Governor artfully surprises audience

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger told about 350 representatives of state arts groups Tuesday that there will be "more money for the arts in the future."

And as if to add emphasis to his pledge, the man who played the Terminator added: "I promise you – I'll be back."

The governor was a surprise guest at the California Arts Council conference at the Memorial Auditorium. The theme of the day: "The Future – What's Next." Schwarzenegger was introduced by his sister-in-law and CAC Vice Chair Malissa Feruzzi Shriver as "a member of SAG (the Screen Actors Guild), an art patron and a wonderful artist."

Before Schwarzenegger spoke, a series of slides of his paintings – still lifes of flowers, dolphins, cows and the American flag – were shown on a movie screen above the auditorium's stage.

The governor then cited his long-held support for the arts. "I've always been a big believer in art," he said, noting that he even viewed body building, or "sculpting the body," as a form of art. He said that, when he first started making money in America, "the first thing I invested in, besides real estate, was art."

He praised the CAC for finding innovative means – such as the license plates designed by Sacramento painter Wayne Thiebaud – for raising funds, and mentioned his commitment when he first took office to provide funds for arts, music and physical education.

As to where any future money would come from, Schwarzenegger concluded his remarks by promising to fix the state budgeting process so that cuts in arts funding would not have to be made.

In 2007-08, $109.27 million in visual and performing arts money was distributed in California by the state Department of Education from Proposition 98 funds, said Mary Beth Barber, the CAC's communications director.

The CAC operates on an annual budget of $5.4 million, of which about $3 million comes from the license plates, $1 million from the National Endowment for the Arts and $1.2 million from the state's general fund, Barber said.

"In per capita spending (for the arts), we're the lowest of all 50 states," Barber said.

The purpose of the conference was to give the state's arts leaders an opportunity to discuss how to function better in the future.

"We see audiences changing, the economy's changing, and with immigration, the populace is changing," said CAC Director Muriel Johnson, a former member of the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors. "Everything's changing, so how will the arts respond?"

Among the challenges cited by conference-goers were the lack of arts in the schools, inadequate funding from both government and private organizations and individuals, poor marketing skills, lack of cultural diversity in both the arts and in arts leadership, and a decline in media coverage of the arts.

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