ARTS COUNCIL OF KERN

Grants
Grant Programs & Applications
Learn about state arts funding for organizations and individuals. Access current guidelines and applications.

Grant Resources
View training and technical assistance resources including FAQs, training videos, webinars, and instructions.

Grant Applicant FAQs
Answers to some of the frequently asked questions about our current grant offerings.

Grant Panels
Learn about the critical role of peer review panelists in the grant application process and view resources for panelists.

Recent Grants Search
Searchable information about California Arts Council grant awards from 2010 to today.

Grantee Map
View an interactive map of recent California Arts Council grantees.

Programs Evaluation Plan
Learn about the CAC’s process with the consulting firms Scansion and WolfBrown to evaluate the agency’s portfolio of programs, assessing the effectiveness of our grantmaking and contract-based funding.

Online Application Portal
SmartSimple is the California Arts Council’s online application portal and grants management system.
Collective
Collective: Statewide Opportunities Resource
Browse opportunities such as jobs, internships, artist calls, grants, conferences, workshops, and more.

Collective: Organizational Profile Login
For organizations: apply for and access an organizational profile to post opportunities to Collective.

Collective: Custom Alerts
For individuals: sign-up to receive custom opportunity alerts by location, keyword, type, etc.
Learning Center
Why the arts?
Arts and culture are essential to us all. Explore the benefits of the arts by topic.

Research & Reports
Access research, reports, and journal articles from the global arts and culture fields.

Racial Equity Learning Resources
Access racial equity tools, research, and community learning resources.

CAC Publications & Reports
A collection of reports published by the California Arts Council.

Arts Glossary
Learn about key terms used in the arts and culture sector, and accompanying resources.
News
ArtBeat Newsletter
Visit our online archive for our weekly e-newsletter, featuring our latest updates, plus grants, job opportunities, and news from across the creative field. Subscribe now!

Press Releases
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Blog
Read featured stories of California’s creative community, featuring guest features and voices from our grantees.

COVID-19 News & Resources
Find the latest COVID-19 announcements, including emergency funding opportunities, arts reopening resources, and state guidance.

DREAM Magazine
Voices and stories from across the state, sharing a glimpse into the depth of impact of creativity and cultural expression in a region as large and diverse as California.

Art News
Find relevant arts and culture stories from the local and national media and blogosphere.
Programs
Arts in California Parks
Arts in California Parks helps to nourish, educate, and inspire individuals and communities.

Arts in Corrections
A partnership with the CA Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, designed to have a positive impact on the social and emotional well-being of people experiencing incarceration. www.artsincorrections.org

California Creative Corps
A media, outreach, and engagement pilot program designed to support communities statewide following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Creative Economy of California
Building a resilient future for California’s creative economy.

California Cultural Districts
Highlighting some of the thriving cultural diversity and unique artistic identities within local communities across the state. www.caculturaldistricts.org

Poetry Out Loud
Igniting student potential through the power of poetry. An initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts, administered statewide by the California Arts Council. www.capoetryoutloud.org

California Poet Laureate
The Governor’s advocate for the art of poetry. Visit www.capoetlaureate.org.

California Teen Poet Laureate
COMING SOON: State legislation supports the development of the state’s first Youth Poet Laureate program.

Individual Artists Fellowship
Through a network of regionally based Administering Organizations, the Individual Artists Fellowship program will continue to recognize, uplift, and celebrate the excellence of California artists practicing any art form.
About
About Us
Learn about our agency’s mission, vision, values. View our annual reports and a timeline of agency history. Find guidance on the California Public Records Act.

Racial Equity Statement
We believe that racial injustice is the most pervasive and entrenched form of injustice permeating the institutions and structures that everyone must access. Read our Racial Equity Statement.

Strategic Framework
View the Strategic Framework and Decision Support Tool that guide our agency and Council’s policies and practices.

Council Members
Meet our policy-setting Council, appointed by your elected officials. Learn how to apply for Council member appointments.

Staff
Get to know our state agency staff and access staff contact information.

Council Meetings
View the schedule and record of the Council’s public meetings.

Calendar
View dates and details on upcoming meetings, events, and workshops.

Work With Us
Learn about employment and contracting opportunities at the California Arts Council.
Support the Arts
Donate
Your direct contribution to the California Arts Council is tax-deductible.

Keep Arts in Schools Fund
Support creativity in California’s classrooms by donating to the Keep Arts in Schools Voluntary Contribution Fund on your state tax return.

Arts License Plate
Proceeds from the California Arts Plate support arts programming across California.

Grantee Database

Grant Year

2025-26

Grant Program

Arts and Youth

Award Amount

$18,000.00

Project Description

With support from the California Arts Council, Arts Council of Kern will complete Roots & Resilience, a culturally grounded youth arts initiative that combines Indigenous traditions, behavioral health support, and Blue Zones longevity principles to empower underserved youth in Kern County. This project uses Indigenous storytelling, art, movement, and community rituals to promote identity, resilience, and wellness among young people aged 12–21.

Organization Summary

Community Grants and Partnerships: Offer funding and technical assistance to nonprofit arts groups, schools, and collaborations to boost arts access, advocacy, and education.

Arts in Corrections (AIC): Provides art classes (visual, literary, media, performing) for incarcerated individuals to foster self-awareness. A partnership between the CA Dept. of Corrections and Rehabilitation and California Arts Council.

COMMON GROUND: Grant-supported “first people’s” arts workshops, celebrations, and exhibitions. Builds community engagement primarily for underserved populations by underrepresented artists, sharing indigenous art forms through storytelling, visual, and performing arts.

Arts Education: This countywide program expanded significantly in 2025 and is a 2026 focus. Offers arts integration classes for teachers (classroom and after-school) at the ACK Learning Center. Artists’ Catalog available for schools to choose classes.

ACK Gallery: Reopened in 2024-25, hosting four shows with five planned for 2025-26. Features Celebrate Kern Arts with cash prizes for artists in each of the five supervisorial districts.

ART WALK – First Friday: Monthly, dynamic, public event in downtown Bakersfield for original visual and performing artists to showcase their work. A feature of First Friday and open five days per week, Makers Markets showcases local arts and crafts for sale, rotating artists every quarter.

Art4Rehabilitation (A4R): Arts programming for Kern’s juvenile justice system. Reduces violence, distress, and recidivism while promoting creative economy jobs and education. Offers internships with ACK and other arts organizations.

Community Mural and Public Art Programs: Collaborates with entities like Caltrans and City Parks to enhance graffiti-prone areas. Includes community surveys and commissions vetted artists for large public art projects (32 muralists on the roster).

Literary Arts: Features the Poet Laureate, Stories on the Sidewalk (historical plays in downtown Bakersfield), and First Friday open mic sessions. Increased spring recruitment for POETRY OUTLOUD is improving high school teacher interest to work with motivated students..

Grantee Database