DEIA Statement &
Land Acknowledgment

STATEMENT ON CULTURAL EQUITY

To support a full creative life for all, Stanislaus Arts Council commits to championing policies and practices of cultural equity that empower a just, inclusive, equitable nation.

DEFINITION OF CULTURAL EQUITY

Cultural equity embodies the values, policies, and practices that ensure that all people—including but not limited to those who have been historically underrepresented based on race/ethnicity, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, socioeconomic status, geography, citizenship status, or religion—are represented in the support of artists; the nurturing of accessible, thriving venues for expression; and the fair distribution of programmatic, financial, and informational resources.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS & AFFIRMATIONS

  • In the United States, there are systems of power that grant privilege and access unequally such that inequity and injustice result, and that must be continuously addressed and changed.

  • Cultural equity is critical to the long-term viability of the arts sector.

  • We must all hold ourselves accountable, because acknowledging and challenging our inequities and working in partnership is how we will make change happen.

  • Everyone deserves equal access to a full, vibrant creative life, which is essential to a healthy and democratic society.

  • The prominent presence of artists challenges inequities and encourages alternatives.

MODELING THROUGH ACTION To provide informed, authentic leadership for cultural equity, we strive to…

  • Pursue cultural consciousness throughout our organization through substantive learning and formal, transparent policies.

  • Acknowledge and dismantle any inequities within our policies, systems, programs, and services, and report organization progress.

  • Commit time and resources to expand more diverse leadership within our board, staff, and advisory bodies.

Land Acknowledgement:

The Stanislaus Arts Council and the Central California Art Association acknowledge that we are gathered on the unceded land of the Yokuts and Sierra Miwok peoples. We also acknowledge that this land was founded upon exclusions and erasures of many indigenous peoples. This acknowledgment is to honor and respect the original stewards of this land and demonstrates our commitment to beginning the process of working to dismantle the ongoing legacies of settler colonialism.