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April 2026

Investing in Artists: Artistic Innovation - Apply Today!

In case you missed it, the deadline to apply for the Investing in Artists: Artistic Innovation program has been extended to tomorrow, April 3 at 11:59 am (morning) PT.

This program provides grants of up to $9,000 to diverse, Bay Area working artists who are developing new work in the performing or media arts that pushes the envelope of their creative process, explores new artistic collaborations, and/or supports artistic growth and experimentation that extends the boundaries of their art-making.

For the 2026 round, applicants must reside full-time in Marin, Napa, Solano, or Sonoma County at the time of applying and for the duration of the grant period (June 2026 – June 2027) if awarded funding.

The deadline to apply is tomorrow, April 3 at 11:59 a.m. (morning) PT.

CCI GRANT OPPORTUNITIES

The Zoo Labs: FUND - Opens May 19

The Zoo Labs: FUND, which provides grants of up to $50,000 to Bay Area culturally rooted artist teams with a music business, returns for its sixth round of funding in 2026.

Applications will be accepted from May 19 at 9:00 a.m. through July 17 at 11:59 a.m. (morning) PT. Save the Date for our virtual Information Session on May 19 at 2:00 p.m. (noon) PT. Registration link coming soon!

Updated guidelines and application to be posted later this month.

Investing in Artists: Tools & Equipment - Opens May 19

The Investing in Artists: Tools & Equipment program award grants of $1,000–$5,000 to individual craft artists to purchase artistic tools and equipment that support their ability to make object-based work.

The 2026 round is open to craftspeople residing full-time in Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Vermont, or Virginia.

Applications will be accepted from May 19 at 9:00 a.m. through June 26 at 11:59 a.m. (morning) PT. Save the Date for our virtual Information Session on May 21 at 9:00 a.m. PT. Registration link coming soon!

Updated guidelines and application to be posted later this month.

Quick Grant - Apply Now

CCI's Quick Grant program provides microgrants of up to $600 on a monthly basis to help you enroll in workshops, attend conferences, and work with consultants, coaches, and mentors in order to build administrative capacity, hone business skills, and strengthen the financial sustainability of your art practice or area of cultural production.

Apply by April 15 at 12 p.m. (noon) PT for activities starting on or after May 16.

Are you interested in being a grant panelist?

CCI seeks grant panelists to support our California and National grant programs for individual artists and arts workers. Prospective panelists should be interested in the grantmaking process and in supporting individuals in the arts. We also encourage folks who are coming up in the field to consider serving on a grant panel as a professional development experience.

All panelists receive an honorarium for their valuable time, insights, and efforts.

CCI ADVOCACY

Becoming a Mother in the Face of America's Crumbling Safety Net and Obsession with Independence

Jennelyn Bailon, former Research to Impact Lab Program Officer, shares her experience navigating America’s social safety net as a new mother, highlighting how difficult and fragmented it is to access support. Jennelyn will continue her work with Research to Impact Lab as a Special Project Officer.

Applications Now Open for the Cookie Jar Collective’s Founding CTO!

We greatly appreciate the valuable feedback you provided regarding our job description for the Founding Chief Technical Officer position. Your insights have been instrumental in refining our understanding of the ideal candidate we seek to join our team. We invite you to apply and become a part of the exciting Cookie Jar Collective initiative, where your expertise can significantly contribute to our mission and the creative community we serve.

CCI Grantee, Metagov, Announces The Protopian Prize

The Protopian Prize Fiction Contest invites artists, storytellers, and dreamers to share their vision of people working toward liberatory futures, meeting obstacles, and making real change. “Protopian”—a word coined by Kevin Kelly, one of our contest’s judges—means an achievable, optimistic future characterized by continuous, incremental progress rather than revolutionary leaps or a static, perfect state. Protopian stories imagine a future that is neither flawless nor catastrophic, but instead workably better than today. It’s about plausible progress rather than perfection or collapse. Launch event on April 22.

WORKSHOPS IN THE FIELD

The following workshops are provided by our peers in the field, and are not affiliated with CCI. Please contact their respective presenters with any questions.

Fair Use for Writers

CA LAWYERS FOR THE ARTS

4/7

Financial Peace of Mind

SPRINGBOARD FOR THE ARTS

4/9

Contract Smarter. Tour Stronger.

