The community impact arts grants will benefit art programs in L.A. County. (photo courtesy of Tierra del Sol Foundation)

The Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture on July 28 announced $750,000 for 75 community impact arts grants, one-year grants for arts programming at nonprofit social justice and social service organizations, and municipal departments, throughout L.A County.

Different than Arts and Culture’s longstanding funding for nonprofits with a primary focus on the arts, CIAG supports arts-based programs of social justice and service organizations. CIAG was designed to address two priorities: making arts services available to L.A. County residents who might not experience them through traditional arts venues and outlets, and encouraging integration of the arts in cross-sector work at local nonprofits.

CIAG supports arts programming at nonprofits and municipalities that often serve low-income individuals, individuals with disabilities, veterans, systems-impacted youth and other underserved communities.

An analysis of the program’s impact by Arts and Culture’s research and evaluation team found that CIAG grants support a wide variety of populations and communities underserved by the arts as measured by specific populations, race and ethnicity, and poverty rates, often in areas where more than 25% of the population earns less than the federal poverty level.

Grantee programs span disciplines from therapeutic visual arts to social justice filmmaking, music education for youth, dance empowerment and museum memory programs for dementia.

“The community impact arts grant program continues to be an innovative and equitable way to direct our arts resources. I am proud that to see my motion with Supervisor [Hilda] Solis affirming the CIAG program help actualize its power to deliver culture funding,” said Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair Holly J. Mitchell, 2nd District.

“We know that arts are for everyone. We also know that communities with more access to cultural resources have better health, education and safety,” said Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture director Kristin Sakoda. “With the community impact arts grant funding, we are able to bring the benefits of the arts to communities that need them most and support organizations, artists and cross-sector collaborations that use the arts in innovative and powerful ways to strengthen equity and services in our diverse county communities.”