Scroll to the bottom of the page to learn about the program grantees. 

DESCRIPTION

The County of Sonoma has established a fund to be administered by Creative Sonoma to support cultural arts activities across Sonoma County. Funds will be awarded for activities – ranging from regular programming to special events – that occur between November 1, 2019 – June 30, 2020.

These funds were previously administered by the Sonoma County Administrator’s Office; the Cultural Arts Grants are a one-time allocation for Fiscal Year 2019-2020. Arts and cultural organizations may apply to both this grant and to the County’s Community Investment Fund Program grants.

Note that this year, this grant is not based solely on advertising reimbursements, and may include support for eligible costs as identified in the budget section of the Application Help Tool (attached below).

GOALS

Funding is designed to advance an established goal of the County of Sonoma to cultivate a vibrant community and economy through the arts that serves residents and visitors. 

IMPORTANT DATES

This grant program is no longer active and has been archived. 

GRANT AMOUNT

Up to $40,000. Given that the total funding pool is smaller than in previous years, please note that full funding for larger requests may be rare. 

ELIGIBILITY

Applicants may include Sonoma County-based nonprofit arts and culture organizations, including museums and culturally specific organizations, that produce arts and culture programs and services. See the Guidelines (attached below) for an extended list of eligibility criteria and the types of activities that may not be funded under this grant program. 

EVALUATION CRITERIA

The grants will be assessed on the following five (5) criteria. See the Guidelines (attached below) for expanded descriptions of each item. 

• Artistic Merit
• Creativity and Innovation
• Impact and Audience Development
• Capacity to Administer and Implement the Program
• Completeness and Clarity of the Application

 

