Grantee Database

Vita Art Center

Grant Year

2025-26

Grant Program

General Operating Support

Award Amount

$15,600.00

Project Description

With support from the California Arts Council, Vita Art Center will strengthen its capacity to deliver inclusive, high-impact arts programming that serves Ventura’s diverse communities. General Operating Support will sustain core operations, support staff and teaching artists, and ensure continued access to free art classes for youth, adults, and seniors.

Funding will expand our partnership with the San Buenaventura Housing Authority, supporting weekly off-site programs and a new initiative with their HOMEKEY community. We will continue our ceramics class for children with disabilities and expand culturally grounded Chumash led traditional arts workshops.

CAC support will also help us revitalize a previously blighted lot into a vibrant outdoor art garden and gathering space enhancing community wellness, connection, and engagement through the arts. Our growing campus includes 32 artist studios, three galleries, and a ceramics studio.

Organization Summary

Since 2008, Vita Arts Center has been a cornerstone for quality art education, impactful community outreach, and vibrant exhibits. We connect Ventura to enriching art programs with a special focus on the families that live in our immediate neighborhood. In the primary community we serve, 46% of households are below the poverty level and 75% are Hispanic. Our outreach strategies aim to ensure that our entire community has access to quality arts education and programming.

Vita Art Center’s high-quality enrichment experiences in the visual arts are taught by local teaching artists, each specializing in their area of expertise, sharing their knowledge and passion with our community. With 20 programs per week, we provide students with a solid foundation in art. Students develop critical-thinking skills, creativity, visual literacy, self-esteem, and an appreciation of art. By teaching fine art skills, we equip students with the tools they need to express their creative voices. We’re committed to breaking down barriers through scholarships, free programming, and mentorships.

Our facilities include four galleries, a dedicated teen exhibition wall, a ceramics studio, and an outdoor classroom, creating a vibrant space for learning and expression.

Vita Art Center hosts 16 exhibitions annually that blend local and international talent. We inspire and educate the community via school trips, workshops, and tours. Our Teen Programs include Friday Night Studio, Ceramics, Metalsmithing, Summer Intensives and volunteer opportunities. Our Youth Programs offer after-school activities, summer camps, on-site school programs, and family art workshops aimed at fostering early artistic engagement. For adults, Vita Art Center presents a range of opportunities, from ceramics studio classes and memberships to wellness-themed arts programming and workshops in Metalsmithing, painting, drawing, and sculpting.

Vita Art Center is dedicated to enhancing lives through the arts, championing inclusion, and nurturing creative potential across all ages.

Organization

Vita Art Center

Address

28 West Main St.

28 West Main St.

Ventura

93001

County

Ventura

Region

Central Coast

Phone

(805) 644-9214

Congressional District

26th congressional district

State Assembly District

Steve Bennett

State Senate District

19th State Senate district

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