FOR INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS

NEW! California Arts Council Launches New Individual Artist Fellowships Program

Agency returns to individual artist funding for first time in 18 years; grants will support individual artistic practice through unrestricted funding

Application deadline: April 1, 2021 at 11:59 p.m. Details here.

The California Arts Council's Individual Artist Fellowships grant will support artists from a broad spectrum of artistic practices, backgrounds, geographies and communities, whose work addresses themes such as race, diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. In doing so, the CAC will showcase the centrality of artists’ leadership in generating social impact and the evolution of our traditional and contemporary cultures.

The Individual Artist Fellowships will support artists, 18 years of age and older, at key moments in their careers, elevating their capacity for continued contribution to the field and our state. The grant identifies three career tiers at which artists may benefit from this support:

• CAC Emerging Artist Fellows – $5,000 per award (approximately 70 artists to be supported) Artists with between two and four years of artistic practice.
• CAC Established Artist Fellows – $10,000 per award (approximately 50 artists to be supported) Artists with between four and 10 years of artistic practice.
• CAC Legacy Artist Fellows – $50,000 per award (approximately 10 artists to be supported) Well-established artists with 10 or more years of artistic practice.

FOR ARTS ORGANIZATIONS

NEW! Grants for Nonprofit Cultural Institutions Opens March 16 for one week only

State grant program will open from Tuesday, March 16th through Tuesday, March 23rd, 2021

California’s Office of the Small Business Advocate (CalOSBA), part of the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz), is administering a new relief package that includes a $50 million allocation for non-profit cultural institutions.

Competitive funding for the California Small Business COVID-19 Relief Grant Program will be conducted by CalOSBA’s selected intermediary, Lendistry.

Details on the opportunity for nonprofit cultural institutions can be found at https://careliefgrant.com/arts-and-culture/

Learn more about the program at Free Webinars DAILY March 15-19. Register here.

Hosted by the California Association of Museums, Californians for the Arts, and California Association of Nonprofits, the webinars will explore the requirements, eligibility and tips for successful submissions.

Questions?

Dedicated technical assistance, including office hours, FAQs, and application guidance is also available at: Californians for the Arts: Relief Grant Program Assistance

ARTS ORGANIZATIONS CONSIDERING PPP VS. SHUTTERED VENUES OPERATORS GRANTS

The American Rescue Plan passed by Congress this week includes a revision that will permit organizations to apply to BOTH the Paycheck Protection Program (first or second draw forgivable loans) and the Shuttered Venues Operators Grants Program for a net award. (Previous guidelines prohibited this.) Additionally, the bill adds $1.25 Billion more to the $15 Billion for Shuttered Venues and $7.25 Billion more for the Paycheck Protection Program. Details forthcoming.

MORE FUNDING ON THE WAY

The American Rescue Plan also included new stimulus funds to be distributed by the federal cultural agencies (National Endowment for the Arts, National Endowment for the Humanities, Institute for Museum and Library Services, Corporation of Public Broadcasting). The NEA portion is $135 million, and the mandated 40% block grants to states will apply. Details forthcoming on how these funds will be granted by the NEA and California Arts Council.

The bill also includes stimulus funds to most individuals, extension of the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Program, funds to safely reopen K-12 schools, and funds for state and local governments.