Pictured: CAC grantee BoomShake Music. Photo by Brooke Anderson.

SACRAMENTO – California’s arts grant season has begun, the California Arts Council announced today. Applications are open for 15 of the agency’s grant programs, with funding available for youth programs, creative projects, and operating support. Grants are intended to strengthen the capacity of organizations providing arts engagement to all of California’s residents, including students, veterans, communities of color, low-income and rural communities, system-engaged youth, individuals with disabilities, formerly incarcerated individuals, and more.

Support from state government for the arts in California has grown steadily since 2013. Additional state funds allow the agency to better address the cultural and creative needs of California’s large and diverse population. An estimated $21.3 million is slated to be awarded to this year’s grant recipients—$5 million more than in the prior fiscal year.

The 2018-19 grant season marks the return of Creative California Communities, the California Arts Council’s creative placemaking program, as well as Research in the Arts, supporting original research on the value and impact of the arts. Both programs run on a two-year cycle, with grants awarded every other year. The launch also includes the agency’s newest grant program, Youth Arts Action, offering support for arts projects for youth outside of school time and building upon the Arts Education Extension program that piloted from 2016 to 2018.

Also new to this year’s offerings is the ability for applicant organizations without 501(c)(3) nonprofit status to utilize a fiscal sponsor across every program category, previously allowed for most but not all of the California Arts Council grant programs.

“We are excited to announce another season of grant opportunities for the protectors and promoters of arts and culture in our state,” said Anne Bown-Crawford, California Arts Council Executive Director. “We are also elated to have more than $5 million in additional funding to offer to these dedicated groups out there doing the work. We’re making a concerted effort to welcome the small but mighty grassroots organizations, to catalyze powerful cross-sector partnerships, to extend our reach within the arts and culture community, and to continue to grow our grantee family.”

Throughout October and November, the California Arts Council will host a series of online webinars, in addition to in-person workshops in various locations across the state, to provide general and program-specific information and aid in the application process for interested organizations. Dates, descriptions, and registration are available here.

The California Arts Council invests in nonprofit and government organizations that keep the state’s artistic energy thriving and encourage the health and vibrancy of its communities. Details for the 2018-19 grant opportunities now available are below. More information, including program-specific details, dates, guidelines, and staff contacts can be found at www.arts.ca.gov/programs.

Follow the California Arts Council on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and join the conversation around arts grant season using #ArtsCA.

PROJECT SUPPORT

Artists in Communities: Up to $18,000 in support for artistic residencies in community settings.

Arts and Public Media: Up to $18,000 in support for nonprofit media projects building public awareness for the arts.

Creative California Communities: Up to $150,000 for two years of support for creative placemaking projects.

Local Impact: Up to $18,000 in support for arts projects in California’s historically marginalized communities.

Reentry Through the Arts: Up to $50,000 in support for arts projects for formerly incarcerated individuals.

Research in the Arts: Up to $50,000 for two years of support for original research on the value and impact of the arts.

Veterans in the Arts: Up to $18,000 in support for art projects to enrich the lives of our veterans and their families.

Arts and Accessibility: Up to $2,000 in support for enhanced opportunities for arts participation by people with disabilities.
(This program is administered by the National Arts and Disability Center. Applications are submitted on a rolling deadline through December 2018, depending on the availability of funds.)

YOUTH SUPPORT

Artists in Schools: Up to $18,000 in support for teaching artist residencies during the school day.

Arts Education Exposure: Up to $18,000 in support for student field trips and assemblies.

Arts Integration Training: $2,500 for arts integration training for educators facilitated by teaching artists.

JUMP StArts: Up to $50,000 in support for arts education projects for youth involved in the juvenile justice system.

Youth Arts Action: Up to $18,000 in support for arts projects for youth outside of school time.

OPERATIONAL SUPPORT

Organizational Development: Up to $5,000 in support for consulting projects for arts organizations.

Professional Development: Up to $1,000 in support for professional development and training for arts organization staff.

The list above accounts for all but three of the California Arts Council’s grant programs, which operate on alternate schedules: State-Local Partners and Statewide and Regional Networks, the California Arts Council’s programs offering direct support for arts service organizations, will begin accepting applications later this year. Cultural Pathways—supporting small, new and emerging organizations rooted in communities of color, recent immigrant and refugee communities, and tribal or indigenous groups—runs on a two-year cycle, and will open again for applications in fall of 2019.

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The mission of the California Arts Council, a state agency, is to advance California through the arts and creativity. The Council is committed to building public will and resources for the arts; fostering accessible arts initiatives that reflect contributions from all of California’s diverse populations; serving as a thought leader and champion for the arts; and providing effective and relevant programs and services.

Members of the California Arts Council include: Chair Nashormeh Lindo, Vice Chair Larry Baza, Phoebe Beasley, Christopher Coppola, Juan Devis, Kathleen Gallegos, Jaime Galli, Donn K. Harris, Louise McGuinness, Steven Oliver, and Rosalind Wyman. Learn more at www.arts.ca.gov.