Episode 5: Casemaking for Collaboration Building Better Bridges

CA Arts & Culture Summit Opening Panel “Case-making for Collaboration: Building Better Bridges in the Arts Economy” - Photos Courtesy of Doug Cupid Photography

Listen or watch this episode:

Stay updated on future episodes by subscribing to Voices of the Community on Apple Podcast, Spotify, and YouTube, or where ever you listen to your podcasts

"The, tools of the future and the tools of the youth really are about collaboration” - Jackie Melendez

Welcome to the "Casemaking for Collaboration: Building Better Brides in the Arts Economy" panel discussion, where we explore the intersection of arts advocacy, economic development, and urban planning.

Join Tracy Hudak, Director of Field Engagement for California for the Arts, and Jackie Melendez, Assistant City Manager, City of Chino, as they delve into the challenges and opportunities of integrating arts and culture into community development strategies.

In this episode, we'll examine how artists, cultural organizations, and advocates can effectively engage with local government and planning processes to ensure the arts are recognized as essential to a thriving community.

We'll also explore the concept of "inclusive economic development" and how the arts contribute to a region's economic vitality and quality of life. Get ready to discover practical tools and strategies for making the case for arts and culture in your community.

Jackie Melendez-Assistant City Manager, City of Chino

A passionate urban designer, Jackie Melendez is on a life mission to open (and unlock) doors. She is a thought leader and doer focused on disrupting vicious cycles of poverty through economic development, strategic planning, healing and human centered design. Ms. Melendez is the Assistant City Manager in Chino, CA. In 2023, she created the Melendez Urban Design Lab (MUDLab) to build inclusive regional economies through community empowerment, collaboration and mutual respect. A graduate of UC Berkeley, Ms. Melendez studied Chicano Studies and Community Development. She also has a Masters of Urban and Regional Planning (MURP) from Cal Poly Pomona.

Tracy Hudak-Director of Field Engagement, California for the Arts

Tracy is an artist, advocate and consultant who has worked at the intersections of art and economic and community development for over twenty years. She is a painter and theatre artist who specializes in collaborative devised works. Her artistic practices have informed the numerous creative placemaking and civic imagining platforms she has produced. Some of her favorite projects include developing the Creative Community Thomas Fire Recovery Programs, producing and facilitating the Westside Community Innovation Exchange, serving as Arts Impact Director for Downtown Oxnard and directing We Source, a youth-led devised theatre project. As a consultant, she has contributed to the success of creative businesses and cultural nonprofits through the design and management of programming, marketing, fundraising and organizational development systems.

As a creative economy advocate, she has organized campaigns and forums, developed policy language for local land use and economic development plans, produced cross-sector collaborations, published reports and articles and has served as a keynote speaker in various venues. Tracy has a Masters in Public and Policy and Administration from California Lutheran University and a BFA in Performance Art from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She was called from Chicago to Los Angeles to work as an intern at Highways Performance Space and never left. After 13 years in LA, she and her husband John moved to Ventura County in 2006 to raise their daughter Ruby in the wild. They currently call Santa Paula home.

City of Chino

The City of Chino has a dedicated Economic Development Division that aims to support businesses and foster economic growth. The City of Chino Economic Development Division: Provides step-by-step guides for opening a business, marketing the city to attract new commercial developers and sales tax-producing businesses, and promoting retention of existing businesses. Here are some key points about their economic development efforts:

Business-Friendly Environment: Chino offers a vibrant community with over four million square feet of retail stores, restaurants, and entertainment options
The city boasts a fast-growing population, low business costs, sophisticated infrastructure, and an enviable lifestyle
Support for Businesses: The Economic Development Division is eager to assist businesses in finding the right location to meet their needs
They provide resources and guidance for businesses looking to relocate or expand in Chino
Community Growth: The city's economic development goals include encouraging the development of business and commercial activities that are suitable for Chino's quality of life and economic viability, while preserving its small-town character.
For more detailed information, you can visit the City of Chino’s Economic Development Department

California For The Arts & California Arts Advocates

California For The Arts:

Mission: CFA's mission is to advance arts and culture in California by building awareness of programs and services for artists. They aim to raise awareness about the true value of the arts and help Californians across the state become advocates for the arts in government, business, and communities.

