California Governor Gavin Newsom has included a $33,000 allocation for a self-portrait in his proposed 2026–27 state budget, according to an expenditure line item found on page 227 of the Governor’s Budget Summary. The proposal, listed under Item 0720, offers no additional details about the portrait or its commissioning process.
The self-portrait funding appears as a small part of a much larger $348.9 billion balanced budget proposal that Governor Newsom submitted to the Legislature earlier this month. The overall budget emphasizes refilling the state’s “Rainy Day Fund,” investing in public safety, education, and wildfire resilience, while also implementing cost-cutting measures and maintaining fiscal restraint in the face of projected economic headwinds. The Governor’s office has not yet provided any further information about the planned portrait, such as which artist will be selected or where the artwork will be displayed according to the official budget release.