Carpenter Center Awarded California Arts Council 'Arts Education Exposure' Grant

The California Arts Council announced its plans to award $16,200 to the Richard and Karen Carpenter Performing Arts Center, located on the campus of California State University, Long Beach, as part of its Arts Education Exposure program. This is the second consecutive year that the Carpenter Center has been awarded an Arts Education Exposure grant.

As a segment of the California Arts Council Arts Education grant opportunities, Exposure grants support attendance at performances and exhibitions for students who may otherwise have limited access to these experiences. These opportunities offer a deep cultural resonance for the student communities served and are complimented by pre- and post-attendance activities, including artist workshops, teaching, and performances.

With support from the California Arts Council, the Carpenter Performing Arts Center will continue to provide the Classroom Connections program to elementary schools throughout the Long Beach area, reaching 2,000 - 5,000 students each year. Classroom Connections is a comprehensive arts education program consisting of arts demonstrations and classroom visits that engage students in one-on-one interactions with artists, followed by a fully mounted performance at the Carpenter Center.

Each year thousands of students from the Long Beach area visit a theatre for the first time when they attend a performance at the Carpenter Center as part of our Classroom Connections program, said Megan Kline Crockett, Executive Director of the Carpenter Performing Arts Center. It is a highlight of every season and we are again grateful for the California Arts Council for their generous support of arts education in communities across California.

The Carpenter Performing Arts Center is one of 124 grantees chosen for the Arts Education Exposure program. The award was featured as part of a larger announcement from the California Arts Council.

Arts and culture are inextricably linked to our humanity, said Nashormeh Lindo, California Arts Council Chair. They serve as a universal touchpoint for understanding and addressing our societal issues dismantling inequity, healing trauma, reframing justice, inspiring truth and shaping futures. The Council is humbled to support the vital work of the Carpenter Center and its passionate efforts to make a better California for us all.