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Arts Master Plan

Santa Clarita’s Evolving Population

The City of Santa Clarita’s population is distinguished by rapid and continuing
growth. Total population has risen by more than a third from approximately

150,000 in 2000 to 213,000 in 2015. Population has been driven by infill
development as well as annexation. Growth was among the fastest in Los
Angeles County during the period 2000 to 2010. Some estimates project

growth of the entire Santa Clarita Valley to about a half million people at build
out, forming a true exurban area.

The population of the City of Santa Clarita has also grown more diverse, with
Hispanics rising from 20% in 2000 to 30% in 2010. The African American and
Asian American populations, while lower than Los Angeles County and
California averages, also increased during that time period.

The City’s Arts and Cultural Development

The City of Santa Clarita has provided arts and cultural programming since its
early years as a municipality. The Cowboy Festival began in 1994 and Concerts

in the Parks before that time. A next phase of municipal cultural development
took place following adoption of the City’s first cultural plan in 1998. A central
recommendation of that plan was for the City to serve as the lead arts agency
for the community. In line with this plan, the City created the Arts and Events

Office in 2003 and formed the Arts Commission in 2009. The budget of the
Arts & Events Office has grown to $2.2 million and programs have expanded in
scope and scale to include new events, arts education, and grants.

Also in line with the recommendations of the cultural plan, the City has
addressed the cultural facilities needs of the community by contributing funding

towards three facilities, all of which are owned and operated by other
organizations. In 2001, the City committed $2.4 million towards the $18.3
construction cost of the Santa Clarita Performing Arts Center at College of the
Canyons, which opened in 2004 and has an 886-seat proscenium theater and

a 100–seat black box space. Under the terms of the City’s Memorandum of
Understanding (MOU) with the College, the Performing Arts Center makes the
theaters available each year for use by Santa Clarita arts organizations. The City
also made two facility grants to small-scale theaters in Old Newhall: the Canyon

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