State of the Arts in San Bernardino and Riverside Counties
Patrick Brian, Josiah Bruny, Vanessa Vizard, and Jenny Kane,
Publication: Arts Connection, Music Changing Lives, Arts for IE, and Riverside Ats Council
Date: 2021
The purpose of this report is to provide you – our creative leadership community – with a picture of what we have learned from you and our research in the last 14 months about what’s needed in the next five-ten years to expand the work of the arts and culture field in the Inland Empire.
After beginning to convene arts leadership in March 2020, we released a region wide survey in May to learn more about the field, but also to start assessing the impacts of COVID-19 on the arts and culture sector. Before this survey, a field scan of this nature in the region had not been conducted from a grassroots lens.
We spent 3 months sending emails and advertising the survey, calling organizations and posting
about this opportunity. This was also a great way to check in with arts organizations that we haven’t connected with in the past and to bring them into greater contact with some of the resources becoming available through COVID relief programs and funding.
Of the 255 arts and culture organizations in San Bernardino and Riverside Counties, 76 responded to our survey and over 200 artists and arts leaders from the region participated in our 10 monthly meetings beginning in March 2020. 15 arts leaders participated in the focus group sessions and another 20 in our listening session in February dedicated to grant writing and fundraising. Here is a geographic representation of those responses across the region. Followed by a snapshot of the urban areas.
