Greetings! 

This is a big week for SMAC!

On Tuesday, June 7th, we will be downtown at both the County and City budget hearings. SMAC's budget will be discussed at each. The County hearing will be on Tuesday afternoon (it starts at 2pm but we expect our item to go forward sometime between 4pm and 8pm!) and the City Council hearing will be Tuesday night, at 6pm and we expect to go forward at 7pm. We deeply appreciate your presence at these open meetings, where the public can observe and testify. The City's website also offers an easy online way to submit your comments, through e-Comments. You may stream the City and County hearings via their websites.

June 9th is the deadline to apply for the Cultural Arts Awards. This is our major regranting program to nonprofit arts organizations. By providing operating dollars for most of Sacramento's arts groups, SMAC becomes a virtual venue by stimulating the economy, creating jobs, and providing outreach to youth and disadvantaged groups. We encourage all eligible groups to apply!

June 22nd is a SMAC fundraiser hosted by former County Supervisor and former director of the California Arts Council, Muriel Johnson. We are very grateful for her support of SMAC. Funds raised through this event will support our nonprofit arts groups. There are still tickets left for this reception and mini-art auction.  For more information, visit the Friends of SMAC website.

I hope you have seen our Arts. Open Daily buses and banners and heard our radio PSAs. On June 16th, I will be presenting the campaign to about 50 local arts agencies at a state-wide meeting.  We would love to see the Arts Open Daily design throughout California!

Last but not least, I would like to give a great big shout-out to the Sacramento Heritage Festival. This venerable organization has brought us amazing blues music with the finest musicians from all over the U.S. for over 20 years. On June 26th they are having their last concert. I hope you will be able to attend (see www.sacheritagefest.com). I am reproducing a section of their press release here, because their words are why we are so passionate about what we do:

We would like to thank the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission and the Cultural Arts Awards for funding our programming. Their continued support through these tough economic times has been the lifeblood for this small, all-volunteer, community arts organization. As they are once again about to go through the another round of funding cuts, it would be impossible for us to continue, and maintain the artistic quality that our audience has expected of us.

Warm regards,

Rhyena Halpern, Executive Director

Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission