[FAC] Comm: Round III of Grants for Artist

[Cynthia Cooper]

Grants for individual artists are an important and critical part of growing
a thriving sector, but these funds are seldom made available.  Currently,
the Center for Cultural Innovation (CCI) has grant money for individual
artists.  Not only do the artists receive up to $15,000 each, they are
recognized statewide as an artist of note.

The problem is that few Central Valley artists have applied for these funds.

Launched in June 2007, the Investing in Artists grants program is uniquely
designed to enhance the working lives and creative environment for
California artists by funding tools and market strategies that will allow
them to create their best work more consistently, and distribute that work
more broadly to new audiences. With initial support provided by The James
Irvine Foundation, a total of $450,000 in Investing in Artists grants will
be awarded by CCI to California artists over three rounds of funding in
2007-2008. To date, 46 artists have received grants in two rounds of funding
with award amounts totaling $319,600. Round III of the funding program has a
deadline of June 6, 2008.

The Fresno Arts Council has convened orientations where nearly 100 artists
came to hear how to apply.  Yet few did and only one Central Valley artist,
Juan Morales, a mariachi performing artist from Wasco, has received funding.

When looking over the list of who was awarded, it is clear the the Los
Angeles and Bay area artists are the primary winners.  I wrote to and have
spoken to the Director for the Center for Cultural Innovation and Joyce
Aiken, our Arts Council Director, and it comes down to primarily one thing:
our artists are not applying.

It¹s hard for me to imagine that our artists, the writers, dancers, actors,
singers, composers, painters, sculptors, ceramicists, glass blowers, and the
long list of other kinds of artists, are not interested in receiving funds
like these.  I also have no question that our Valley¹s artists are talented
and can stand shoulder to shoulder with bay area or any other artists
statewide.  

On April 18th the CCI will post Round III guidelines and applications.  If
you are an artist or have a friend or family member, a co-worker or casual
acquaintance who is an artist, encourage them to do what is need to apply
for the grant.   There is support available, Joyce Aiken is ready and
waiting to support our local artists apply.

Please, if you are an artist please be brave, take the time to write and
apply for the grant.  Our artists deserve to be supported and recognized.

Cynthia Cooper
Executive Director
Fresno Coalition for Arts, Science & History
1401 Fulton Street, S-904, Fresno, CA 93721
(559) 286-8282 
http://www.fcash.org

Working together to ignite the imagination of a community


ROUND III GRANT GUIDELINES AND APPLICATION WILL BE POSTED ON APRIL 18, 2008.

Artistic creation rarely occurs without a frontline investment of time,
money and talent, and this has made the need for grant support a critical
part of the creative process for many working artists today. Traditionally,
grant programs for individual artists have supported fellowships (³buying
the artist¹s time to be free to create²), or the commissioning of new
artistic projects. These types of grantmaking programs have been critical in
supporting the creation of new work across all disciplines, and have also
helped to promote the intrinsic value of artists and ³art for art¹s sake.²

But what is largely missing from the current grants-to-artists landscape are
grants that support the individual capacity-building and self-sufficiency of
artists ­ investing in the working tools and market strategies that will
allow them to create high-quality work more consistently, and to distribute
that work to new audiences and ³investors² to achieve greater long-term
creative independence and financial sustainability. While there have been
numerous grant programs developed to support capacity-building in nonprofit
organizations few, if any, exist to help artists in similar ways.

To address this need, the Center for Cultural Innovation (CCI) was funded by
The James Irvine Foundation to launch the Investing in Artists grants
program initiative for California artists in 2007-2008.

The Investing in Artists grants program is designed to enhance the working
lives and creative environment for California artists by funding tools and
market strategies that will allow them to create their best work more
consistently, and distribute that work more broadly to new audiences.
Investing in Artists provides grants in two funding categories: 1) Grants
for Artistic Equipment and Tools, and 2) Grants for Presenting and Marketing
Work. Through a competitive application process conducted over three initial
rounds of funding, a combination of planning grants up to $5,000 each, and
implementation grants up to $15,000 each, will be awarded to California
artists over two years.

If you have questions or require further information on the Investing In
Artists grant program, please either email grants at cciarts.org or call the
toll free grant hotline at (800) 418-1671 or go to:
http://www.cciarts.org/grantsprogram.htm