Central Coast County Arts Agencies have been awarded $4.75 million to support community resilience.
The San Benito County Arts Council, Arts Council for Monterey County, Arts Council Santa Cruz County, San Luis Obispo County Arts Council, Santa Barbara County Office of Arts and Culture and the Ventura County Arts Council are pleased to share that the Central Coast Region has been awarded a competitive $4.75 million grant to support the health, safety and resiliency of Central Coast communities through the arts.
The grant program, California Creative Corps, was developed by the California Arts Council in partnership with the State legislature. California Creative Corps is an economic and workforce recovery pilot program intended to support pandemic recovery and the environmental, civic and social engagement of California’s most disproportionately impacted communities. Using a variety of art forms, including visual, performing, and traditional arts, artists will advance positive community outcomes by creating locally-focused, contextually and culturally sensitive public messaging and work.
The initiative represents an unprecedented collaboration between County-designated arts agencies from all six counties. The arts agencies will work cooperatively to support program administration and serve as primary partners, service providers and communication conduits in their respective geographies.
“This is an incredible opportunity to bring close to $5M in economic recovery funds to the Central Coast region and in doing so, demonstrate the vast potential of artists working alongside nonprofits and government agencies to further community and economic development goals in the areas of public health, civic engagement, climate resilience and social justice” said Jennifer Laine, Executive Director of the San Benito County Arts Council.
Modeled in the style of the Works Progress Administration (WPA), the grant funding will support a media, outreach and engagement campaign designed to increase: (1) public health awareness messages to stop the spread of COVID-19; (2) public awareness related to water and energy conservation, climate mitigation, and emergency preparedness, relief, and recovery; (3) civic engagement, including election participation; and (4) social justice and community engagement. Projects are intended to cultivate trust, belonging, community cohesion and interdependence—particularly in communities that are most impacted. Communities located in the lowest quartile of the California Healthy Places Index will be prioritized.
The scope of responsibility includes:
- Implementing culturally and discipline-specific engagement strategies to priority communities and trusted culture bearers
- Mentoring—through professional development, workshops or other opportunities—individual artists, cultural practitioners and nonprofit organizations
- Increasing visibility of the work of artists, cultural practitioners and nonprofit organizations
- Engaging in robust outreach to ensure comprehensive geographic reach for sub-grantee organizations, artists and cultural practitioners
- Managing the application processes for artists and sub-grantee organizations
The program will be implemented in multiple phases; the regional guidelines and application process will be released in Fall 2022. All funds will be distributed by September 30, 2024.
About the Central Coast County Arts Partners
The Arts Council for Monterey County aims to improve the quality of life for everyone in the region through the arts.
The Arts Council Santa Cruz County strives to generate creativity, vibrancy, and connection and build a stronger Santa Cruz County, where creative expression thrives and the arts are integral to all aspects of a diverse community.
The San Benito County Arts Council is dedicated to activating and connecting people, spaces and communities through art, culture and creativity.
The San Luis Obispo County Arts Council’s goal is to advance the visual, literary and performing arts through programs that promote public access to the arts, arts in educational settings, local arts planning and collaboration, and opportunities for artists and arts organizations.
The Santa Barbara County Office of Arts and Culture is committed to nurturing a sustainable arts and culture sector, promoting equitable access for all, and empowering the creative communities to innovate, collaborate, and thrive.
The Ventura County Arts Council advocates for the arts and creates partnerships among artists, arts supporters, businesses, foundations, county organizations and schools with an emphasis on diversity.
