OaklandArts

09/02/2026

California’s final 2026–27 budget includes more than $80 million in new investment in arts and culture across state agencies.

That includes:
🎨California Arts Council local assistance increasing from $26 million to $38.55 million
🏙️ $4 million for the California Cultural Districts Program
🎭 $12 million for the Performing Arts Equitable Payroll Fund
🎶 Additional investments in cultural organizations, venues, creative economy initiatives and arts programming across California.
This progress follows strong statewide advocacy and Oakland played a meaningful role.

Mayor Barbara Lee was among the first mayors in California to voice support for increased arts and culture funding, underscoring that investment in creativity strengthens cities, neighborhoods, and economic vitality.

In April, Oakland Cultural Affairs Manager Lyz Luke served as a District Captain for Arts Advocacy Day, bringing Oakland and East Bay perspectives to Sacramento and joining advocates from across California.

We appreciate the engagement of Senator Jesse Arreguín, Assemblymember Buffy Wicks, and Assemblymember Mia Bonta, and we thank the many artists, cultural workers, creative businesses, and community members who shared their stories, data, and needs throughout the budget process. Their voices helped keep arts and culture at the table during a challenging fiscal year.

While the full $50 million request for the California Arts Council was not met, this budget reflects meaningful movement. It shows that when creative communities, advocates, and public leaders stay organized and engaged, advocacy works.

Oakland is proud to be part of this ongoing effort and we’re ready for it.

Read full statement: https://www.caartsadvocates.org/news/we-did-it-together-what-californias-final-budget-means-for-arts-and-culture-in-california

08/31/2026

Oakland, we’re hiring!

The City of Oakland Cultural Affairs Division is looking for a Program Analyst III, Cultural Funding Coordinator to join our team.

And let’s be clear about what we mean by Cultural Funding: this is a grantmaking position, not a grant writing position.

That means helping make sure public funding gets where it needs to go. The position will help develop funding guidelines and applications, coordinate review processes, manage awards and contracts, communicate with grantees, monitor grants, and continuously think about how we can make our funding systems more accessible, equitable, effective, and responsive to Oakland’s cultural community.
But that’s not all.

This is a particularly exciting time to join Cultural Affairs because we’re also building and implementing new initiatives, including:

✨ Oakland Arts & Wellness Pilot
✨ Oakland Poet Laureate Program
✨ Cultural Districts funding
✨ Exploring a 2028 ballot measure for sustainable cultural funding
✨ Communications and community engagement
✨ Supporting the Cultural Affairs Commission
✨ New approaches to public investment in Oakland’s cultural ecosystem

We’re looking for someone who is curious, collaborative, resourceful, optimistic, and committed to Oakland.

You don’t have to come from government. You do need to understand grantmaking and be able to work across Oakland’s grassroots cultural community, nonprofit sector, institutions, and public systems.

If you’re someone who thinks deeply about how public dollars can strengthen the people and organizations doing cultural work, we’d love to hear from you.

Know someone who should be doing this work? Tag them, share this post, or send it their way.

📍 City of Oakland Cultural Affairs Division
📌 Program Analyst III, Cultural Funding Coordinator

Apply here: https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/oaklandca/jobs/5436057-0/program-analyst-iii-selective-certification-cultural-funding-coordinator

08/20/2026

This week we are featuring an installation from the City of Oakland’s Civic Art Collection titled “Generations” (2010), by artist Laurel True for Oakland Fire Station 18 in the Melrose neighborhood.

The artwork consists of two exterior mosaic murals facing 50th & Bancroft, a mural within the community room and a historic Fire Department photo transfer tile mural for the 2nd floor courtyard.

The artwork was inspired by the ‘Tree of Life’ and symbolizes, connectivity and renewal within the station crew and the surrounding community. The stylized circular forms reference the concentric rings in a tree trunk while giving a nod to contemporary street culture and the industrial history of the neighborhood.

08/20/2026

✨Public Art Program Project Highlight✨

This week we’re highlighting a Public Art for Private Development Project titled “Change, Stones, Hope” (2024) by Woody De Othello at the 1900 Broadway apartments pocket park in Downtown Oakland, developed by Behring Company.
 
“Change, Stones, and Hope” is a group of bronze sculptures inspired by everyday pocket objects, created by Oakland artist Woody De Othello. The work continues the artist’s exploration of familiar items and the energies they carry. The sculptures include a set of keys, a pocket watch, and healing stones.

08/17/2026

Belonging in Oakland: A Just City Cultural Fund — Applications Now Open

The City of Oakland’s Cultural Affairs Division is proud to continue its partnership with the Akonadi Foundation and the East Bay Community Foundation to advance "Belonging in Oakland: A Just City Cultural Fund" a public‑private initiative uplifting artists, cultural practitioners, and social change organizations working at the intersection of culture and racial justice.

Rooted in the values of our cultural plan, Belonging in Oakland, this Fund supports visionary collaborations that imagine and build toward a racially just city. Over three-year grant cycles, Oakland-based partners are resourced to develop culturally informed policy ideas, narrative strategies, and community-centered prototypes that challenge inequitable systems and expand what’s possible for our communities.

As Cultural Affairs Manager Lyz Luke shares:

“Oakland has long demonstrated how cultural power drives civic change. Arts and culture aren’t a luxury—they’re essential civic infrastructure that strengthen neighborhoods, advance equity, and create the conditions for belonging.”

Applications for the 2026–2029 funding round are now open. We encourage Oakland organizations and cultural leaders rooted in community to explore the opportunity, eligibility details, and timelines.

Learn more and apply:

https://www.ebcf.org/initiatives/belonging-in-oakland-a-just-city-cultural-fund/

Belonging in Oakland: A Just City Cultural Fund funds cultural practitioners of color to radically reimagine a racially just city.

01/23/2026

We are excited to announce Lyz Luke will be joining the City as our new Cultural Affairs Manager. Please give her a warm welcome! 🎉🎉🎉

NEWS RELEASE — The Department of Economic and Workforce Development is pleased to announce the appointment of Lyz Luke as the City of Oakland’s new Cultural Affairs Manager.

"Lyz Luke is a proven and dedicated local arts leader who emerged following a robust national recruitment. I am thrilled to have her joining our team to advance the critical work of supporting Oakland’s artistic and creative communities," said Ashleigh Kanat, Director of Economic and Workforce Development.

Learn more about Lyz here: https://na2.hubs.ly/H03c6Tw0