From the San Diego Union Tribune:<P><B>MISSING OUT ON ARTS MONEY - SAN DIEGO TRAILS TRAILS MOST BIG CITIES ON CULTURAL GRANTS</B><P><BR> <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>San Diego, the nation's sixth-most populous city, ranks well below the national average when it comes to bringing in money for museums, theaters and other arts organizations.<P>Whether it is the National Endowment for the Arts, California Arts Council, pork-barrel money or private gifts, "America's Finest City" falls short.<P> San Diego ranks 27th out of 50 noncapital U.S. cities with populations above 250,000 in per-person federal arts funding. It falls behind such cities as Pittsburgh, Cleveland and Kansas City.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P><A HREF="http://www.uniontrib.com/news/uniontrib/sun/news/news_1n11arts.html" TARGET=_blank><B>MORE...</B></A><P> <P>

I always had a theory about San Diego and the arts -<P> That, especially in the 50's, 60's and 70's, a large part of the adult population had moved there from other major metropolitan areas - many to initiate semi-retirement. After coming from areas where weather and geographics dictated many more indoor activities; many people who had been avid supporters and attendees of the arts, decided that NOW they were going to focus on sailing, golf and outdoor activities.<P> When the sun is setting at 7:30 PM on a gorgeous San Diego evening; and you are enjoying a margarita at a beachside restaurant, it is VERY difficult to instill an urgency about getting dressed to go to the ballet (or opera or symphony). <P> And, in some cities, the arts provide a strong social enclave that rolls over into business and other relationships. I am not sure that is true in San Diego (though it might be in San Francisco.)<P> Has there been any comparative data gathered to show arts attendance in San Diego, versus some of the other major cities?

Wordfox, I also live in a city noted for it's beautiful weather, outdoor activities, and large number of retirees, yet Sarasota a very active arts scene, with 3 professional resident theatres, a major road house, an opera company, a ballet company, a major museum, and several community theatres. It would be interesting to know why the arts are so healthy here and not in San Diego.<P>It might be the level of government support; Florida in general, and Sarasota specifically, enjoys a high level of government support for the arts.<P>------------------<BR>Jeffrey E. Salzberg, Lighting Designer<BR>This Day in Arts History: <A HREF="http://www.suncoast.quik.com/salzberg/arthist.htm" TARGET=_blank>http://www.suncoast.quik.com/salzberg/arthist.htm</A><BR>Online portfolio: <A HREF="http://www.suncoast.quik.com/salzberg" TARGET=_blank>http://www.suncoast.quik.com/salzberg</A> <P><BR>

One of the problems that has been mentioned in the past is that there are very, very few corporate headquarters here of major companies. They tend to donate where the headquarters are located. I don't know that to be true - but it is what I have been told.<P>There is a lot of talent here - but it goes elsewhere to flourish or it is too busy fighting turf wars to flourish here.<P>This city, as Wordfox says, has really the most perfect climate - very little humidity - no mosquitoes - and there is so much to do that there is a great deal of competition for the time and money of the people. And there is lots to do that is free - beaches, picnics on the beach at night with a fire - ad infinitum. We don't have to be indoors either with a heater in winter or an air conditioner in summer.<P>When major dance companies come - they do sell out - but I am told there is a lack of presenters willing to underwrite. The opera does quite well. <P>We do have a fairly large university population and it was thought that would help - and it has - but not nearly as much as originally thought. <P>The navy has much less presence than it used to - but except for the officers - it is mostly enlisted young people and their struggling (many are on welfare) families. We do have a lot of retired admirals, though.<P>There is a high tech industry - like Qualcomm - but that doesn't seem to help either. <P>As for government they are much more sports oriented - and mostly just like splashy events rather than really building entities. <P>

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR><I>This city, as Wordfox says, has really the most perfect climate - very little humidity - no mosquitoes - and there is so much to do that there is a great deal of competition for the time and money of the people.</I><HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>Yes, as I said, it's very much like Sarasota, except Sarasota has a thriving arts community.<P>------------------<BR>Jeffrey E. Salzberg, Lighting Designer<BR>This Day in Arts History: <A HREF="http://www.suncoast.quik.com/salzberg/arthist.htm" TARGET=_blank>http://www.suncoast.quik.com/salzberg/arthist.htm</A><BR>Online portfolio: <A HREF="http://www.suncoast.quik.com/salzberg" TARGET=_blank>http://www.suncoast.quik.com/salzberg</A> <P><BR>

Every time the subject of San Diego comes up as a city, I am surprised no one has mentioned it in context of a metropolitan area. San Diego is a large city -- also a fine and beautiful city in many ways - but it is not part of a major metropolitan area. San Francisco, by contrast, is tiny for a city, as it is locked on three sides by water. It is however part of a very big metropolitan area that reaches as far north as Marin, as far south as Silicon Valley and as far east as the Diablo Valley. Each of the communities in this San Francisco-San Jose Greater Metropolitan Bay Area is thriving, wealthy, and sophisticated, all of whose populations descend onto San Francisco for dining and entertainment. I believe an estimate had that at any single moment, two-thirds of the people in SF are from outside this city.

Well, let see - we do have the Malashock Company which has been here for many years. The opera does well, the symphony does well too - in between bankruptcies which are more the fault of management than not selling enough tickets. <P>The La Jolla Chamber Orchestra is doing well known, as is the La Jolla Theater. We get many road shows. The Old Globe theater is quite famous and has had several serious connections to New York - successes here ending up in New York City.<P>There are three ballet companies - but each is really (except for a dancer or two at the head) pre-professional. If they would join forces we could REALLY have something. <P>The theater in Escondido is fairly new and seems to be thriving; Diablo Ballet is coming there as well as Itzhak Perlman, Paul Taylor Dance Company, Mummenschanz, Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra. Aeros was here as well as Tango Pasion, Julio Bocca, just to name a few.<P>What is missing - is a really professional ballet company. And, the major ballet companies that used to come here regularly back in the late 60's and early 70's.<P>Salzberg, Salzberg - you can quote me all you want to - but, but, we don't have mosquitoes and that has to count for something - LOL.

a further post - forgive me.....<P>If one reads to the bottom of the article there looks like hope for the future. The city does have the feeling of "coming of age" - it was a village for so long - in the shadow of LA. <P>The city has made some very bad financial deals with the resident sports organizations which it has come to deeply regret. It also has gone after some spashy things like Super Bowls and All Star Games (baseball lover though I am). These are fine - but, we need to spend the money on things that will remain here after the crowds have gone. After the last Super Bowl, the city was reported to have lost money. Certainly a lot of merchants did.

Salzburg:<P> Further refining - I lived in W. Palm for two years and also found a great deal of arts activity, however it was all concentrated during the traditional "season" - Christmas through Easter. Almost as if the arts were designed for the visitors from the "big city" who came to get out of the snow.<P> Is that similar in Sarasota, or do you find year-round activities and support?<BR>

Sarasota pretty much revolves around the snowbirds -- not as much as West Palm, but still a significant amount. The theatres have summer seasons, but the runs are much shorter and not well-attended.<P>There is, of course, no dance in the summer (and not much in the winter). I've gotta get outta here.<p>[This message has been edited by salzberg (edited February 12, 2001).]