Costa Mesa Arts Commission Meeting November 05, 2026

The City of Costa Mesa Arts Commission met on November 5, 2026. The commission recognized four youth poets whose poems were installed at Shalimar Park; each will receive a $500 gift card. The awards are supported by an $18,000 poetry grant fund made possible through Poet Laureate Danielle Hansen’s Academy of American Poets fellowship and the Mellon Foundation. No contract awards or purchasing decisions were presented. Staff reported that the city-approved Arts and Culture Supervisor position is being finalized for posting, and that a panel will review utility-box artwork submissions for a future commission meeting. The arts and culture master plan, being developed with MIG, remains on schedule for completion around the May–June budget period.

Under the arts grant program review, commissioners supported adding a requirement that applicants certify their submitted work was not AI-generated, and staff agreed to incorporate it into the guidelines and application. The guidelines also include biennial eligibility for grantees and a discount for rentals of city-owned public spaces; the grant application is expected to open in January. Staff will look into an optional workshop or video to help applicants prepare submissions. The commission approved the meeting minutes by a 4–0 vote. No other procurement-related votes or spending actions were identified.