Agenda Item: 3
CITY OF SANTA CLARITA
AGENDA REPORT
NEW BUSINESS
CITY MANAGER APPROVAL:
DATE: April 14, 2026
SUBJECT: ARTS MASTER PLAN 2035: VISION AND ACTION
DEPARTMENT: Economic Development
PRESENTER: McKenzie Bright
RECOMMENDED ACTION
City Council receive report and adopt the Arts Master Plan 2035: Vision and Action.
BACKGROUND
The City Council adopted the City of Santa Clarita’s (City) first ten-year Arts Master Plan in March 2016. The 2016 plan identified 41 recommendations across 10 thematic categories, and added 20 recommendations in a 2021 update. The plan was organized into three themes:
enhancing cultural vitality in the community, strengthening cultural support systems, and fostering greater diversity and inclusion. Over the last ten years, 54 of these recommendations have been successfully addressed, while 4 are in the early stages of development and three have been deferred from current priority lists.
To assist in developing the next ten-year Arts Master Plan, the City Council awarded a contract to Keen Independent Research during its regular meeting on January 14, 2025, to evaluate the City’s progress, collect community feedback, and assist staff in developing new action items.
The new Arts Master Plan outlines 16 recommendations across five thematic categories. The recommendations and thematic elements are outlined below:
1. Cultivate the Arts Throughout Santa Clarita
1.1. Continue to develop Old Town Newhall as a premier Arts and Entertainment District
1.2. Introduce resources in areas without arts and cultural assets
1.3. Elevate the arts as a valued City service and key quality of life resource
1.4. Explore supporting the development of additional arts and cultural hubs beyond the Old Town Newhall Arts and Entertainment District
2. Serve as a Cross-Pollinator of Community Arts Efforts
2.1. Advocate for higher education institutions to connect with Santa Clarita residents and
stakeholders
2.2. Encourage arts education and cultural experiences in Santa Clarita Valley
2.3. Partner with local historical organizations on preservation efforts of Santa Clarita Valley cultural attractions
2.4. Track the growth of creative industries
3. Support Artists and Arts Nonprofits
3.1. Promote Santa Clarita as a preferred place for creatives to live and work
3.2. Support the development and sustainability of local nonprofits
4. Review Arts Governance, Policies, and Procedures
4.1. Continue to update the municipal code to reflect best practices
4.2. Review the guiding vision statement for the arts and measure progress
4.3. Promote opportunities for civic engagement in City arts processes to ensure diversity of input, transparency, and equity
4.4. Review public art documents
5. Plan for Arts Venues, Spaces, and Resources
5.1. Integrate arts development throughout City planning
5.2. Examine the feasibility of renovating or building new arts spaces
On March 12, 2026, the Arts Commission recommended that the City Council adopt the Arts Master Plan 2035: Vision and Action, attached as reading file material.
The implementation of the Arts Master Plan will be led by the City, with ongoing collaboration with community organizations including school districts, higher education institutions, businesses, local arts organizations, and others.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION
Other action as determined by the City Council
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact.
ATTACHMENTS
Arts Master Plan 2035: Vision and Action (available in the City Clerk's Reading File)