The California Arts Council today posted application information for California Arts Recovery Grants, a one-time grant program for the preservation of arts-organization jobs, made possible by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). Deadline: August 24, 2009. Eligible applicants may also apply for ARRA grants from the Western States Arts Federation (WESTAF) through this application.
These economic stimulus grants are part of the ARRA funds distributed by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) through state arts agencies. The California Arts Council was allocated $502,400 for arts jobs in California. Grants recipients will be announced in October 2009.
An arts organization is eligible to apply for the California Arts Recovery Grants only if it was a qualified grantee for the California Arts Council’s core programs in one or more of the years from 2002/03 to 2008/09. The California Arts Council has provided a list of eligible organizations, as well as guidelines for arts organizations to determine if the California Arts Recovery Grants are applicable to them at this time.
Background about ARRA and the NEA
Earlier this year Congress passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to help stimulate the U.S. economy. Included in this package was $50 million for the arts, to be distributed through the National Endowment for the Arts. This economic stimulus funding is targeted “to preserve jobs in the nonprofit arts sector threatened by declines in philanthropic and other support during the economic downturn.”
Guidelines specify that the NEA’s ARRA funds are to be used to increase the number of employed Americans. The ARRA/NEA funding is directed to the: preservation of jobs, reinstatement of jobs lost, or extension of contract jobs.
Members of the press may contact Mary Beth Barber, communications director, at mbarber@cac.ca.gov or 916-322-6588. Arts organizations interested in applying for California Arts Recovery Grants who have questions may contact John Seto, arts administrator, at jseto@cac.ca.gov or 916-322-6395.
