Let Your Voice Be Heard: Sign Our Open Letter by 4/30/24!

Concerned about the arts and culture infrastructure crisis that plagues the local arts community and our ability to produce and present work in accessible, affordable spaces?

Yesterday, the print edition of the San Diego Union-Tribune featured an Op Ed by Executive Director Jennifer de Poyen and longtime Space 4 Art board member Michael J. Stepner, who served as a City Planner (as well as our city’s first City Architect) for almost three decades before devoting himself to teaching urban planning throughout San Diego.

Today, we’re asking you to join us in this fight by signing an Open Letter to local elected officials who have the power to preserve, protect, and grow our local arts and culture infrastructure. Deadline to sign is Tuesday, April 30. Then we will mail a PDF of the letter and signatures to city offices by midweek, in time for their budget meetings.

We’re asking that the City of San Diego act immediately through the 2025 budget process to ensure the best possible future use of the historic Santa Fe Depot site and to invest in all our arts and culture infrastructure through a transparent and inclusive public process. The City should start by assessing its authority, via a 2004 Transfer Agreement, to take back the Depot site for zero dollars and direct that this important, central site be used to produce and present a wide range of inclusive, accessible, community-based arts events for the benefit of everyone in our binational region.

S4A’s Executive Director Jennifer de Poyen addresses the crowd at our April 20th event. | PC Sam Hodgson/Uptown 11

Escalating real-estate costs have made affordability and accessibility the most important issue facing our arts and culture community. Please join us in advocating for a strong City role in addressing the intertwined affordability and infrastructure crises by:

  • Reading and commenting on our Op Ed

  • Signing our Open Letter to local government officials

We will share our Open Letter with the San Diego City Council, Mayor Todd Gloria, The County Board of Supervisors, and all the state and federal elected officials who serve our binational region.

Thank you for all you do to help us #MakeSpace4Art in San Diego!

Space 4 Art