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CAC ACTION ITEM: (1) Confirm the updated FY 2025-26 Standing and Ad Hoc Subcommittee structure and assignments; (2) Appoint Commissioners to fill existing vacancies on the Communications & Outreach, 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games/Cultural Olympiad, and Historic Preservation Subcommittees; (3) Creation of an Ad Hoc Fiesta La Ballona Entertainment Subcommittee; (4) Assignment of Commissioners to the Ad Hoc Fiesta La Ballona Entertainment Subcommittee for Fiscal Year 2025-26; and/or (5) Suggest changes to additional Subcommittee assignments as needed and desired.
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Meeting Date: March 17, 2026
Contact Person/Dept: Sally Unsworth/ City Manager - Office of Economic & Cultural Development
Phone Number: (310) 253-6003
Fiscal Impact: Yes [] No [X] General Fund: Yes [] No [X]
Public Hearing: [] Action Item: [X] Attachments: []
Public Notification: Meetings and Agendas - Cultural Affairs Commission (03/13/26)
Department Approval: N/A
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RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the Cultural Affairs Commission (CAC): (1) Confirm the updated FY 2025-26 Standing and Ad Hoc Subcommittee structure and assignments; (2) Appoint Commissioners to fill existing vacancies on the Communications & Outreach, 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games/Cultural Olympiad, and Historic Preservation Subcommittees; (3) Create a new Ad Hoc Fiesta La Ballona Entertainment Subcommittee; (4) Assign of Commissioners to the Ad Hoc Fiesta La Ballona Entertainment Subcommittee for Fiscal Year 2025-26; and/or (5) Suggest changes to additional Subcommittee assignments as needed and desired.
BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION:
Following the Cultural Affairs Commission’s October 2025 direction to add Historic Preservation as an Ad Hoc Subcommittee, updates to the FY 2025-26 subcommittee structure are now required to reflect current Commission membership and workload balance. With the appointment of a new Commissioner at the February 2026 meeting, the Commission has an opportunity to confirm its Standing and Ad Hoc Subcommittee assignments, fill existing vacancies, and consider any redistribution of assignments to support continuity of work and equitable participation across Commissioners.
Current vacancies exist on the Communications & Outreach, 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games/Cultural Olympiad, and Historic Preservation subcommittees.
Subcommittee meetings are held on an as-needed basis, with some subcommittees meeting monthly and others once or twice within a twelve-month period. In general, “ad hoc subcommittees serve only a limited or single purposed, are not perpetual, and are dissolved when their specific task is completed. Ad hoc subcommittees do not constitute a ”legislative body” and are not subject to the Brown Act. “Standing” subcommittees (e.g. the Public Art Subcommittee) have a continuing subject matter jurisdiction, are considered to be a “legislative body,” and are subject to the Brown Act. These subcommittee meetings must be noticed and open to the public.
CURRENT SUBCOMMITTEES AND BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS:
• Public Art: Supports Art in Public Places Program and other public art initiatives.
• Artist Laureate: Advises and supports Artist Laureate programming, documentation, and public engagement.
• Communications & Outreach Plan: 2026 work to include recommendations for a 3-year Communication and Outreach plan for the Division of Cultural Affairs
• Creative Economy & Cultural Plan: Supports development of City’s long-term cultural planning and creative economy efforts. 2026 work to include the launch and support of the Community Cultural Equity Plan (CCEP) including community engagement and recommendation of final plan to City Council.
• FY 2025-26 Culver City Arts Foundation: Serve as liaison to Culver City Arts Foundation to align arts and cultural priorities and activations for maximum community benefit. 2026 work includes advising on forthcoming MOU with Culver City Arts Foundation.
• 2026 Performing Arts Grant Program: Reviews FY2026 grant applications and makes funding and programmatic recommendations.
• 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games/Cultural Olympiad: Advises on cultural programming and partnerships leading up to the Games.
• FY 2025-2026 Historic Preservation: 2026 work to include updates to the City’s Historic Preservation municipal code to bring code up-to-date and align with current best practices.
CURRENT SUBCOMMITTEE STRUCTURE (with vacancies):
Standing Subcommittee:
• Public Art - Mesghali / Gupta
Ad Hoc Subcommittees:
• Artist Laureate - Fleischer / Gupta
• Communications & Outreach Plan - Fleischer / [VACANT]
• Creative Economy & Cultural Plan - Mesghali / Fleischer
• FY 2025-26 Culver City Arts Foundation - Mesghali / Gupta
• 2026 Performing Arts Grant Program - Fleischer / Gupta
• 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games / Cultural Olympiad - Mesghali / [VACANT]
• FY 2025 - 2026 Historic Preservation - [VACANT] / [VACANT]
At the Commission’s discretion, some subcommittee seats may be left vacant until five Commissioners are appointed.
REQUEST FOR NEW AD HOC SUBCOMMITTEE:
Since 2024, the Cultural Affairs Commission has participated in the review and selection process for entertainment at Fiesta La Ballona (Event), an annual three-day carnival that is managed by the Parks, Recreation and Community Services (PRCS) Dept. and occurs at Veterans Memorial Park, usually in August. Located in the center of the Event is the entertainment tent, with a stage, dance floor, and audience seating. In 2026, the Event will likely expand to include two performance stages as Fiesta celebrates 75 years in Culver City. There are five classifications of performers who rotate performing at the Event: Professional Musicians, Community Groups, Culver City Performing Arts Grant Program Recipients, Jazz Hands for Autism, and Dance Instruction.
Performers that want to be included in the Event, must submit an online application that includes videos and relevant details about their artists and program. PRCS staff screen each application for eligibility, budget, and whether it matches the format of Event.
The requested Ad-Hoc Subcommittee will act in an advisory capacity regarding selection of the entertainment for the 2026 Event, will review performer applications, and view artist videos. Subcommittee members should ideally be knowledgeable about music and familiar with attending the Event. Subcommittee will receive the list and materials from PRCS in May 2026 and must be available to review applications in a timely manner, either independently or together. PRCS will provide guidelines and a deadline for Subcommittee to return their recommendations. Selection of entertainment and contracted performers will incorporate input from the CAC Subcommittee and from PRCS staff.
After the 2026 Event, this Ad Hoc Fiesta La Ballona Entertainment Subcommittee for Fiscal Year 2025 - 2026 could be dissolved.
FISCAL ANALYSIS:
There is no direct fiscal impact to this agenda item. However, staffing and preparing for subcommittee meetings does require the allocation of staff time and resources.
ATTACHMENTS:
None.
MOTION:
That the Cultural Affairs Commission:
1. Discuss and confirm the Standing and Ad Hoc Subcommittee structure for FY 2025-26;
2. Make recommendations for any changes to existing Subcommittee assignments; and
3. Create an Ad Hoc Subcommittee with the following limited scope: Fiesta La Ballona Entertainment; and
4. Prioritize and appoint Commissioners to the following Subcommittees for Fiscal Year 2025 - 2026 as desired:
STANDING SUBCOMMITTEE:
Public Art: ______ / ______
AD HOC SUBCOMMITTEES:
Artist Laureate: ______ / ______
Communications & Outreach Plan: ______ / ______
Creative Economy & Cultural Plan: ______ / ______
FY 2025-26 Culver City Arts Foundation: ______ / ______
2026 Performing Arts Grant Program: ______ / ______
2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games / Cultural Olympiad: ______ / ______
FY 2025-2026 Historic Preservation: ______ / ______
Fiesta La Ballona Entertainment: ______ / ______