SACRAMENTO, CA – California State Parks, the California Arts Council and California Parks today announced the launch of a new grant program for the arts in California parks – the Local Parks Grants Program. A total of $8 million in grants are available to local nonprofits and community organizations to support arts and cultural programs in local communities across the state.
The local parks grant program is one of two separate programs from the Arts in California Parks program, which was jointly announced last year by the three partners. Today’s launch makes the grant program available for the first time, with two additional cycles planned for 2025 and 2026, for a total of three funding cycles. Eligible applicants include 501(c)3 organizations, California Indian tribes, Local 7871 organizations, land trusts, fiscally sponsored community organizations, foundations, and government agencies (city, county, regional).
The Local Parks Grants Program, administered by Parks California, intends to create local community connections to California’s rich and diverse cultural history and natural areas beyond California state park boundaries. Eligible projects will enhance connections to local cultural history, parks, open space and natural areas through community events, programming and installations that help build sustainable community connections, health and well-being.
Eligible projects must be open to the general public. Projects may be located on land that is owned or managed by a local city, county, park or public service district, land trust, regional park or open space district, nonprofit organization or foundation, or any other organization other than by federal and state agencies. Projects must demonstrate how they achieve the goal of creating community connections to California’s diverse natural and cultural history.
Details of the competitive grant process, including criteria and deadlines, and a complete project timeline are available at ArtsInCaliforniaParks.org. To assist interested prospective applicants, Parks California will host an informational webinar on April 17 to learn about grant eligibility and the application process.
Grant announcements are expected to be published in September 2024.
About the Arts in California Parks
Arts in California Parks is a new program that supports artists, cultural carriers, California Indian tribes and communities in creating artwork, art installations and programming in state parks and local communities as catalysts for sustainable community connection, health and well-being.
Initiated by a one-time general appropriation that runs through 2027, the program will fund projects that offer perspective on California’s past and present and help foster community connections. The program is an exciting collaboration between State Parks, the California Arts Council and Parks California and is one of many efforts undertaken as part of State Parks’ initiative to revisit our past.
California State Parks launched pilot projects in 2023 and will have two additional rounds of projects in the summers of 2024 and 2025.
About the California Department of Parks and Recreation
The California Department of Parks and Recreation, known as State Parks, and the programs maintained by its Office of Historic Preservation and Divisions of Boating and Waterways and Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation provide health, inspiration, and education to people in California by helping to conserve the state’s outstanding biodiversity, protect its most valuable natural and cultural resources, and create opportunities for high-quality outdoor recreation. Learn more at parks.ca.gov.
About California Parks
Launched in 2019 as the official mandatory non-profit partner of California State Parks, Parks California was created to be a new model of public, private and non-profit partnership. Working across the country to collaboratively solve complex problems and create long-term solutions, Parks California currently manages over 30 projects that are funded by government, public-private partnership agreements, and the generous support of private donations. For more information, visit parkscalifornia.org.
Media Inquiries:
California State Parks
[email protected]
California Council on the Arts
Carissa Gutierrez
Parks California
Debbie Felix
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The California Arts Council is a state agency with a mission to strengthen the arts, culture and creative expression as tools to cultivate a better California for all. It supports local arts infrastructure and programming across the country through grants, initiatives and services. The California Arts Council envisions a California where all people thrive with universal access to and participation in the arts.
Members of the California Council on the Arts include: Roxanne Messina Captor, Chair; Leah Goodwin, Vice President; Gerald Clarke; Caleb Duarte; Vicky Estrada; Ellen Gavin; Roy Hirabayashi; Alex Israel; Phil Mercado; Nicholas Miner; and Olivia Rayner. Learn more at www.arts.ca.gov.
The California Council on the Arts is committed to increasing the accessibility of its online content. For language and accessibility assistance, visit https://arts.ca.gov/about/about-us/language-communications-assistance. To read this message in Spanish, please use the Google Translate tool on the website by clicking the “Translate” link in the upper right corner of this page.
The California Council on the Arts is committed to increasing the accessibility of its online content. For language and accessibility assistance, visit https://arts.ca.gov/about/about-us/language-communications-assistance. To read this message in Spanish, use the Google Translate tool on the website by clicking on the “Translate” link located in the upper right corner of this page.
