The Oakland City Council approved $1.1 million in fiscal year 2006-07 grants to Oakland-based nonprofit organizations and individual artists through the City’s Cultural Funding Program.
Published: August, 2006
73 Local Arts Groups and Artists to Receive Support
Oakland.CA – The Oakland City Council approved $1.1 million in fiscal year 2006-07 grants to Oakland-based nonprofit organizations and individual artists through the City’s Cultural Funding Program.
The Cultural Funding Program will distribute $1,180,262 in grants ranging from $4,000 to $74,140 to 73 different recipients.
These grants will promote the health and stabilization of Oakland’s nonprofit arts groups as well as assist a diverse number of organizations and artists to present arts programming in Oakland and bring art to young people via the classroom or after school.
The Cultural Funding Program has four core funding categories:
• The Organization Project grant supports Oakland-based nonprofit organizations producing arts activities for the Oakland public’s benefit.
• Art in the Schools funds activities that expose young people in Oakland public schools to quality, hands-on arts experiences in a school setting.
• Individual Artist Project funding supports work by Oakland artists that culminates in a local public activity or event for the benefit of the community.
• The final funding category, Organizational Assistance, is a two-part program that promotes the health and stabilization of Oakland’s nonprofit arts providers.
Following the grant application deadline in January 2006, review panels comprised of Bay Area professional artists and arts administrators combed through the 128 eligible applications.
In April 2006, the panels’ recommendations were approved by the Funding Advisory Committee prior to advancing to the Cultural Affairs Commission. After the Commission’s validation, the recommendations were presented to the Oakland City Council’s Life Enrichment Committee on June 13. The recommendations received Oakland City Council approval at the June 20, 2006 meeting.
Organizational activities supported range from Prescott Clown Theatre’s after-school program to AXIS Dance Company’s innovative performances combining dancers with and without disabilities to The Crucible’s fiery collaborations of arts and industry.
Individual artist grants will support projects like John Santos’ public tumbadora drumming lecture and hands-on workshops, Shailja Patel’s one-woman, spoken-word project depicting East Indian stories and Lisa Mezzacappa’s community sound and experimental music compilation CD.
Applications for the Cultural Funding Program’s 2007-08 cycle are expected to be released by early October 2006 with submission deadlines in January 2007. When released, the applications will be available at www.oaklandculturalarts.org or by calling (510) 238-2103.
