rent remains as relevant and powerful as ever.

Most performances are already sold out, but a waiting list is available. Read the full review at

With live video and audience-interactive elements, new production breathes fresh life in Jonathan Larson’s 1996 classic

06/01/2026

Registration is now open for “Across the Americas”, the 2026 Summer Chorus from Choral Consortium of San Diego! Discover over more at https://www.sdsings.org/store/p/2026-registration ⬅️

Led by acclaimed conductor Tomás Acosta, this inspiring summer program is open to singers of all experience levels, Summer Chorus offers a fun and welcoming way to build community, make music, and celebrate the voices that unite us—culminating in a live concert performance this July. 🎶🌎🎤