Vision: CFA envisions California as the most creative state, where artists and arts workers thrive—from designers and teachers to ballerinas and musicians.

Values: Advancing arts and culture workers' careers: They recognize that arts and culture workers are integral to California's economy, society, and communities. Their goal is to make it easy for any Californian to become an advocate for the arts. Educating Californians on the value of the arts: They circulate news, guides, and press materials to emphasize why the arts matter at a fundamental level. Engaging Californians to spread arts awareness: They encourage more Californians to become advocates for the arts. Offering arts advocacy programs across the state: They provide resources and programs for arts advocates.

California Arts Advocates:

Mission: As a sister organization to California for the Arts, California Arts Advocates ensures that the arts are represented on a legislative level. While Californians for the Arts focuses on awareness and advocacy, California Arts Advocates works specifically to ensure that arts-related issues are considered in legislation. California Arts Advocates collaborates with Californians for the Arts to promote awareness of the arts and advocate for their importance in government and policy decisions.

Both organizations play crucial roles in supporting and promoting the arts in California, from raising awareness to advocating for legislative changes that benefit artists and communities. Become a Member, Find out more about their Programs and get engaged in supporting the arts in your community. Support CFTA’s work

Subscribe to the Voices of the Community newsletter to stay updated on future episodes and issues that matter

“It’s really important for arts advocates and tradition bearers, artists, and cultural organizations to participate in the visioning and guiding principle process in your community plan, to get named in the vision statement of the community.”

— Tracy Hudak,Director of Field Engagement,California for the Arts

Thanks to our Sponsor

Voices of the Community is supported by a grant from the Zellerbach Family Foundation, whose Arts and Culture grants ensure vibrant work is created, new voices are celebrated, and artists and audiences inclusive of the Bay Area’s diverse communities and cultures have opportunities to thrive. Find out more at ZFF dot org

Voices of the Community is supported by a grant from the Peaceful World Foundation dedicated to fostering a culture of global peace through the promotion of hosted conversations and education. You can learn more at peaceful world foundation dot org.

Thanks to our CoProduction Partner

BAVC Media is a community hub and resource for media makers in the Bay Area and across the country, serving several thousand freelancers, filmmakers, job-seekers, activists, and artists every year. BAVC Media provides access to media making technology, storytelling workshops, a diverse and engaged community of makers and producers, services and resources. Get Training, participate in the MediaMaker Fellowship, become a member and produce shows through the SF Commons program.

Thanks to our CoProduction Partner

California for the Arts (CFTA) and California Arts Advocates (CAA) are sister organizations working together to support and strengthen the arts in California.

California for the Arts (CFTA) focuses on grassroots advocacy and empowering individuals to become advocates for the arts. They provide resources, programs, and services to raise awareness about the importance of the arts and help build a more creative California.

California Arts Advocates (CAA)focuses on professional public policy advocacy at the state level. They work to secure funding for the arts, advance policies that benefit artists and arts organizations, and ensure that the arts are represented in legislative decisions.

Together, CFTA and CAA work to create a thriving arts ecosystem in California by mobilizing grassroots support and advocating for policies that sustain and grow the arts sector. Learn more about their programs and get engaged.

Donate to Voices of the Community

We are fiscally sponsored by Intersection for the Arts, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, which allows us to offer you tax deductions for your contributions. Please consider making a donation to help us provide future shows just like this one. If you want to send us a check, please make checks payable to Intersection for the Arts and write [Voices of the Community] in the memo line of your check. This ensures that you’ll receive an acknowledgement letter for tax purposes, and your donation will be available for our project.