A new cross-border program officially launched Tuesday in National City to support artists and document their economic impact.

“Artists Count: San Diego + Tijuana” distributes $1.3 million to 42 artists across the region while tracking the creative community’s real economic impact.

The initiative addresses a critical financial challenge facing artists in the region. The high cost of living forces many creative professionals to juggle multiple jobs while their artistic pursuits suffer.

“Living in California is expensive for everyone, but for artists it’s even more so. We know that in order to have a creative economy, we have to keep artists here,” said Felicia Shaw of San Diego Art Matters.

Shaw emphasized the program’s central mission. “Artists Count is first and foremost a workforce development program designed to put artists to work, put money in their pockets so they can build their careers and be part of our community, hopefully forever,” said Shaw.

Four organizations collaborated to create the initiative: San Diego Art Matters, the International Community Foundation, the Prebys Foundation, and the City of San Diego Cultural Affairs. The partners recognized that while artists significantly shape culture and drive tourism in the region, no data existed documenting their economic contributions.

Local artist, Katie Ruiz, said this program could be life-changing for an artist.

“It’s almost impossible [to survive], I would say the cost of living is so high you have to be extremely determined and stubborn to make art. It’s easy to let that go when you’re trying to pay rent and feed yourself and your family,” she said.

Ruiz created “The Pom-Pom Project” during COVID, inviting others to help her build a piece of artwork. It’s been on display at the Oceanside Art Museum.

The lack of documented data limits funding opportunities for the creative sector. “What isn’t counted doesn’t receive funding,” organizers noted, spurring the $1.3 million investment.

The program offers individual artists up to $50,000 in funding. Organizers envision “Artists Count” becoming a model for other border regions throughout the country.