A Decade of Cultural Equity and Inclusion in Los Angeles County (Photo – lacounty)
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has officially designated April 2026 as Arts Month, while also recognizing the 10-year anniversary of the Cultural Equity and Inclusion Initiative (CEII), a program aimed at expanding access to arts funding and promoting equity across the region’s cultural sector.
By News Desk
The motion, introduced by Chair and First District Supervisor Hilda L. Solis, highlights a decade of efforts to broaden opportunities for historically underrepresented communities in the arts. Since its launch in 2015, CEII has sought to reshape how public arts funding is distributed and how cultural institutions engage with diverse populations.
“For the past decade, I have been proud to champion the Cultural Equity and Inclusion Initiative, expanding opportunities for students, working artists and communities too often left out of traditional funding,” Solis said in a statement. She emphasized that the initiative has strengthened cultural institutions, elevated diverse voices and reinforced the role of arts and culture in education, economic opportunity and community well-being.
The recognition comes amid ongoing concerns about federal arts funding. Programs such as the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities have faced repeated threats of elimination or significant budget reductions across recent administrations. Additional concerns have emerged over policy changes affecting grant priorities and the independence of institutions like the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
In contrast, Los Angeles County has expanded its commitment to cultural equity through CEII. The initiative, originally led by the County’s Arts Commission—now the Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture—produced 13 recommendations aimed at improving diversity in staffing, leadership, programming and audience engagement across cultural organizations.
In 2017, the Board adopted five major recommendations, including expanding the Arts Internship Program, launching the Creative Strategist Program to embed artists within County departments, and implementing diversity, equity and inclusion requirements for grant recipients. The County also increased funding for its Organizational Grant Program and created work-based learning opportunities for high school students pursuing careers in the arts.
Additional measures tied to the initiative include the Public Art in Private Development Ordinance, the adoption of Indigenous Peoples Day, and the implementation of a Countywide Cultural Policy and Land Acknowledgment.
The newly approved motion not only proclaims April 2026 as Arts Month but also directs Countywide Communications to promote free access to cultural institutions throughout the month. It further recognizes the contributions of Arts Commissioners, CEII co-chairs, advisory committee members and Department of Arts and Culture staff.
More than 30 arts administrators, advocates and artists attended the Board meeting to express their support and appreciation for Solis’ leadership. During the event, she was presented with an award honoring her decade-long effort to advance equity, opportunity and inclusion in Los Angeles County’s cultural landscape.
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