The community gathering went from bringing together aggrieved local artists and arts organizations in a moment of strife to also giving them a rare, direct opportunity to openly ask two high-ranking city officials about the scandal over public arts grants unfolding in real time.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Fresno City Manager Georgeanne White and Councilmember Miguel Arias emphasized they weren\u2019t invited to speak at the event \u2014 held at Dulce Upfront\u2019s new location on Van Ness Avenue in the Tower District. They ended up fielding questions from more than 50 community members, the majority of whom were Measure P grant recipients, for more than 90 minutes Monday evening.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The law enforcement investigation, first reported by Fresnoland, launched Friday after learning that at least $1.5 million in public money had been stolen, allegedly by a now-former employee whose identity authorities have not confirmed. No arrests had been reported as of Monday, with police telling Fresnoland the investigation is only just getting underway.<\/p>\n
White appeared to dispel community concerns that city officials would take over the entire process of deciding which local arts organizations deserve Measure P funding \u2014 now that the Fresno Arts Council was being investigated by both the Fresno Police Department and the FBI.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe (city leaders) are not the people to determine artistic merit of anything \u2014 that\u2019s not what we do,\u201d White said. \u201cWe don\u2019t have the expertise \u2014 nor is the (Fresno City) Council, and so I would never be the judge of scoring grant applications for art-type things.\u201d<\/p>\n
However, White, in a phone interview with Fresnoland after the community event, clarified she does see some cases of city officials being involved in deciding who receives Measure P grants.\u00a0<\/p>\n
At the Monday meeting, White also shared a few key details about the Fresno Arts Council, despite an ongoing law enforcement investigation.<\/p>\n
The at least $1.5 million being investigated by law enforcement were public funds in possession of the Fresno Arts Council, White confirmed at the community meeting. She also noted that the Arts Council blew through deadlines for mandated reports to the city, along with providing insufficient information when it did finally turn in reports to the city.<\/p>\n
The leaders of local arts organizations asked both White and Arias questions ranging from whether original grant cycle deadlines will still be enforced to how some Measure P recipients would get fingerprinted per specific grant requirements.<\/p>\n
Some remained skeptical whether the process would improve in the hands of the city.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think the community\u2019s justified in asking about things like transparency,\u201d said Alicia Rodriguez, co-founder of Labyrinth Art Collective, \u201cand being unsure that the city stewarding it is the right move.\u201d<\/p>\n
Om\u00e9 Lopez of Dulce Upfront, who organized the swiftly planned community gathering at her Tower District venue, told Fresnoland that she was proud to create a space for community members to directly ask city leaders questions.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it just speaks to the continued demand for transparency and accountability and equity to arts and cultural programming,\u201d Lopez told Fresnoland. \u201cThere\u2019s a movement of artists that really feel a sense of connection with each other.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lopez said the local arts community isn\u2019t going away, especially considering how Measure P will accumulate local tax revenue for parks, arts and culture in Fresno over its three-decade lifespan.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI feel proud of all of the folks that continue, the artists and culture bearers that continue to get involved,\u201d Lopez told Fresnoland. \u201cWe\u2019re gonna have more \u2014 momentum is going to continue to build because we\u2019re talking about 28 more years of this ordinance.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/IMG_9523.jpg\")
Om\u00e9 Lopez of Dulce Upfront invited the crowd of over 50 artists and community members to ask questions of two top city officials who made a surprise visit to Dulce\u2019s community meeting in the wake of news that an ex-Fresno Arts Council employee embezzled at least $1.5 million in Measure P grant funds. Julianna Morano | Fresnoland<\/p>\n
Arts Council sent city \u2018a data dump\u2019 months after reporting deadline<\/p>\n
On top of White confirming it was her understanding that the $1.5 million in question were public funds, White shared details of the Fresno Arts Council\u2019s inadequate financial reporting submitted to the city as of just two months ago.<\/p>\n
Specifically, White said the Arts Council blew past a mandated Sept. 30 deadline to file a report about the first round of Measure P grant distribution. The Arts Council ended up finally filing the report to city officials in the beginning of December, White told community members at the Monday night meeting.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat we got,\u201d White said, \u201cmy staff referred to as a data dump.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMy staff was like, this is ridiculous.\u201d<\/p>\n
White said she told her staff to sort through the data themselves, thinking it would be quicker than asking the Arts Council to resubmit \u2014 a process which took about a month. After that, White said her staff concluded there was still information missing from what the Arts Council had shared.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a whole bank account that we got no bank statements for,\u201d she said. \u201cWe got lists of payments, check numbers, but not who they were made out to.\u201d<\/p>\n
White said her staff sent two letters subsequently to the Arts Council, demanding they share the missing information before the city would release any additional Measure P funding to them.<\/p>\n