On October 16th the Arts Commission received 31 grant applications for proposed projects throughout Santa Barbara County. The grants were reviewed by a panel made up of County Arts Commissioners from the 1st, 2rd, and 4th Supervisorial Districts, a member of the Santa Barbara Bowl Foundation and Arts Commission staff. Fifteen grant applications were approved for funding in amounts ranging from $600 to $2,750. The $25,000 available this grant cycle is the result of a strategic partnership with the Santa Barbara Bowl Foundation, its Education Outreach Committee and the County Arts Commission. Funds come from an established Arts Subsidy fund that earmarks $.25 of every Bowl concert ticket sold going to support the program.
Community Arts Enrichment (CAE) Grants are intended to support artists and arts and cultural organizations by funding projects and a variety of activities that enrich the lives of residents in Santa Barbara County. “CAE grants have served as a catalyst for activating much needed arts and cultural programs and opportunities for greater community engagement particularly in the County’s rural and underserved communities. In many cases CAE grants have supported access to arts and arts education opportunities in area schools” states Ginny Brush, Executive Director of the County Arts Commission.
CAE grant funds will support a variety of new and innovative projects, joint and collaborative efforts that leverage community resources, and provide greater and more diverse participation in the arts. Programs funded include: support for a video/oral history program for youth in Los Alamos developed by Santa Ynez Valley People Helping People; the Purple Crayon Project’s
“Keeping Art Alive in Local Public Schools” pilot program that pairs 12 grade students with 5th graders from local Santa Barbara Schools to create Native American/American art projects that coincide with American History and meets California State Standards.
CAE grant funds will give 1,800 underserved north county students in Guadalupe and Cuyama schools exposure to Boxtales Theatre Company’s multi-cultural myths and folktales performances for free.
These are just a few of the community projects supported this grant cycle. Project grantees will be required to provide a final report at the end of each program to the Arts Commission outlining the impact of this funding on their community.
The next Cultural Arts Enrichment Grant Cycle will take place in the Spring.
Grant information is available online here
The Arts Commission is a division of the County’s Community Services Department. Formed in 1977, the Santa Barbara County Arts Commission is a 15 member County Commission appointed by the County Board of Supervisors, with three members from each of the five supervisorial districts who make recommendations to the Board on cultural arts policy. The Arts Commission serves as an umbrella for county arts projects, assists communities in raising funds for art programs and provides technical assistance and coordination to arts organizations, artists and local government. The Santa Barbara County Arts Commission is the regional cultural development agency, a State and Local Partner of the California Arts Council and manager of the County Percent for Art Program.
For information on the programs and resources of the Arts Commission visit sbartcommission.org.