eA OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR November 18, 2010 Ms, Jeanette Richardson Parks Executive Director The Arts Council of Kern 2000 K Street, #110 Bakersfield, California 93301 USA, Dear Ms. Parks, Congratulations on your recent grant from the California Arts Council! Creativity, artistry and innovation are part of California’s fabric and economy, and I appreciate all that you and your organization are doing to promote the arts here in the Golden State. California is not just any state; we are the most creative, innovative state in the United States of America. One of the things we are doing right now, in spite of our budget problems and today’s troubled economy, is coming up with a creative way of funding the arts. A few months back, I joined with my wife, First Lady Maria Shriver; my sister-in- law and California Arts Council Chair, Malissa Feruzzi Shriver; musical artists T Bone Burnett and Quincy Jones and others to launch the “Million Plates for the Arts” campaign. [am very excited about this campaign because it has the potential to restore funding for vital arts programs in schools and communities and make California a leader in arts funding. California has always been a place where arts flourish and where dreams become reality Together we can make a tangible and enduring difference in the future of the arts in our Golden State. Sincerely, Amold Schwarzenegger GOVERNOR ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER * SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA 95814 + (916) 445-2841 2