Please note: Applications for the Individual Artist Fellowship program will open for applications from California-based artists in early 2023. In July, the CAC will be opening its Administering Organization (AO) grant process in order to select a partner organization(s) to manage this year’s program on our behalf. More information will be available on this page once AOs are confirmed in October 2022.
These guidelines are intended for organizations that would like to apply to administer regranting funds for the Individual Artist Fellowships. Individual artists and culture bearers interested in applying for direct funding from an administering organization should refer to the “Subgrantee Eligibility and Requirements” section in the guidelines.
Background & Purpose
The California Arts Council’s policies and practices prioritize racial equity and have a broad geographic reach into communities of all sizes and needs, and this includes providing critical services to artists and to the community at large. The CAC is committed to funding opportunities that support all of California’s creative ecosystem. Offering fellowship support to artists responds to the CAC’s Strategic Framework by directly supporting individuals who embody aesthetics, a key value of the CAC, recognizing all art forms and artistic traditions that enable full and meaningful creative expression.
Through a network of regionally-based Administering Organizations (AOs), the Individual Artists Fellowship (IAF) program will continue to recognize, uplift, and celebrate the excellence of California artists practicing any art form. In doing so, the CAC will showcase the centrality of artists’ leadership in guiding the evolution of our traditional and contemporary cultures.
Excellence, for purposes of this grant, is defined as an artist’s:
● Unique artistic vision
● Ongoing commitment to creative practice
● Engagement with and impact on the larger cultural ecosystem
This program will support artists at key moments in their careers, elevating their capacity for continued contribution to the field and our state. Fellowship grants support individual artistic practice through unrestricted funding. This program is intended to support a broad spectrum of artists working in all disciplines, from diverse geographies and communities of all sizes across the state of California.
Program Administration
Administering Organizations (AO)
The AOs will be responsible for the planning and implementation of the Individual Artist Fellowship program in their region, including but not limited to:
- Provide access and support for individual artists and culture bearers throughout the course of the application, award, and evaluation processes
- Engage in robust, culturally and discipline-specific engagement and outreach to ensure comprehensive geographic reach within the service area
- Convene fellows at least once over the course of the grant activity period to engage in networking and co-learning
- Provide platforms including but not limited to virtual or print publications, exhibits, or performances to increase the visibility of the work of the fellows
- Engage in regular reporting to and collaboration with the CAC, including providing interim and final reports on program outcomes and findings.
Eligible Request Amounts
Region I: $925,000 – To serve Imperial, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, and San Diego counties
Region II: $825,000 – To serve Los Angeles County
Region III: $700,000 – To serve Fresno, Kern, Kings, Inyo, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, Monterey, San Benito, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Stanislaus, Tulare, and Ventura counties
Region IV: $800,000 – To serve Alameda, Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Colusa, Contra Costa, Del Norte, El Dorado, Glenn, Humboldt, Lake, Lassen, Marin, Mendocino, Modoc, Mono, Napa, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sacramento, San Francisco, San Joaquin, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Solano, Sonoma, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity, Tuolumne, Yolo, and Yuba counties
Application Links:
Online Application Portal: calartscouncil.smartsimple.com
Guidelines – coming soon
Guidelines in Spanish – coming soon
2021 Grantee Information:
Program Timeline: Coming Soon
| AO Application Opens | July 14, 2022 |
| AO Application Deadline | August 31, 2022 |
| Panel Review | Approx. September 2022 |
| Funding Decision | Approx. Late October 2022 |
| Funding Notification | November 2022 |
| Grant Activity Period | January 1, 2023 — December 31, 2024 |
| Fellowship Period | April 1, 2023 — March 31, 2024 |
| Interim Report Deadline | January 31, 2024 |
| Final Report Deadline | January 31, 2025 |
Staff Assistance:
Before contacting staff, check FAQs to see if application questions can be answered. If staff assistance is still required for guidance or clarification, email is the best way to contact Program Specialists. We recommend that you contact staff well in advance of the deadline to ensure you can be accommodated. People who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, Deaf-Blind, or have difficulty speaking may dial 711 to reach the California Relay Service (CRS). Large print is available upon request. Translation services may also be available upon request.
Staff Contact:
