ENCINITAS — The Encinitas Commission for the Arts approved its 2025-26 work plan and finalized its first-ever bylaws during its Monday meeting, establishing procedural guidelines and outlining key arts initiatives for the city.
During the meeting, Chair Katy Fox and Vice Chair Jennifer Marakovits were re-elected for another term, expressing a commitment to continuity in leadership. The commission also approved its meeting schedule for 2025-26, with a minor adjustment for the September 2025 meeting due to the Labor Day holiday.
A key item on the agenda was the commission’s decision to include the Encinitas Project, a nonprofit supporting arts, culture, and parks, in its work plan. This move will allow commissioners to collaborate with the organization on fundraising and arts programming.
“This is really exciting,” Commissioner Carla Roemer said during the discussion. “I think it would be an excellent idea to add this to our work plan.”
The commission’s approved 2025-26 work plan includes:
- Public art initiatives, including a sculpture loan program, a proposed city mural program, and potential asphalt art projects.
- A rotating featured artist program at Pacific View and other municipal sites, replacing the previous “artist in residency” terminology.
- Literary programming research to explore potential free or low-cost literary events.
- A performing arts focus, including continued work on the youth piano concerto competition.
Another significant development was the adoption of the commission’s bylaws, which were developed with input from the city attorney and other commissions. The commission made a final amendment to clarify the process for calling special meetings before voting unanimously to send the bylaws to the city for review.
“I think it’s really exciting that we just did that,” Fox said during the meeting. “That is the first time that bylaws exist for this commission in the history of the commission.”
