Thomas Fire Arts Grant Comes Available

A measure of relief continues to flow to Thomas Fire and debris flow victims in the form of an arts grant and another disbursement from Direct Relief.

For artists and small arts and cultural organizations who lost income or materials in either the fire or flood, a total of $30,000 will be disbursed by the County Office of Arts and Culture. Information sessions about applying for the grant will be held on February 4 downtown (3 p.m., Planning Commission Hearing Room, 123 E. Anapamu) and on February 6 in Carpinteria (noon, Carp Arts Center, 855 Linden Ave.). Nonprofits must have an annual operating budget less than $500,000 to qualify. Grant requests are due March 15. (See sbac.ca.gov/county-grants for more.)

Though Direct Relief’s mission is to send medical supplies anywhere around the world affected by disaster, it became a trusted recipient of donations after the fire and flood. Last July, it finished cutting checks to organizations and survivors for the $2.8 million it had received, but since then another $164,000 arrived, unsolicited and directed to Thomas Fire victims’ support. Those distributions were finalized earlier this month.