180 Los Angeles County Arts Organizations Receive Over $4.5 Million in Grants

Grant amounts range from $3,600 to $233,300. Grantee organizations are spread throughout LA County with offices located in over 39 of the County's 88 municipalities. 11% of the organizations funded are receiving County arts grants for the first time and 50% have applied for funding to pay for salaries or job creation. Over 80 knowledgeable panelists from the arts community, including artists, nonprofit arts administrators and members of the academic community, reviewed and scored the applications.

"Although the economic climate is shifting, we know that organizations continue to struggle with staffing concerns," said Los Angeles County Arts Commission President Araceli Ruano. "We are pleased to offer funding to pay for salaries and job creation. The residents of Los Angeles County will be impacted through increased job opportunities and continued access to a diverse range of cultural services."

For the last four grant cycles, the Arts Commission approved a temporary guideline change that provided applicants with the flexibility to request support for their current critical needs, rather than require they request support for specific types of projects based on their budget size. This guideline was recently made permanent by the Commission.

"We're grateful to the Board of Supervisors for the increased allocation to the grants program, bringing us to pre-recession levels," said Laura Zucker, Executive Director of the Arts Commission, "particularly as many of the organizations funded are first time grantees. The Board's ongoing commitment makes a significant impact to the growth and sustainability of hundreds of organizations throughout Los Angeles County."

Additional facts and figures about the 2014-15 OGP grantees can be found below, along with an alphabetical list of current grantees. Detailed grant information is available at lacountyarts.org/grants.

The Los Angeles County Arts Commission fosters excellence, diversity, vitality, understanding and accessibility of the arts in Los Angeles County, encompassing 88 municipalities, and provides leadership in cultural services. In addition to its role as an arts funder, the Arts Commission implements the regional initiative dedicated to restoring arts education to 81 school districts, programs and operates the Ford Theatres, funds the largest arts internship program in the country and manages the County's civic art policy. The Arts Commission also produces free community programs, including the LA County Holiday Celebration for public television. www.lacountyarts.org.

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