Courtesy photo.
Artists Across Disciplines Will Advance Civic Engagement, Public Health, Social Justice, and Climate Resilience Across the Central Coast
NYELAND ACRES, OXNARD — The Arts Council for Monterey County, Arts Council Santa Cruz County, the San Benito County Arts Council, the San Luis Obispo County Arts Council, the Santa Barbara County Office of Arts and Culture, and the Ventura County Arts Council are pleased to announce that Nyeland Promise has been selected through a competitive, regional call to receive a $140,000 grant as part of the Central Coast Creative Corps (CCCC) Program, a pilot grant program funded by the California Arts Council.
These grant awards will fund Nyeland Promise, a local Oxnard neighborhood nonprofit (tax id #83-2109489), as part of the 23 Community Partner grantees, to work with central coast-based Artists and Culture Bearers for one year. Grantees were selected by a panel of central coast artists and community leaders with experience working in their geographic regions with the selection being balanced to ensure: geographic distribution across the six partnering counties, including equitable fund disbursement based on county population and community need based on the CA Healthy Places Index (HPI); a range of organizational missions and objectives; and a range of approaches to collaboration.
The goal of the Central Coast Creative Corps is to uplift the creative workforce and improve community health outcomes. It is investing in Artists across disciplines to collaborate with selected Community Partners for twelve months on producing a sustained outreach and engagement initiatives addressing one of the following four priority areas as identified by the California Arts Council: (1) public health awareness messages to stop the spread of COVID-19; (2) public awareness related to water and energy conservation, climate mitigation, and emergency preparedness, relief, and recovery; (3) civic engagement, including election participation; and (4) social justice and community engagement. Grant funds will be used by the Community Partners to engage an Artist or Artist Collective, for one-year from September 2023 to August 2024. Of the funding award, $100,000 will go directly to the Artist for their work on the campaign; with $20,000 allocated for artist-community relations, supplies and materials, and other costs incurred for production and/or implementation; and $20,000 for the organization for program administration.
Nyeland Promise serves one of the poorest underserved communities in Ventura County. 94% of Nyeland Acres residents are of Latino descent. Per the California Healthy Places Index (CHP), 46% of Nyeland Acres’ residents are uninsured and the community falls in the lowest 3 percent in the CHP Index which creates a lower standard of living. “We are honored to have received this grant to continue our work improving the quality of life for the residents of Nyeland Acres. This grant will allow us to work with local artists to engage in creative ways to promote social justice, health equity, civic engagement and art equity for underserved communities. Our residents will have the opportunity to work closely with the artist,” said Mary Anne Rooney, Executive Director.
The Central Coast Creative Corps is shared and administered by county-designated arts agencies from all six counties. They work cooperatively to support program administration and serve as primary partners, service providers, and communication conduits in their respective geographies. This program is part of the California Creative Corps, developed by the California Arts Council in partnership with the State legislature. California Creative Corps is an economic and workforce recovery pilot program intended to support pandemic recovery and the environmental, civic, and social engagement of California’s most disproportionately impacted communities.
More information about the Central Coast Creative Corps can be found at www.centralcoastcreativecorps.org/. Spanish-language assistance is available.
About the Central Coast Creative Corps — Central Coast Creative Corps is a six-agency Central Coast Arts Coalition program, funded by the California Arts Council. The Arts Council for Monterey County aims to improve the quality of life for everyone in the region through the arts. Arts Council Santa Cruz County nurtures and invests in artists, culture, and the arts throughout Santa Cruz County. The San Benito County Arts Council is dedicated to activating and connecting people, spaces, and communities through art, culture, and creativity. The San Luis Obispo County Arts Council’s goal is to advance the visual, literary, and performing arts through programs that promote public access to the arts, arts in educational settings, local arts planning and collaboration, and opportunities for artists and arts organizations. The Santa Barbara County Office of Arts and Culture is committed to nurturing a sustainable arts and culture sector, promoting equitable access for all, and empowering the creative communities to innovate, collaborate, and thrive. The Ventura County Arts Council advocates for the arts and creates partnerships among artists, arts supporters, businesses, foundations, county organizations, and schools with an emphasis on diversity.
For more information, contact Ventura County Arts Council – Craig Rosen, Executive Director, crosen@vcartscouncil.org
About Nyeland Promise — Nyeland Promise was designed to transform Nyeland Acres into a community filled with hope and pride. Nyeland Acres is a Disadvantaged Unincorporated Community as defined by Senate Bill 244. Nyeland Promise is founded by, and led by residents of Nyeland Acres. For more information, visit www.NyelandPromise.com