California: Innovations + Intersections

Photo by Michal Czerwonkan, courtesy of CAC grantee SCI-Arc

The California Arts Council (CAC) recently announced a new Innovations + Intersections pilot program. This unique grant program offers funding for arts organizations to fuse technology or wellness into arts projects addressing society’s most urgent challenges. The initiative aims to use the arts to find groundbreaking and imaginative solutions for complex issues such as homelessness, climate change, systemic violence and mental health. Projects must focus on technology or health, feature interdisciplinary partnerships, elevate community assets, and contribute to community resiliency and equity. Artists and other creatives must develop and execute projects by, for and with the community each project is intending to serve.

Grant awards are available up to $500,000—the largest in the arts council’s history. The agency made intentional grant guideline shifts to make this funding easier to secure for diverse communities and organizations of all sizes. Grants do not require applicants to provide a cash funding match, so the opportunity is accessible to organizations with limited access to financial resources. Also, prospective applicants submit a letter of intent before being invited by CAC to complete a full application for funding consideration. This two-step process reduces the application burden and helps to find a positive alignment between an applicant organization’s goals and CAC’s funding parameters. For more information, contact CAC Interim Programs Officer Josy Miller.