On Tuesday, April 21 at a public meeting in Fresno, the California Arts Council voted to fund forty-six organizations in the new grant category of Professional Development and Consulting. This pilot grant program supports the Council’s strategic goal of providing opportunities for the field to grow and thrive through professional development and practical services. A total of $99,945 was invested in this grant category.
The Council received 134 applications for this highly competitive program. Applications were evaluated by a staff panel, based on criteria outlined in the program guidelines. Funding priorities were identified in the following broad categories: professional development, strategic planning, organizational transition, program evaluation, and website activities that further an organization’s business operations.
The Professional Development and Consulting program assists arts organizations in building their capacity for success in two areas:
– Professional Development: Funding will support professional growth and leadership training opportunities for individual staff members, artists, arts administrators or arts educators employed by an arts organization.
– Consulting Services: Funding will support the hiring of consultants to work with staff to enhance the programmatic, administrative, financial or technical capabilities of an arts organization.
Professional Development Grant Recipients
The following organizations were funded under the Professional Development category with awards of up to $750 per organization:
| Organization | County |
| Arts Council of Kern | Kern |
| Aurora Theatre Company | Alameda |
| Carmel Bach Festival, Inc. | Monterey |
| Dance Kaiso | San Francisco |
| Drumology | San Francisco |
| Grand Performances | Los Angeles |
| Jail Guitar Doors | Los Angeles |
| LA’s BEST | Los Angeles |
| Launch Productions, Inc. | Los Angeles |
| Mariposa County Arts Council, Inc. | Mariposa |
| Mozart Festival Association | San Luis Obispo |
| North State Symphony | Butte |
| Playwrights Project | San Diego |
| Riverside Art Museum | Riverside |
| Syzygy Dance Project | Marin |
Consulting Services Grant Recipients
The following organizations were funded under the Consulting Services category, with awards of up to $3,000 per organization:
| Organization | County |
| Arts Council Napa Valley | Napa |
| Arts Council of Mendocino County | Mendocino |
| Arts for LA | Los Angeles |
| Better Youth, Inc. | Los Angeles |
| California Association of Museums | Santa Cruz |
| California Indian Basketweaver’s Association | Yolo |
| California Lawyers for the Arts | San Francisco |
| City of Rancho Cucamonga/Lewis Family Playhouse | San Bernardino |
| David Brower Center | Alameda |
| ETM-LA, Inc. | Los Angeles |
| Foundation of Neo-Renaissance | Los Angeles |
| Fresno Philharmonic Association | Fresno |
| Headlands Center for the Arts | Marin |
| Jess Curtis/Gravity, Inc. | San Francisco |
| Kala Institute | Alameda |
| La Raza/Galeria Posada | Sacramento |
| Latino Arts Network | Los Angeles |
| Leap…imagination in learning | San Francisco |
| Living Jazz | Alameda |
| Music in the Mountains | Nevada |
| Napa Valley Museum | Napa |
| Pacific Chorale | Orange |
| Queer Rebel Productions | San Francisco |
| San Benito County Arts Council | San Benito |
| San Francisco Chamber Orchestra | San Francisco |
| San Jose Taiko Group, Inc. | Santa Clara |
| Santa Barbara Chamber Orchestra Society | Santa Barbara |
| Santa Cecilia Orchestra & Orchestra Association | Los Angeles |
| Shawl-Anderson Modern Dance Center, Inc. | Alameda |
| SpectorDance | Monterey |
| Streetside Stories | San Francisco |
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The Mission of the California Arts Council, a state agency, is to advance California through the arts and creativity. Members of the California Arts Council include: Chair Donn K. Harris, Vice Chair Susan Steinhauser, Michael Alexander, Phoebe Beasley, Christopher Coppola, Kathleen Gallegos, Jaime Galli, Nashormeh Lindo, Steven Oliver, and Rosalind Wyman. Learn more at www.arts.ca.gov.
