Watsonville Arts Plan

Watsonville, California

WHY

This Plan supports and furthers the City's commitment to supporting and fostering community arts and culture, as outlined in the City's Public Art/Percent for the Arts Program and the Downtown Watsonville Specific Plan, as well as capital improvement projects, such as the City Plaza Revitalization Project.

HOW

This plan establishes a strategic framework for strengthening arts and culture as a driver of community well-being and economic opportunity, grounded in the city’s cultural heritage and locally led creative activity. Central to the plan is the creation of a formal Cultural District and the strategic use of the City’s Percent for the Arts program to support coordinated investment, long-term planning, and increased visibility for local artists and cultural organizations.

WHAT

The plan prioritizes cross-sector partnerships with organizations such as the Arts Council of Santa Cruz County, Arts de Watsonville, Watsonville Film Festival, Cabrillo College, and Watsonville Brillante to better connect local creative talent to professional and economic opportunities. To support this ecosystem, the plan emphasizes organizational capacity-building, strategic staffing, and the exploration of expanded funding streams and targeted support programs that strengthen the sustainability of arts organizations and creative workers.

To translate strategy into on-the-ground impact, the plan focuses on physical and professional infrastructure that supports artists where they live and work. Recommendations include performance-ready infrastructure, permanent public art, and arts-led revitalization efforts that position culture as the heart of the community. These physical investments are paired with a unified Watsonville Arts identity, improved marketing and storytelling, and a more streamlined permitting process—ensuring local artists have the tools, visibility, and support needed to shape Watsonville’s identity and long-term prosperity.