The California Arts Council, a state agency, announced that it plans to award $54,000 to EngAGE as part of its Creative California Communities program. EngAGE is one of only forty-one grantees statewide for this program.
The Creative California Communities program supports collaborative projects that harness arts and culture as vehicles for creative placemaking. Supported projects represent the distinct character and quality of a community and present a vision for enhancing the social or economic livability of that community through the arts. Projects benefit residents and visitors to California’s communities by leveraging the assets of the creative sector (artists, cultural organizations and arts-related businesses) to address community needs or priorities. All projects are designed and developed by a nonprofit arts organization in collaboration with at least one partnering organization, and centralize California artists and their work in the project design and implementation.
With this support from the California Arts Council, EngAGE will design and plan programs and community connections for the new Glendale Arts Colony (ACE/121) as a hub for creative placemaking. This will serve as an affordable housing community for families and professional artists to live and create art. The building is designed with input from the community and local artists regarding space usage to revitalize Glendale with arts at the forefront of planning and to create a focal point of the arts district.
The news of EngAGE’s grant was featured as part of a larger announcement from the California Arts Council, which can be viewed online here.
“California Arts Council grants provide vital support for projects in diverse communities across our state,” said Craig Watson, Director of the California Arts Council. “This was an historic year of state arts support. We are proud to invest more than $8.5 million in funding 712 grant projects that will stimulate local growth and prosperity, and meet the needs of our communities through deep engagement with culture and creative expression.”
The California Arts Council will continue to grow the reach of its programs in the coming year, as the result of a significant one-time state arts funding increase for 2016-17 announced last week.
The mission of the California Arts Council, a state agency, is to advance California through the arts and creativity. The Council is committed to building public will and resources for the arts; fostering accessible arts initiatives that reflect contributions from all of California’s diverse populations; serving as a thought leader and champion for the arts; and providing effective and relevant programs and services. Learn more at www.arts.ca.gov.
