Solis Marks 10-Year Cultural Equity and Inclusion Initiative Milestone with Arts Month Declaration 

Milestone highlights a decade of expanding access, elevating diverse voices, and advancing equity in the arts.

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors today approved a motion by Board Chair and First District Supervisor Hilda L. Solis to celebrate April 2026 as Arts Month and mark the 10-year milestone of the County’s Cultural Equity and Inclusion Initiative (CEII), which she launched to expand access to arts funding and advance equity across the cultural sector.

“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,” said Board Chair Solis. “CEII has strengthened our cultural institutions, elevated diverse voices and affirmed that arts and culture are essential to education, economic opportunity and community well-being. At a time when federal support for the arts faces ongoing threats, this work is more important than ever. I am grateful to stand alongside the many advocates and partners who continue to advance this initiativeand recommit to building a more equitable and inclusive cultural landscape for all Angelenos.”

Federal arts programs face ongoing threats. Across both Trump administrations, the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities were targeted for elimination or deep budget cuts. Advisory bodies were dissolved, grant priorities shifted, and policies reduced support for community-based and inclusive programs. Actions such as the politicization of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts have also raised concerns about the independence of national cultural institutions.

In contrast, Los Angeles County has taken proactive steps to advance cultural equity and inclusion. CEII, established in 2015, directed the Los Angeles County Arts Commission, now the Department of Arts and Culture, to lead a countywide effort to improve diversity in cultural organizations and expand access to arts for all residents. The initiative produced 13 recommendations focused on staff, boards, audiences, programming and artists.

In 2017, the Board adopted five key recommendations, including expanding the Arts Internship Program; creating the Creative Strategist Program, which embeds artists in County departments; establishing diversity, equity and inclusion requirements for grantees; increasing Organizational Grant Program funding; and creating work-based learning opportunities for high school students pursuing arts careers. Additional efforts include the Public Art in Private Development Ordinance, the adoption of Indigenous Peoples Day, the Countywide Cultural Policy and the Countywide Land Acknowledgment.

The motion approved today proclaims April 2026 as Arts Month and calls on Countywide Communications to promote free access to County cultural institutions. It also formally thanks Arts Commissioners, CEII co-chairs and advisory committee members, and Department of Arts and Culture staff for their leadership in advancing the initiative.

Over 30 arts administrators, advocates, and artists attended the Board of Supervisors meeting to thank Chair Solis for her leadership in transforming how the County approaches arts and culture, providing a framework that continues to guide the Department of Arts and Culture and the Arts Commission today. She was presented with an award recognizing her decade of work advancing equity, opportunity, and inclusion across Los Angeles County’s cultural landscape.

Photos available here (Credit: Bryan Chan).