Politics & Government

City Council Approves Arts Fund

Newport Beach Mayor Keith Curry said the funding will show the city's dedication to the arts.

The Newport Beach City Council unanimously approved an initiative Tuesday night dedicated to creating a public arts and cultural facilities fund.

The vote allows the city to use two percent of previously unallocated funds from development agreements, or about $954,000, to focus on bringing more public arts and cultural facilities to the city including permanent structures and art installations.

Mayor Keith Curry said the fund will "really build a foundation for arts in Newport Beach."

Find out what's happening in Newport Beach-Corona Del Marwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

But resident Laura Curran said city already has a long list arts and cultural events including the Newport Beach Film Festival, the Orange County Museum of Art, jazz festivals, theatres, sculptures, art galleries and an arts center.

"Clearly we have a vibrant arts scene in Newport Beach," Curran said. "We need to be clear about what activities are missing, or what type of art is not currently being represented."

Find out what's happening in Newport Beach-Corona Del Marwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Also at the meeting

  • The City Council unanimously approved a memorandum of understanding in regards to the proposed airport settlement agreement. The proposal will now undergo a county environmental review process. Review the proposal in our story, Agreement Could Extend JWA Curfew for 22 Years.
  • A discussion about the reuse of the Old City Hall was continued to a future council meeting.
  • Harbor Commissioner Paul Blank presented a short report to the City Council about stand-up paddleboarding and said tighter regulations for paddleboarders would not be beneficial to the city. Blank invited the community to a paddleboarding safety forum at ExplorOcean on Sunday, April 7 from 10 a.m. to noon.


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