Staff Report
City Council
Item No. 5.C
Meeting Date: April 22, 2026
From: Anne V. Ambrose, Assistant City Manager
Title: To Approve the Public Arts Commission Recommendation to Allocate up to $5,000 for a Partnership Event with The Perez Art District to Celebrate Where Art Lives
RECOMMENDATION:
To Approve the Public Arts Commission Recommendation to Allocate up to $5,000 for a Partnership Event with The Perez Art District to Celebrate Where Art Lives BACKGROUND:
During the February and March Public Arts Commission meetings, the Commission discussed opportunities to utilize the remaining $5,000 available in their General Fund budget before the end of the fiscal year. The Public Arts Commission has an annual budget of $10,000 to be used for sponsorships or events. The Commission used $5,000 from their budget to promote and execute the Festival of the Arts event on March 28, 2028. The festival was an overwhelming success, with 38 artists participating and between 550-750 attendees.
From the discussions, Chair Liebelt and Commissioner Marks agreed to reach out to the artists of The Perez Art District to explore opportunities for collaboration. At the Commission meeting on April 14, 2026, the Commission voted to recommend the use of $5,000 of their general fund budget towards a joint event with the artists at The Perez Art District.
DISCUSSION:
The Cathedral City Public Arts Commission, in partnership with the artists of The Perez Art District and property owners who own some of the buildings within the district, are proposing a special Fourth Friday celebration on Friday May 22, and Saturday, May 23, 2026, designed to elevate the Perez Arts District as a vibrant creative hub and strengthen its role in the cultural identity of our city. To produce a meaningful, high impact kickoff event, the Commission requests approval to use its remaining $5,000 in discretionary funds. This investment supports an immersive, artist centered celebration that increases visibility, drives engagement, and lays the foundation for recurring District wide programming.
This two-day celebration, titled “Celebrating Where Art Lives” transforms Perez Road into a lively, street level arts corridor. Home to more than 60 working artists, makers, and creative visionaries, the Perez Arts District stands as one of Cathedral City’s most significant cultural assets. This event serves as a high energy launch point — drawing residents, visitors, and art lovers into studios, amplifying the district’s creative identity, and building momentum toward future District wide activations.
What Guests Will Experience:
Open studios buzzing with conversation, creativity, and hands on discovery Artists welcoming visitors into their workspaces, sharing process, story, and craft Music drifting through the district — amplified sets along Buildings A&C and H&I, and intimate acoustic performances inside select galleries. Short bursts of dance and movement that surprise, delight, and animate the space Interactive art moments that invite guests to linger, explore, and create Food trucks and other mobile refreshments.
This celebration is more than a single evening — it is a strategic investment in the long-term visibility and vitality of The Perez Arts District. By showcasing the district’s creative energy and inviting the community to “come play,” the event strengthens Cathedral City’s cultural identity, supports local artists, and builds the foundation for sustainable, recurring arts programming that can grow year after year.
The event builds upon current momentum that has been focusing on the economic engine that is our downtown arts scene, that began with the ribbon cutting of the new Desert Modern gallery on March 5, the first annual Festival of the Arts in the Cathedral City Community Amphitheater on March 28, a second ribbon cutting planned in the district welcoming the Barbara Eberhart Gallery on May 6, and culminating the season with this planned event on May 22 and 23 which will bolster the existing Fourth Friday Art walks into something more substantial.
Chair Liebelt and Commissioner Marks have had several meetings with the artists of The Perez Art District to develop the concept for the two-day festival. Communications and Engagement Director Ryan Hunt and Assistant City Manager Anne Ambrose attended the most recent meeting on April 1, 2026, to help answer logistic questions and finalize the proposed agenda. This has truly been a partnership effort with the participating artists, Public Arts Commissioners, and staff helping to identify performers, food trucks, and activities for the event. In addition to opening their studios, many of the artists have planned interactive events that will allow visitors to share in the creative process.
The following are proposed activities that the artists are planning in their studios. There may be additional activities, but this is current as of the publishing of the agenda.
Friday May 22 4:00 –9:00 pm Saturday May 23 11:00 am –4:00 pm 4:00 - 4:20 11:00 – 11:20
“Paint a mini 4” canvas inspired by
art you saw on the art walk”
Ongoing throughout both festival days
for as long as supplies last.
Emeline
"Experiment with pre-made plaster
Anne Bedrick Fine Art
Building H, Suite 27
“Paint a mini 4” canvas inspired by art you
saw on the art walk”
Ongoing throughout both festival days for as
long as supplies last.
casts that you can add to create your
own sculptural painting."
Building H, Suite 27
4:30-4:50 11:30 – 11:50
Cheryl Gaines STUDIO
68-703 Perez Rd
Bldg A, Suite 17
Personal tour of gallery work on
Friday, May 22 @4:30pm
Cheryl Gaines STUDIO
68-703 Perez Rd
Bldg A, Suite 17
Personal tour of gallery work on
Saturday, May 23 @11:30am
5:00- 5:20 12:00 – 12:20
Bart Baxter
Studio H6/7 is planning a poetry
reading followed by an open mic.
We will provide the amplifier,
microphone, and a few folding chairs.
