A look back at Mayor Darrell Steinberg’s contributions to Sacramento’s arts and creative economy

By Rachel Leibrock | Solving SacramentoMayor Darrell Steinberg stepped up to the podium outside of the Warehouse Artist Lofts on R Street in downtown Sacramento. It was June 14, 2017, another seasonably warm early summer day. A drumline beat out a thunderous rhythm line and Samba dancers, most wearing colorful feathered headpieces, twirled in loose circles. There were cheers and the mood was festive.Steinberg, who had just been elected the year before, was there to deliver a purposeful message about how he wanted to reshape Sacramento’s identity.The region was already widely known as both the City of Trees and, more recently, the nation’s Farm to Fork capital. It was time to expand how we viewed and defined Sacramento, he said.& “We intend to make this a destination city,” the mayor told the assembled crowd. “A big part of doing so is to continue to reinforce and build our reputation as an arts and cultural mecca.”Now, as the mayor’s two-term tenure is set to end come December, how did his actions meet his promises? Is the city’s creative economy better off than it was eight years ago? And, looking ahead, what challenges will the city’s new leader face?‘A great city prioritizes...