Santa Ana Tries to Become OC's Arts Center — Again

Over 20 years ago, Santa Ana officials and artists embarked on an ambitious mission to turn downtown Santa Ana into an artists village complete with galleries, studios, restaurants and live-work spaces. The move was done, according to proponents, to turn the city into a hub for arts in Orange County and Southern California. Now, the city is pushing on yet another initiative to bolster its arts offerings. Called the Santa Ana Arts Master Plan, Santa Ana officials and their consultants are holding citywide town halls, meetings with influential residents and more to build upon the Artists Village concept, which has seen reduced crowds in the past couple of years. In a famously center-less county, can Santa Ana ever achieve its dream as OC's arts hub?