We would love to have thirty minutes.
I was the 1994 MTV Poetry Grand Slam
winner, the 1998 Seattle Poetry Grand
Slam winner, and the first ever 'Poet
Populist' of Seattle.
Emeline
"Experiment with pre-made plaster casts
that you can add to create your own
sculptural painting."
Building H suite 27
5:30- 5:50 12:30 – 12:50
Anne Bedrick Fine Art
Building H, Suite 27
“Paint a mini 4” canvas inspired by
art you saw on the art walk”
Kathleen Strukoff – Desert Modern Gallery
Suite I-27
Paint a Desert Botanical on a Rock for
your Garden
6:00 – 6:20 1:00 – 1:20
Barbara Eberhart.
Building C, Suite 7
Fashion Show in my gallery wearing
hand-painted shirts they either painted in
one of my classes, or just modeling
shirts I offer for sale.
20-minute
Lisa Van Herik
Building I 16, Suite 3 Seasons Gallery,
How to weave a wire Basket 12-people max
6:30- 6:50 1:30 - 1:50
Kathleen Strukoff- Desert Modern
Gallery
68895 Perez Road,
Suite I-27 (last one on the left)
"Painting our Desert" - an artist talk
with Kathleen Strukoff
May 22nd: 6:00 - 6:20
Kathleen Strukoff- Desert Modern Gallery
68895 Perez Road,
Suite I-27 (last one on the left)
"Painting our Desert" - an artist talk with
May 23rd 1:00 - 1:20
Rock Painting
7:00 – 7:20 2:00- 2:20
Anne Bedrick Fine Art
Building H, Suite 27
“Paint a mini 4” canvas inspired by
Bart Baxter
Studio H6/7 is planning a poetry reading
followed by an open mic.
We will provide the amplifier, microphone, and
art you saw on the art walk”
Ongoing throughout both festival days
for as long as supplies last.
a few folding chairs.
We would love to have thirty minutes.
I was the 1994 MTV Poetry Grand Slam
winner, the 1998 Seattle Poetry Grand Slam
winner, and the first ever 'Poet Populist' of
Seattle.
7:30 – 7:50 2:30 – 2:50
Kathleen Strukoff- Desert Modern
Gallery
Suite I-27
Rock Painting
Anne Bedrick Fine Art
Building H suite 27
“Paint a mini 4” canvas inspired by art you
saw on the art walk”
Ongoing throughout both festival days for as
long as supplies last.
8:00 – 8:20 3:00 – 3:20
Alberto Garcia-Uria Studio
Suite I-26
Special exhibit; "Subjugation" / The
Darkness Within Democracy / A visual
Reckoning
In conjunction with the Fall of Freedom
National campaign, we invite you to
experience a profound and thought-
provoking exhibition held at the Alberto
Garcia-Uria Studio/studio_gallery26. The
exhibition encourages all who see it to
raise their voices and resist forces that
threaten the foundational principles of
freedom and equality.
Alberto Garcia-Uria Studio
Suite I-26
Special exhibit; "Subjugation" / The Darkness
Within Democracy / A visual Reckoning
In conjunction with the Fall of Freedom
National campaign, we invite you to
experience a profound and thought-provoking
exhibition held at the Alberto Garcia-Uria
Studio/studio_gallery26. The exhibition
encourages all who see it to raise their voices
and resist forces that threaten the
foundational principles of freedom and
equality.
8:30 – 8:50
Andrée B Carter
Building I, Suite 17
Gallery tour with question and answer
format describing needlepoint and
embroidery designs and mixing of colors
from powdered pigments
The Public Arts Commission’s contribution would be funding for the musicians that will be performing at different times and throughout the various streets in the district, a dance performance provided by students with Dance with Miss Lindsay, rentals and printing for a passport that attendees can use to document their favorite studios and activities. In addition to the City’s contributions, one of the property owners in the district has pledged up to $5,000 to advertise for the event. To receive payment, performers will be required to provide a W-9.
Category Vendor Type Amount
Music The Perdido Trio Musician $ 200
Javier Valenzuela Singer $ 200
Kevin Christopher Musician $ 200
Cathedral City
Bluegrass Band
Bluegrass ensemble $ 600
The Blasto Boy Band Band $ 600
Dance Dance with Miss
Lindsay – Dance
School
Student Dance
Performance
$ 300
Rentals Dabresa Party Rentals Tables and Chairs $ 400 Printing Costs TBD Passport Brochure x
2,500
$1,200
Supplies $ 500
Contingency $ 800
Subtotal $5,000
Business Owner
Contributions
Amount
Advertising $ 5,000
Total $10,000
FISCAL IMPACT:
DESCRIPTION GENERAL
LEDGER
ACCOUNT
CODES
PROJECT
CODE
AMOUNT ONE TIME or
ONGOING
2025-2026
The Perez Art District
“Celebrating Where
Art Lives” Event
100-500-510-
513-8300-8601 M03513 $5,000 One Time
2025-2026 Total $5,000
FIVE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN:
Goal F: Embracing, Inclusive Community
ATTACHMENTS:
PACE Staff Report April 14, 2026