Eleven artists received ranging microgrants maxing out at $1,000.
By Toi Creel
A local group is doing their best to make sure artists are supported in Culver City.
The Culver City Arts Foundation (Culver Arts) chose eleven artists to receive separate grant funds of increments ranging up to $1000. The money came from the Arts Resiliency Fund which was created to provide microgrants to local artists struggling to pay bills such as electricity, water, and gas. The fund was launched in 2020 as a response to the global coronavirus pandemic. Grant recipients ranged from playwrights and visual art teachers to musicians and theater directors. The total grant amount distributed was nearly $10,000.
According to Culvercitycrossroads, in their application one of the grant recipients wrote: “Covid has catastrophically impacted my life/work by bringing all means of income to a halt for me. I have been attempting to reestablish some form of income musically, but to no avail. I am anxious and devastated by this shift in atmosphere. …. I DESPERATELY NEED SOME HELP!…” Another recipient shared about their personal life struggles during a pandemic with both surviving COVID and needing emergency dental work.
As the overall goal of the Foundation is to raise and distribute a total $100,000 in grants, Culver Arts is currently working on a second round of $10,000 funds to distribute to artists. In addition to the Resiliency Fund, the Arts Foundation also participates in a variety of initiatives including Projecting Possibilities which is a weekly video installation collaboration with the helms Bakery District. The collaboration will last for the next 52 weeks.
The mission of the Arts Foundation, according to their website culverarts.org is to “preserve the past, enrich the present and create the future of arts and culture in Culver City.” The group is made up of a variety of community members and leaders all dedicated to growing arts in the City. To learn more about Culver Arts and donate to the Arts Resiliency Fund, visit www.CulverArts.org.
