Item 11 - Agreement to Sponsor the DTSA First Saturday ArtWalk Organized by The Frida Cinema

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Agreement to Sponsor the DTSA First Saturday ArtWalk Organized by The Frida Cinema October 21, 2025 Page 2 At the May 15, 2025 Special City Council meeting, staff presented a proposal for a recurring allocation of $150,000 to support the Art Walk event. The City Council subsequently approved this allocation on June 3, 2025, as part of the annual budget adoption process. The proposed agreement establishes a one-year term with two optional one-year renewals at the City's discretion. This structure provides flexibility to evaluate program outcomes and reassess funding priorities in anticipation of the partial sunsetting of Measure X. To sustain and expand the positive impact of the ArtWalk, City staff released a Request for Proposals (RFP) on July 7, 2025 through the PlanetBid portal to solicit qualified proposals for groups that the City could sponsor that would have the responsibility to independently organize a monthly ArtWalk program. The solicitation closed on July 28, 2025. A total of 709 vendors were notified, and the City received one (1) proposal, submitted by The Frida Cinema. The Arts and Culture Commission reviewed the proposal using an established rubric that evaluated: • Capacity and Organizational Experience • Artistic Vision and Alignment • Marketing and Outreach Strategy • Services and Work Samples • Budget and Financial Readiness The Frida Cinema's proposal earned a score of 95.67 out of 100. The Frida Cinema will organize the ArtWalk as follows: • Robust marketing (website administration, social media, banners, brochures, and posters), • Coordination with vendors, • Creation of venue spaces (stages, sound equipment) throughout Downtown Santa Ana that feature family-friendly engagement activities, • Compensation to artists and musicians for live music, dancing, • Provision of materials for live art work, • Submission of street/parking space closure applications, • Submission of all required permits and facilities fees with the City, and • Work to identify and apply for funding to expand ArtWalk. It is recommended that the City Council approve a one-year agreement with two, one- year optional renewals with The Frida Cinema. This investment will enable the ArtWalk to: • Maintain extended event hours to increase economic activity and cultural engagement, • Expand programming to include additional art forms, immersive experiences, and increase artist compensation, • Fund public art installations that enhance the downtown environment, • Establish artist residency programs to attract and retain local talent, and