NEW LOCAL GRANT OPPORTUNITY BRINGS ORGANIZATIONS AND ARTISTS TOGETHER TO DEVELOP ART DRIVEN CAMPAIGNS
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(SANTA BARBARA, CALIF.) –The Santa Barbara County Office of Arts and Culture is pleased to announce the Central Coast Creative Corps (CCCC) Program, a new grant opportunity open to 501c3 nonprofits, tribal governments, and government agencies in the Central Coast Region. The pilot program offers 23 awards of $140,000 for organizations to hire a local artist or culture bearer to develop art-driven campaigns addressing public health, climate resilience/emergency preparedness, civic engagement, or social justice. Applications are due by May 1, 2023.
“Artists are change agents, helping us to imagine different perspectives and experiences through their work,” said Sarah York Rubin, executive director of the Office of Arts and Culture, which is serving as lead administrator for the Central Coast Region. “By bringing artists to the community development table, this program invites everyone to create new approaches for understanding and caring for ourselves, each other, and the environment.”
Funded by the California Arts Council, the workforce development pilot provides organizations $100,000 to compensate an artist for work on the initiative; with $20,000 allocated for artist-community engagement, including art supplies and materials; and $20,000 to the organization for program administration. Priority will go to organizations serving communities that demonstrate the highest levels of need, as indicated by the CA Healthy Places Index.
Applicants must commit to collaborating with an artist or culture bearer for a one-year period from September 2023 to August 2024, with an additional three-month period required for project exploration and design. Applicants do not need to have a project or artist identified, as projects will be facilitated after funding is awarded.
Guidelines and information for Santa Barbara County-based organizations can be found at www.sbac.ca.gov/creative-corps.
Free informational workshops about the program will be offered on March 29, 2023 and April 13, 2023. Hannah Rubalcava, Grants & Contracts Manager for the Office of Arts & Culture, will help to facilitate the sessions, and also serve as a resource for applicants.
“Complex problems require creative solutions,” said Ms. Rubalcava. “We’ll be working directly with grantees about what it means to work with a socially-engaged artist, and how that collaboration can be so powerful.”
CCCC is produced in partnership with the county-designated arts agencies in the Central Coast Region: Arts Council for Monterey County, Arts Council Santa Cruz County, the San Benito County Arts Council, the San Luis Obispo County Arts Council, and the Ventura County Arts Council. The agencies are currently developing a directory of Central Coast artists interested in CCCC participation to provide to grantee organizations. Artists are encouraged to join the directory at www.centralcoastartists.org.
About the Santa Barbara County Office of Arts & Culture
The Santa Barbara County Office of Arts & Culture is a Division of the County’s Community Services Department, serving as the local governmental umbrella for arts and culture projects and programs within the County. The Office represents a longstanding partnership between the County of Santa Barbara and the City of Santa Barbara. For more than 30 years, both governments have shared resources and staff to maximize support for Santa Barbara arts and culture institutions, programs, initiatives and projects. For information, visit www.sbac.ca.gov.
