*Photo of Farm Tourventure presented by 2022 Arts Express Grantee, Terra Cultura.
We’re announcing 2022 Arts Express Grant Awards totaling $75,000!
We are pleased to announce the distribution of $75,000 in local grant awards to local artists, art groups, public school teachers and art and cultural organizations through our 2022 Arts Express Grant Program.
The goal of the Arts Express Grant Program is to promote artistic and cultural engagement, accessibility, equity and diversity in San Benito County. Arts Express provides funding support to local artists, art groups, teachers and art and cultural organizations through general operations and project-based grants. Grant applications, which were submitted in June 2022, were reviewed and ranked by a 7-member grant panel, which were then approved by the Arts Council’s Board of Directors.
The 2022 Arts Express Grantees include:
Organizations & Cultural Groups- El Teatro Campesino, San Benito Stage Company, Terra Cultura, Aromas Hills Artisans, San Benito Oriana Chorale, Poppy Jasper Film Festival, Hollister Dual Language Academy PTO, Growing Hearts Garden Center and Be the Bridge
Individual Artists – Kirti Bassendine, Julian Torres, Graciela Serna and Cristal Gonzalez
Teacher Grants– Hanna Rodriguez, Cynthia Annotti, Doreen Hjorth, Kimberly Casillas, Barbara Brown and Julia Blankenship of RO Hardin School; Hilda Baldovinos and Regina Wittry of Calaveras Elementary School; Michelle McCoun of Sunnyslope School; Paula Lee Jacob, Kathy Ruiz and Allyson Dickison of Cerra Vista Elementary; and Frank Perez and Christina Ross of Hollister High School
Funding for the Arts Express Grant Program is made possible through the National Endowment for the Arts’ American Rescue Plan Subgranting Grant and through the generous support of The David & Lucile Packard Foundation. For a full list of funded projects, please visit www.sanbenitoarts.org .
2022 Arts Express Grant Program Background
In November 2021, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) announced American Rescue Plan (ARP) grants totaling $20,200,000 to 66 local arts agencies for subgranting to help the arts and cultural sector recover from the pandemic. Local arts agencies may use this funding to distribute grants in their communities to eligible recipients to save jobs and to fund operations and facilities, health and safety supplies, and marketing and promotional efforts to encourage attendance and participation.
The San Benito County Arts Council was one of 66 local arts agencies nationwide and one of 7 in the state of California to be awarded NEA funds to subgrant locally. Through the Arts Express Grant Program, NEA funding was used to allocate grants of $10,000 to support 5 local arts organizations, to rebuild creative communities, to hire, retain, and increase compensation to artists and staff, and to cover basic facility rent and operating costs, with priority given to organizations led by and serving communities of color. NEA subgranting funds were also allocated to 4 individual artists for project-based support with grants up to $2,500.
An additional source of regranting funds, made possible through The David & Lucile Packard Foundation, was used to support other arts-based projects undertaken by 4 cultural groups and non-arts nonprofits. Applicants were eligible to apply for up to $2,500.
Finally, an additional category of Teacher Grants, with grant awards of up to $500, were awarded to 13 local public school teachers for class field trips to museums, performances and other cultural venues, for art supplies, curriculum, guest artists and other allowable expenditures.
For more information about the Arts Express Grant Program, please contact us at info@sanbenitoarts.org or call at 636-2787.