SACRAMENTO, CA – Today, the California Arts Council (CAC) announced 856 grant awards totaling more than $32.75 million in overall projected investments for operational and project support to nonprofit organizations and units of government throughout the state of California.
Organizations were awarded grants across six different program areas designed to benefit the whole of California’s arts and culture ecosystem, with focused considerations for first-time applicants, small and mid-size arts and organizations, folk and traditional art forms, county local arts agencies and arts service organizations, and opportunities with deep investment for both general operating and project-based support.
The nearly $33 million in grant awards for the 2023 grant cycle, which includes projections for two-year programs, sets a new record for the state arts agency’s investment in California’s arts and culture workforce via permanent state and federal allocations for local assistance funds, upwards of $2.8 million more than its last record-setting year in 2020.
“In this last year, the California Arts Council has been working diligently to listen to our field, to be responsive to the moment, and to do our best to make our investments strategic and equitable,” said California Arts Council Executive Director Jonathan Moscone. “I am proud that we are able to disperse more than 850 grants throughout the state so that the arts can continue to have a deep and positive impact on the vast and diverse communities of California.”
The California Arts Council is a state agency with a mission of strengthening arts, culture, and creative expression as the tools to cultivate a better California for all. The Arts Council is California’s only public arts grants provider with funding that is accessible to all 58 California counties.
CAC grant programs are administered through a multistep, public process. Following an open call for applications, submissions are adjudicated by peer review panels made up of experts from the arts and cultural fields and representative of California’s diverse geography; racial, ethnic, and gender identities; perspectives and knowledge. Based on panel recommendations and availability of funds, the Council voted on grant awards at a public meeting on August 30 in Hanford. At a second meeting on October 25, the Council voted to fund 20 additional organizations through the use of an additional $400,000 in federal funding from the National Endowment of the Arts made available early to the CAC via the Department of Finance.
Interested members of the public, artists, arts organizations, and community leaders are encouraged to visit the CAC website to learn about future grant opportunities as details become available. Notification of grant program guidelines, applications, and technical assistance opportunities will be also published in the California Arts Council’s weekly e-newsletter, ArtBeat. Subscribe at https://arts.ca.gov/news/artbeat.
2023 Grant Programs and Awards
Awards and funding details are listed below by individual program.
Administering Organization: Folk and Traditional Arts
Two years of funding for one or more Administering Organizations (AO) with a demonstrated capacity for statewide and regional reach that will regrant funds, provide technical assistance, and/or build capacity with artists and arts organizations in support of folk and traditional arts expressions.
Number of Grants Awarded: 2
Projected Total Investment Over Two Years: $1,807,502
2023 Administering Organization: Folks and Traditional Arts Grantees
Arts & Cultural Organizations General Operating Support
Two years of direct funding to arts and cultural organizations in support of ongoing operations, prioritizing small organizations.
Number of Grants Awarded: 376
Projected Total Investment Over Two Years: $17,216,656
2023 Arts & Cultural Organizations General Operating Support Grantees
Impact Projects
Support for collaborative projects that center artists and artistic practice in responding to issues experienced by California’s historically and systemically under-resourced communities.
Number of Grants Awarded: 381
Total Investment: $8,213,897
2023 Impact Projects Grantees
State-Local Partners
Support and technical assistance for county-designated local arts agencies.
Number of Grants Awarded: 52
Total Investment: $3,567,599
2023 State-Local Partners Grantees
State-Local Partner Mentorship
Support by an existing State-Local Partner for the establishment of a county-designated local arts agency in counties in which no such agency has currently been identified.
Number of Grants Awarded: 2
Total Investment: $100,000
2023 State-Local Partner Mentorship Grantees
Statewide and Regional Networks
Support for arts service organizations providing practical resources for the communities they serve.
Number of Grants Awarded: 43
Total Investment: $1,853,625
2023 Statewide and Regional Networks Grantees
Media Inquiries Only:
Kimberly Brown
Public Affairs Specialist
kimberly.brown@arts.ca.gov
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The California Arts Council is a state agency with a mission of strengthening arts, culture, and creative expression as the tools to cultivate a better California for all. It supports local arts infrastructure and programming statewide through grants, initiatives, and services. The California Arts Council envisions a California where all people flourish with universal access to and participation in the arts.
Members of the California Arts Council include: Consuelo Montoya, Chair; Vicki Estrada, Vice Chair; Gerald Clarke; Caleb Duarte; Ellen Gavin; Leah Goodwin; Alex Israel; Phil Mercado; Roxanne Messina Captor; Nicola Miner; and Olivia Raynor. Learn more at www.arts.ca.gov.
The California Arts Council is committed to increasing the accessibility of its online content. For language and accessibility assistance, visit https://arts.ca.gov/about/about-us/language-communications-assistance. To read this announcement in Spanish, please use the website’s Google Translate tool by clicking the “Translate” link in the upper righthand corner of this page.
El Consejo de las Artes de California se compromete a aumentar la accesibilidad de sus contenidos en línea. Para obtener ayuda con el idioma y la accesibilidad, visite https://arts.ca.gov/about/about-us/language-communications-assistance. Para leer este anuncio en español, utilice la herramienta Google Translate del sitio web haciendo clic en el enlace “Traducir” situado en la esquina superior derecha de esta página.
