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Sonoma County Arts Scene Gets Boost from Renewed Philanthropic Commitment
Funds Part of Statewide Effort to Increase Investment in the Arts; Community Foundation Sonoma County Receives Grant
March 6, 2008 — The James Irvine Foundation today announced nearly $3.2 million in grants to eight California community foundations that will support regional arts efforts as part of its Communities Advancing the Arts (CAA) initiative. Community Foundation Sonoma County will receive $500,000 over the next three years to support local efforts to raise the visibility of and increase donor involvement in the arts.
This grant is the second of two CAA grants from the Irvine Foundation and seeks to deepen earlier gains made in arts donor involvement since the program’s launch in 2004. Community Foundation Sonoma County received an initial $400,000 grant in phase one of the program, which extended through 2007. It is one of eight community foundations that will share $3.15 million in grants approved by Irvine’s Board of Directors on Wednesday.
“Sonoma County has enthusiastically embraced our efforts to promote a culture of art,” said Community Foundation President and CEO Kay M. Marquet. “These CAA funds have enhanced and amplified the support of our donors and enabled us to participate in laying the foundation for a thriving regional arts community.”
As part of phase one of the CAA program, the Community Foundation embarked on successful efforts to bring together a range of stakeholders interested in local arts activity. Phase one CAA funds supported this work with local leaders to establish a Santa Rosa Arts District and sponsored three collaborative, county-wide projects — an artist award program, Sculpture Sonoma, and Performance Sonoma: Crossing Borders. Donors new to the arts were also cultivated to contribute to the Artist Award Fund, which supports local artists. These projects were undertaken in conjunction with the Arts Council of Sonoma County. The foundation also worked with Sonoma State University in presenting a series of public discussions for artists on navigating “the business” of the arts.
As part of the Performance Sonoma festival, 12 local performing arts organizations put on productions related to the featured theme – Crossing Borders. Healdsburg’s Imaginists Theatre Collective created an original production, “The Divide/ La División”, which explored issues of immigration and the challenges in finding common ground between local immigrant Latinos and resident Anglos in the area. The bilingual production led to an opening in community dialogue around these challenges.
“Participating in Performance Sonoma allowed our company to explore issues that influence everyday life in our community,” said Brent Lindsay, The Imaginists’ Executive Director.
The Community Foundation’s phase one establishment of an Artist Award Fund has raised the visibility of budding local visual artists. Six winners have been selected by a panel of highly-regarded independent judges to receive unrestricted grants of $5,000 each. In addition to the grant funds, the winning artists have enjoyed growing recognition within Sonoma County and beyond. Seth Minor, a 2006 award winner, is being commissioned to create public artwork for the City of Santa Rosa.
The second phase of CAA funding will be used to continue raising the visibility of the arts regionally. The Community Foundation will continue its collaboration with the Arts Council of Sonoma County in furthering efforts already underway that highlight Sonoma County as a center of arts and culture. Planned efforts include raising $300,000 to fully endow the Artist Award Fund in order to secure the ongoing distribution of annual grants, with the goal of expanding awards to include performing and literary artists.
Phase two CAA funding will also be used to further engage with the City of Santa Rosa around its newly-established Arts District and to work collaboratively with private donors and public officials to create a lasting and vibrant downtown arts area. The Community Foundation is also exploring the potential of creating a signature festival that would invigorate local engagement in the arts and serve as a draw for tourists. Phase two funding is also earmarked for an arts web portal for Sonoma County where centralized arts information will be available.
Public funding for the arts has reached new lows in recent years. The California Arts Council, which traditionally funded local arts programs throughout the state, has seen its budget slashed from $31 million in 2000 to just $5 million in 2007. Private donations have also dipped over the past 15 years, leaving many arts organizations struggling for survival. Irvine’s CAA initiative is intended to foster grantmaking and individual donor donations to arts organizations in targeted communities.
“The Irvine Foundation is committed to supporting vibrant artistic and cultural communities throughout California,” said James E. Canales, President and CEO of the Irvine Foundation. “We are pleased that our support is enabling community foundations to foster sustainable funding streams for arts organizations in their communities.”
2008 Emerging Artists Awards sneak peek
New Sonoma Valley Fund awards first grants
July 2, 2007 - The Sonoma Valley Fund, an affiliate of the Community Foundation Sonoma County, has awarded seven new grants to local Valley organizations totaling $22,000. Branch Out Grants (for programs or events that help build community) were awarded to the Boys and Girls Club Valley of the Moon, Sonoma Ecology Center and Sonoma Valley Museum of Art. Strong Roots Grants (for projects to strengthen a nonprofit’s organizational capabilities) were given to La Luz Center, Sonoma Overnight Support, Sonoma Valley Mentoring Alliance and Valley of the Moon Natural History Association.
The grants will support a wide diversity of work including promoting and enhancing community-wide events such as a Geographic Information Systems Day, the Watershed Walk and a Dia de los Muertos celebration, and trainings to improve client services and mentoring skills and build capacity for effective strategic planning and board development. Support is for a one-year grant period beginning July 1, 2007.
“Many of the grantee organizations are current or past recipients of discretionary grants from the Community Foundation Sonoma County. The new Sonoma Valley Fund offers increased opportunity for all local nonprofits to receive additional support for specific projects or programs,” said Harriet Derwingson, chair of Sonoma Valley Fund’s grants committee.
The mission of the Sonoma Valley Fund is to create a permanent endowment through legacy gifts and provide a resource for donors who wish to make charitable gifts, especially as part of their estate planning, to preserve and enhance the quality of life in Sonoma Valley. Donors may make gifts through a variety of programs to benefit specific causes of importance to them, or rely on the Fund’s Board of Directors who are long-term, active residents of Sonoma Valley. For more information, visit www.sonomavalleyfund.org.
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