2019 Grantees (pdf version here)

6th Street Playhouse –  2019-20 Performance Season at 6th Street Playhouse, from November 1, 2019 to June 28, 2020, which includes the production of 8 full productions of a variety of works in two theatres, as well as education programs such as talk-backs, seminars for the public, and classes for the community.
A Theater For Children – This project assists 600+ children ages 3-18 to engage with environmental concerns through the magic of theater. The project provides free nature-related theater arts activities including classroom and after school programming for two schools, two drama productions for the wider community and the preparation for a summer drama camp for at-risk children.
Alexander Valley Film Society – The Alexander Valley Film Society offers several film series as part of the Year-Round Film Program to bring the community screenings and film events to which they would otherwise not have access. We provide enriching cultural experiences to Sonoma County by choosing diverse content and films including arthouse fare, classic titles, and family-friendly content.
Art Escape – Art Escape will expand its bilingual Family Art program to provide a monthly hands-on visual arts workshop for families in the Springs area of Sonoma Valley. Offered at no charge and taught in Spanish and English, participants of all ages will explore art materials and techniques, express themselves visually, make connections and build pride in their community.
California Indian Museum and Cultural Center – CIMCC will conduct Family Art Nights at CIMCC to accompany Acorns, Quails, and Cattails: Indigenous Foods of California, a new exhibit curated by CIMCC’s Tribal Youth Ambassadors. Pomo artist, Meyo Marrufo and the Tribal Youth Ambassadors will provide instruction in finger doodling and painting and share stories about Indigenous foods.
California Poets in the Schools – California Poets in the Schools will host a cutting-edge, three-day, statewide poetry symposium at Sonoma State University in June 2020, geared towards poets, writers, Poet-Teachers and classroom teachers, ages 14+.  The symposium will highlight two distinguished Bay Area poets as workshop leaders and featured readers, as well as community-building and networking opportunities,  professional development, and more.
Children’s Museum of Sonoma County – “Colors of Spanish” is a weekly Spanish language story hour (geared to children under 6 years old) that incorporates books/stories, music, movement and fun, and fosters understanding, appreciation and joy in another language and culture.
Cloverdale Arts Alliance – Friday Night Live at the Plaza, Cloverdale’s free summer concert series, is scheduled for Friday nights from May 29 through September 4, 2020. Friday Night Live at the Plaza provides free high quality live music and a variety of family-friendly activities in an inclusive environment every Friday evening throughout the summer.
Cloverdale Historical Society – The Cloverdale Sculpture Trail is an annual juried outdoor sculpture exhibit in downtown Cloverdale, CA.   Between 14-20 juried pieces of sculpture are installed annually in April in public places throughout the city, making art an integral part of everyday life.
Creative North Group – Flatbed Music Festival showcases the diverse musical heritage of Sonoma’s West County in its generous lineup of Sonoma-grown musicians on ten intimate stages in Sebastopol and West County.  Pairing headliners with emerging artists, the Flatbed will feature recording studio tours as well as live oral histories on the mobile flatbed stage all to benefit free music programs for youth.
Fire Circle Theater – Roseland ReVerberation is an arts festival where high school performers will share their personal experiences through visual and performing arts. We will also build a permanent performing arts and entertainment space at Roseland University Prep.
Healdsburg Center for the Arts – HCA presents its 2019-20 season of events, featuring four group art exhibitions and three community art events. The events include the 2020 Healdsburg Art Festival, 4 Elements Festival, 18th Annual Holiday Gift Gallery, a youth art show, two national art exhibits and a classical music concert celebration of Beethoven’s 250th anniversary.
Healdsburg Jazz Festival – Healdsburg Jazz will strengthen its capacity to provide enriching, interactive cultural experiences to underserved populations by presenting the Jazz Village and Campus during the 2020 Healdsburg Jazz Festival. Featuring free performances, interactive activities and engaging education programs, Jazz Village and Campus will deepen visitors’ sense of community by engaging all ages and backgrounds in jazz’s dynamic culture and inclusive values.
Young Actors Studio – Award-winning professional theatre productions in a year-round season of entertainment for residents and visitors of Sonoma County as well as community oriented productions for youth and families.
The Imaginists – A Shifting Reef is an original, episodic, community-based performance addressing climate change. Taking inspiration from the speculative fiction of Jules Verne and Octavia Butler the Imaginists will assemble an intergenerational cast of Sonoma County residents in collaboration with local musicians & visual artists to create a story of how we are changed by the reality of the climate crisis.
Luther Burbank Center for the Arts – The Luther Burbank Center’s Arts Integration Continuum project demonstrates the LBC’s commitment to combining bold, artistic excellence with high-impact arts education strategies to foster accessibility, increase technical and social-emotional skills, boost exposure to multiple genres of creative expression and support academic achievement. This project serves schoolchildren, teachers and artists residing in and visiting Sonoma County.
Museum of Sonoma County – The Museum of Sonoma County (MSC) is proud to present its 2019-2020 exhibition program. Exhibitions include “Tierra de Rosas: New Works by Maria de Los Angeles,” “Día de los Muertos,” “Discovered: Emerging Artists of Sonoma County,” “31st Annual Artistry in Wood,” “From Suffrage to #MeToo,” and “Awe to Activism: The Evolution of Landscape Art.”
Occidental Center for the Arts – OCA will produce approximately 30 live musical events, the Annual Fool’s Parade and an exhibit of artwork by local students. These events will provide a robust variety of cultural and artistic experiences for the community.
Petaluma Arts Center – AfterBurn is a two-month series of exhibitions and events featuring established Burning Man artists who live and work in the Bay Area. This series will build on the recent retrospective started at the Smithsonian, and currently at the Oakland Museum, through studio visits and workshops with the artists that will inspire the community to explore their own creativity.
Play Marimba! – Not your usual elementary school band! Giant instruments, earth shaking sounds and incredible playing combine into a music program that kids just can’t get enough of.
Raizes Collective – The Youth Environmental Artivist Summit is a 4-day, 3-night campout focused on educating, exposing, and empowering Sonoma County youth. Workshop Facilitators will provide hands on, introspective, and inspiring art activities that ignite personal power.
Redwood Arts Council – Redwood Arts Council presents six to eight chamber music concerts a year, now celebrating our 40th season. Musicians of international renown perform enthusiastically for audiences in West Sonoma County venues, primarily Occidental and Sebastopol CA.
Rural California Broadcasting Corporation / Northern California Public Media – The Wonderland Radio Hour (WHR) is a community inspired, community driven project that includes live theatrical performances, interactive community fairs, and radio broadcasts on local and National Public Radio outlets. The WRH mission is to build community involvement with the history, environment, art and culture of the Lower Russian River.
Santa Rosa Symphony – The Santa Rosa Symphony’s 2019-2020 Classical Series builds upon our legacy of innovative programming and community engagement, providing rich, vibrant musical experiences for diverse Sonoma County audiences that relate to their lives. Increasing the relevance of orchestral music, the season showcases a living composer in every concert and features the world premieres of two truly unique, ambitious commissioning projects.
Sonoma Bach – The Sonoma Bach Choir and Live Oak Baroque Orchestra join together to perform Handel’s Laudate Pueri and the famous Dixit Dominus.  We feature these pieces along with other Carmelite motets and instrumental works to provide a vivid glimpse of the young prodigy at the peak of his power in the glorious surroundings of the Eternal City.
Sonoma Conservatory of Dance – The Magic Grove is a world premiere ballet based on a Persian folktale. This Sonoma Conservatory of Dance production will expose the performers and audience to music and dance styles from Central Asia and The Silk Road in addition to classical ballet.
Green Music Center at Sonoma State University – The Green Music Center is the performing arts presenter at Sonoma State University with a mission to present the most compelling artists of our time, investigate ideas, and provide access to diverse artistic experiences that educate, connect, and inspire Sonoma State University and surrounding North Bay communities. Funds will support performances in the latter half of our 2019-20 presenting season.

QUESTIONS

Email CreativeSonoma@sonoma-county.org or call 707-565-6121.