SOUTH ARTS

4/9

CA Arts & Culture Summit 2026

CA FOR THE ARTS

4/19 & 4/20

Work of Art: Portfolio Kit

SPRINGBOARD FOR THE ARTS

4/21

Legal Basics for Artists

CREATIVE CAPITAL

Ongoing

Do you have an upcoming professional development workshop/training for artists or arts workers? We may be able to share it in our monthly e-newsletter. Contact info@cciarts.org with details.

FIND FUNDING

The following funding opportunities are provided by our peers in the field, and are not affiliated with CCI. Please contact their respective administrators with any questions.

Emergency Resources for Artists and Freelancers

Find a running list of resources and opportunities to support emergency needs.

DEAR (Dresher Ensemble Artist Residency)

BAY AREA

The Dresher Ensemble Artist Residency (D.E.A.R.) was established in 2012 to support Northern California artists actively exploring new aesthetic premises and pushing the boundaries of conventional art forms and media. The program provides artists free studio space and up-to-date equipment to create new work in time-based arts such as theater/performance, dance/movement, music/sound art/instrument invention, and collaborative and interdisciplinary work. Apply by April 6.

Anonymous Was a Woman Environmental Art Grant

NATIONAL

Started in 2022, the Anonymous Was A Woman Environmental Art Grant provides up to $20,000 for projects led by women-identifying artists in the United States and U.S. Territories.

Selected projects must benefit the public in some way, and are required to have a public engagement component by one year after receiving the grant. The public engagement component must be free to attend, open to the general public, and must add value to the public sphere rather than solely benefiting the artist’s private gain. Online events are acceptable as long as they are attended by a live audience. Apply by April 7.

California Roots Music and Arts Festival

NATIONAL

The California Roots Music and Arts Festival is taking place in Monterey, CA from May 22-24, 2026. Artists are invited to apply for either a no-cost vending opportunity or a $1,000 honorarium to create, demonstrate, or engage with fans through interactive artistic experiences. Apply by April 9.

3pts Artists & Makers Impact Fund

NATIONAL

The 3pts Artists & Makers Impact Fund is a $3,500 award supporting U.S.-based artists and makers who create tangible objects or goods and are working to sustain and grow a business. Funding may be used for materials, equipment, workspace costs, professional development, production expenses, or other needs that strengthen an artist or maker’s practice. Apply by April 27.

The Democracy Cycle’s 2026 Open Call

GLOBAL

The Democracy Cycle is designed to support new live performance works that explore themes relating to the nature, practice, and experience of democracy, especially democracy as it is practiced in the United States. Artists currently creating in theater, dance, music, opera, and multidisciplinary practices are encouraged to apply. Each selected artist or group of collaborators will receive $60,000 in support. Apply by April 28.

OTHER RESOURCES

SOZO Fellowship 2026 Open Call

NATIONAL

SOZO Fellowship is a groundbreaking coaching program designed to equip full-time working, mid-career independent artists with sustainability and entrepreneurship training to reach new heights in their livelihood and creative endeavors.

Using a holistic framework, Artists and Producers as Entrepreneurs and Changemakers (APEC), the program is facilitated in collaboration with a group of experts from the Wellness, Finance, and Startup business world.

By addressing systemic gaps in support for creative practitioners, we aim to unleash their fullest potential, enabling them to lead with their expansive vision. Apply by April 12.

The Guggenheim Application Cohort

NATIONAL

The Guggenheim Application Cohort (June - November 2026) offers a structured schedule and community platform to keep you informed, accountable, and supported through the entire set of application milestones. We offer instructional sessions with examples of past winning applications as well as chances to workshop your application within a group setting. Multiple past cohort participants have become Guggenheim fellows.

Studio Loan Project

LOS ANGELES

Studio Loan is a free resource that provides access to affordable, short-term studio space through the sharing economy.

Studio Loan was created by a team of volunteers to connect artists who have studio space to share with those who need to borrow a space short-term. The Studio Loan Bulletin Board is a virtual space where “needs” and “offers” for temporary, short-term Los Angeles studio space can be publicly posted. Anyone who finds a match on the bulletin board can use the free Licensing Agreement Template to negotiate terms and ensure they are both protected.

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