This month, we continue to celebrate our 40th Anniversary with another video from our series, "A Tea Time Reflection." Take a look as Rodger Hoopman (Chautauqua Playhouse), Mike Jimena (Sutter Street Theater), and Richard Falcon (Teatro Nagual) discuss the impact of Metro Arts in regards to local community theatre. 

The video series was filmed by Cole Przbyla and the filming/production team at Cole Video. We sat down with Cole to learn a bit about his experiences filming the series. 

How has your understanding of the Metro Arts evolved through this video project?

Cole: Working with SMAC has been an incredible experience and a project I will never forget. The history exuded by the 20+ artists we filmed and their passion for their interactions with SMAC shows me the direct impact SMAC has made on the Sacramento community.

How do you hope these videos will help the community better understand our work?

Cole: SMAC put an incredible amount of trust in allowing Cole Video to capture and relate 40 years of Sacramento art history. I am honored, and I hope the videos tell a story of an organization devoted to a community, an artistic network strong in the face of low funding, and an optimistic future for arts education for all. 

Do you have any “behind the scenes” anecdotes about filming these interviews?

Cole: One funny tidbit about behind-the-scenes during filming is just go back and watch how seamlessly we put artists into rose bushes and made it look natural! Also, if you haven't met [Arts Education Consultant] Rachael or all of the SMAC staff make it a point to introduce yourself and get an opportunity to meet such an amazing group of advocates on your behalf. 

Photo: Mike Jimena (left) and Richard Falcon. 

Last month, Metro Arts received 67 applications for our Cultural Arts Awards (CAA) Program, our largest and longest standing grants program. Funded by the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors and Sacramento City Council, this program assists nonprofit arts and cultural organizations with much needed general operating support.

CAA grants are awarded on a three-year cycle and therefore only open every three years to new applicants. Applications will be reviewed by staff and a peer panel in August and September, with award recommendations made to the Arts Commission, City Council and County Board of Supervisors in December or January. Award notifications will be made in January 2018. 

For more information or updates on the review process, contact Melissa Cirone, Grants Program Coordinator at [email protected]. 

In its June meeting, the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission approved funding awards for 27 arts organizations in the second – and final – round of its Cultural Equity Grant Program. This program, initiated in 2015, was designed to support organizations that serve diverse audiences and audiences with little or no access to the arts in Sacramento.

$500,000 in grant funds were allocated to the program, to be distributed to organizations over a two-year period. In the first year of the grant program we received 30 applications totaling $368,500 in requests; in year two, 37 applications were received totaling requests more than $550.000 in requests, demonstrating strong community need and interest.

Organizations applied for up to $20,000 in one of two categories: Project Support or Capacity Building. Project support grants were meant to nurture creativity, innovation, and inclusivity while enriching the arts and cultural lives of underserved Sacramento neighborhoods. Capacity building grants were meant to help strengthen grantee organizations so that they may better contribute to the cultural life of Sacramento’s diverse and vibrant communities.

Our 2017 grant awards will support: city-wide cultural festivals; youth arts programs in dance, music, visual arts, spoken word, traditional arts and digital media; programs in cultural centers throughout the city; art for at-risk women; and senior artist mentoring programs. These activities will take place throughout the City, from downtown venues to neighborhood schools, community, and cultural centers.

Although funds for Cultural Equity Program have been exhausted, many of the applicants to this program who were new to Metro Arts funding have now applied for support through our Cultural Arts Awards Program.