To support local arts nonprofits and the communities they serve, the Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture (https://www.lacountyarts.org/) announced $ 4.518 million in grants on July 21. through its Organizational Grant Program (OGP).
The awards provide two-year grants to 227 organizations.
OGP is Los Angeles County’s longest-running arts grant program, providing funding for the diverse ecosystem of arts nonprofits ranging in size, budget and discipline – from arts education to theater to music and dance, graphics, media and literature, arts. Beneficiaries of this cycle are found and provide services throughout the county and many have deep and culturally rooted ties in their communities.
The program also addresses systemic inequity in funding the arts. Over 80% of beneficiaries have budgets of less than $ 1 million. These small and micro-budget organizations are often chronically underfunded and include those that reflect and serve communities of color, historically marginalized, and rural communities.
Awards range from $ 900 to $ 112,000 this year, depending on the needs and size of the organization. Funds can be used to support any number of current critical needs, from staff and organizational infrastructure to public-facing programming. OGP beneficiaries can also access the Department of Arts and Culture’s list of professional development opportunities: internally designed programs, as well as scholarships for training courses and conferences.
“The Organizational Grants Program has supported Los Angeles County arts nonprofits since the 1990s and today the nonprofit sector that OGP helped build is a crucial part of Los Angeles County’s wider arts and cultural infrastructure. and the creative economy, ”said Los Angeles County Board of Trustees Chairman of Supervisors Holly J. Mitchell. “These grants support our arts organizations in the short term, in a very difficult time. But they also have a long-term effect, strengthening our artistic and cultural ecosystem which, when solid and inclusive, brings resources to hard-to-reach communities and direct access to quality artistic activities and programming ”.
“We know that arts and culture have a positive impact on health and well-being, economic opportunity, neighborhood resilience, civic engagement and youth development,” said Kristin Sakoda, director of the Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture. “Investing in the arts means investing in our communities, and the Organizational Grants Program is a key delivery mechanism for these high-yielding investments, made even more important as the arts sector moves towards recovery from the pandemic and a more equitable future. and sustainable.
“In addition to a range of artistic disciplines and cultural locations, geographies and budget sizes, our OGP beneficiaries represent, reflect and guide the diverse artists, art forms, cultural heritage and perspectives of Los Angeles County. I am also thrilled that 14% of the beneficiaries are the first beneficiary! The effectiveness of the program to increase equity and cultural inclusion cannot be underestimated “.
“The thing I’m most proud of is OGP’s fair reach. It supports hundreds of organizations across the county, from low-budget grassroots organizations with annual operating budgets of less than $ 20,000 to major cultural institutions and all others, “said Eric Eisenberg, president of the Arts Commission, the advisory body for arts of the Board of Supervisors. “Beneficiaries have offices or community and cultural spaces in all 88 cities of Los Angeles County and in all five supervisory districts. With this type of range, we are able to increase the vitality of the entire local artistic panorama “.
“We are incredibly grateful for the Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture support to our poetry seminars and youth outreach programs in Los Angeles schools and streets, especially now in this dynamic time of transformation as we we secure a site for our future Street Poets Center for community, culture & wellness and take more permanent roots here in the city we have served for the past 25 years. ”- Chris Henrikson, founder and executive director of Street Poets
“This grant will provide free online expressive arts sessions and scholarships for training programs. During this time of growing need, our healing-centric programming is critical for under-resourced communities, students and professionals living and working in Los Angeles County. ” – Ping Ho, MA, MPH, founder and director, UCLArts & amp; Healing
“The Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture Organizational Grants Program enables us to create virtual and in-person public programs that inspire, educate and help promote understanding and appreciation of America’s ethnic and cultural diversity. sharing the Japanese American experience. This grant helps the public stay connected to the broader Japanese American experience and supports our mission. Through our Natsumatsuri and Oshogatsu family festivals, as well as workshops that deepen our exhibits and partnership with the community, we give the public the opportunity to share the hard lessons gained from this story, create a fairer Amica and a better world “. – Ann Burroughs, president and CEO, Japanese American National Museum
“The past two years have taught us that the only way to overcome future crises is to work together. This is a pivotal time to support nonprofits and community networks that help build, nurture and maintain. The Organizational Grants Program will support the work of The GR818ERS, a collective of artists, athletes and activists who use their knowledge and skills to empower youth and uplift communities. Our headquarters, the UNITE Cultural Center, will serve as a cultural hub to host the program’s efforts, including after-school programs, workshops, community events, and an internship program aimed at building the creative workforce. Through the support of the Department of Arts and Culture, AWOKE aims to support the social ecosystem rooted in culture, creativity and service that has been fostered through the efforts of the program. – Pierre Ivan Arreola, executive director, AWOKE and co-founder, The GR818ERS
“The Museum of Latin American Art is honored to receive funding from the Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture for its continued support of MOLAA’s cultural and educational programming. Our responsibility to represent and provide a safe space for all of our cultural complexity to be shared, understood and appreciated by a wider audience is intrinsic to supporting our institutional mission and the greater benefit of our community ”. – Lourdes I. Ramos, Ph. D., president and CEO, Museum of Latin American Art
“Thanks to the Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture for supporting Film Independent. This grant will help us celebrate the 30th anniversary of our art development programs, which all began with the Project Involve programs’ commitment to supporting emerging filmmakers from underrepresented communities in film. We are so grateful to Los Angeles County for their many years of support in our ongoing struggle to build a more inclusive and equitable industry. ”- Kate Walker D’Angelo, senior director of development, Film Independent
In addition to JANM, grant recipients in the AAPI community include Daroo Korean Performing Arts and Culture, Filipino Ameican Symphony Orchestra, Great Leap Inc., Japanese Culture and Traditions Inc. (Downey), LA Daiku Association Inc., and TaikoProject.
See the full list here: https://www.lacountyarts.org/sites/default/files/2223ogp-grantees.pdf
OGP background and review process
Since 1947, the Department of Arts and Culture (formerly the LA County Arts Commission) has provided funding to Los Angeles County arts organizations to expand community access to the arts. The OGP program is now the leading public sector organizational grant program for the region. In addition to direct funding, OGP beneficiaries receive professional development and training opportunities, from seminars on cultural and racial equity to the granting of human and writing resources.
Of the 227 OGP 2022-23 beneficiaries – located in 37 of the 88 municipalities in the county – 14% are receiving this funding for the first time.
Applications for the OGP program were reviewed and evaluated by 75 different expert speakers from the solid community of cultural workers, artists, curators, nonprofit art administrators, funders and art educators from the Los Angeles region. Award recommendations were reviewed by the Arts Commission, the advisory body for the arts serving the Board of Supervisors, and then approved by the board.
