San Diego ART Matters Rises Downtown As Former Arts Coalition Re-brands

San Diego ART Matters, the new name and brand for a longstanding local arts coalition, has been unveiled at the organization’s new home, UC San Diego Park & Market.

Founded in 1989, the San Diego Regional Arts and Culture Coalition has been on the front lines of local arts advocacy efforts.

When the coalition’s board hired Felicia Shaw to the newly created role of executive director early in 2023, her first goal was to initiate a strategic planning process, which revealed a need to rename and reframe the organization to better align with changes in the creative sector.

“Thanks to a generous grant from the Prebys Foundation, we have been able to plan for the future with enhanced capacity and vision,” Shaw said. “To that end, we have identified a new name and four advocacy initiatives that are the cornerstones of our work to support the arts throughout the region.”

The recent launch of the rebranded organization, timed with Arts, Culture and Creativity Month, a statewide initiative spearheaded by California for the Arts, included Julie Baker, CEO of CFA and California Arts Advocates.

“By clarifying our mission and vision going forward, we concluded that San Diego ART Matters: Advancing Arts & Culture Across the Region communicates our overarching value to the community and how we plan to work to shape our future. Our overall mission is to build a region where the arts can thrive,” said Bob Lehman, board chair for San Diego ART Matters.

According to Shaw, the new brand captures three key messages – the mission to
“promote, protect and preserve our valuable arts and culture community.”

In addition to a new name, logo and website, the organization has established a first-ever base at the downtown UCSD Park & Market. San Diego ART Matters joins other nonprofits there, including Media Arts Center, the Burnham Center for Community Advancement, San Diego Regional Economic Development Corp. and World Design Capital.

The re-brand was developed through a partnership between TR/PR Public Relations and DeMarco Design.