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.

The planning grant will fund Arts Connection to facilitate community engagement and planning for the development of an arts-centric community garden project in the vicinity of The Garcia Center for the Arts in San Bernardino. Partners include The Incredible Edible Community Garden, Community Action Partnership of San Bernardino County, and The San Bernardino Valley Concert Association.

The news of Arts Connection’s grant was featured as part of a larger announcement from the California Arts Council, which can be viewed online at http://arts.ca.gov/news/pressreleases.php.

“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.

Other local organizations also received good news in this latest round of funding. Congratulations to our friends and collaborators at San Bernardino Generation Now for their Cultural Pathways grant, and Mil-Tree for their Veterans Initiative in the Arts! We are excited to see increased arts funding come to our county through the support of California Arts Council!

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Arts Connection was created to share knowledge and resources, supporting initiatives that engage, encourage and advocate community building through the arts, and offering funding solutions for progressive projects, art groups and artists. We are dedicated to stimulating creative and economic vitality and enriching lives throughout the communities we serve by providing support, promotion, education, and advocacy for the arts.

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.