California Arts Council Individual Artist Fellowship (CAC IAF)
Central California Region - Micro Region 2
Fresno, Tulare, Inyo, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, Stanislaus Counties
*For other counties in Central California click here.
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Background.
This program will support artists at key career stages. It is intended to recognize and increase artists’ capacity for continued contribution to the field and our state. Through unrestricted funding and state-wide recognition as a California Arts Council Artist Fellow, this program is meant to uplift individual artistic practice. Artists and cultural practitioners from all disciplines are eligible to apply, with the intention of supporting diverse geographies and communities.
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Central California Region
The California Arts Council Individual Artist Fellowship Program (CAC IAF) will be statewide, but these application and program guidelines are specifically designed for artists living and working in Central California. The Central California Region grant program is open to artists who live in one of 17 counties across central California: Fresno, Inyo, Kern, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, Monterey, San Benito, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Stanislaus, Tulare, and Ventura.
If you live in one of the counties listed above, you’re in the right place!
Artists residing in other California counties are eligible to apply for the California Arts Council Individual Artist Fellowship Program in their region. For more information, please visit the California Arts Council website.
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Administrative & Application Structure.
SVCREATES is the Administering Organization for this grant program, working in partnership with the CAC and leadership from local arts agencies across 17 counties.
To help make this program more accessible, the Central California Region has been divided into 3 micro-regions (see list below). The application and review process for each micro-region will be facilitated separately, through designated Lead Agencies.
Meet the 2023 California Arts Council Artist Fellows
Central California Micro-Region 2
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Bobby Von Martin
Established
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Brynn Saito
Established
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Cesar Martinez
Emerging
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Connie Owens Patton
Emerging
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David Roberts
Emerging
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Diana Gaspar-Pena
Emerging
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Dixie Salazar
Established
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Donte McDaniel
Established
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Eden Santos
Emerging
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Esther Elia
Emerging
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Garrett Ruiz
Emerging
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Gema Lopez
Established
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Gerardo Vasquez
Emerging
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Jared Barbick
Emerging
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Joseph Rios
Established
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Julie Aruajo
Emerging
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Karina Turner
Emerging
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Michael Vasquez
Established
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Tim Tsai
Emerging
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Tisina Ta-till-ium Parker / Native One
Emerging
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Tommy Duch
Emerging
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Venita Blackburn
Established
Important Dates
June - July 2023
Panel Review Period
August 2023
Award Notification
Sept. 1, 2023 - Aug. 31, 2024
Fellowship Term
October 15, 2024
Fellows Final Report Due
Fellowship Funding Levels
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Emerging artists are those in the beginning stages of making their work public and engaging the larger community in their practice. Individuals at this career stage may have had a few public showings of their work but have not yet developed a sustained public practice or approach to pursuing resources.
A total of up to 41 awards in this tier will be granted across the 17-county Central California region.
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Artists in the Established tier regularly make their work public and engage the larger community in their practice. Individuals in this tier can give multiple examples of artistic and/or cultural works that have made a significant social impact.
A total of up to 25 awards in this tier will be granted across the 17-county Central California region.
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Artists in the Legacy tier can point to a significant body of work, produced over a substantial period, that has engaged their communities and made a significant social impact. Artists in this tier may be able to point to Emerging and Established Artists that they have mentored or influenced.
A total of up to 4 awards in this tier will be granted across the 17-county Central California region.
The CAC Individual Artist Fellowship Program identifies three career tiers at which artists may benefit from this support:
ELIGIBILITY
Eligible applicants will:
Be 18 years of age or older at the time of application submission.
Have, at minimum, a two-year history of artistic practice in California.
Reside in one of the following Central California counties at the time of application: Fresno, Inyo, Kern, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, Monterey, San Benito, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Stanislaus, Tulare, Venture. Residency will be determined by your mailing address.
Recipients of the 2021 CAC Individual Artist Fellowship are not eligible to apply.
APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS
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Describe how you came to be an artist, your traditions or artistic practices, challenges and accomplishments. (500 words max)
Describe the long-term aspirations for your work. How do you hope to grow as an artist? (250 words max)
Who are the specific social or artistic communities/participants/audiences you seek to engage/inspire/impact through your work? What is your connection to these communities and what is your desired impact? (250 words max)
Legacy Artist Applicants only: In what ways, if any, do you support or mentor emerging artists? (250 words max)
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Applicants must submit one or more of the following work samples. The work samples should represent your art practice and discipline. You are not required to submit all file types.
Digital images: up to 10 images
Video/Audio Samples: up to 3 video/audio samples, 5-minutes maximum length per sample
Writing sample or music composition/score: maximum 10 pages (your writing sample may include more than one work, e.g. ten one-page poems)
Choose samples that highlight your individual approach and voice as an artist. For example, some artists may wish to present work in chronological order, while for others it can be a disservice. Submit work that you are most passionate about and believe is the strongest
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Include significant awards and training, selected exhibitions, performances, installations, presentations, community recognition and/or publications. If possible, please include the city, state, and country (if outside the U.S.)
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Applicants must provide a written statement from a key stakeholder, partner, or community member that speaks to the impact of the artist’s practice and impact in their community.
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Applicants may also submit up to two additional supporting documents, such as press materials, flyers, brochures, programs, newsletters, and other marketing pieces. More recent materials are preferred.
How to Apply
Applications should be completed online, based on the county where you live and the award category you’re applying for. Follow these steps carefully:
Determine which award category is appropriate for your stage of artistic practice: Emerging, Established, or Legacy.
Determine the Lead Agency serving your county.
Emerging and Established Artist applicants should apply through one of three Lead Agencies, depending on your county of residence and corresponding micro-region.
Legacy Artist applicants ONLY: Legacy applicants from all of the 17 counties in the Central California region should apply through SVCreates.
Finalists for the Legacy Artist Fellowship will be required to attend an online interview with the review panel.
Micro-Region 1
Kern, Santa Barbara, Ventura, San Luis Obsipo
Lead Agency: Santa Barbara County Office of Arts and Culture
To apply for the Emerging or Established Artist Fellowship, click here.
Micro Region 2
Fresno, Inyo, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, Stanislaus, Tulare
Lead Agency: Fresno Arts Council
To apply for the Emerging or Established Artist Fellowship, click here.
Interested in being on a review panel, click here.
Micro Region 3
Monterey, San Benito, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz
Lead Agency: San Benito County Arts Council
To apply for the Emerging or Established Artist Fellowship, click here.
Legacy Artist Fellowship
To apply for the Legacy Artist Fellowship, click here.
Lead Agency: SVCreates
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As administrators of this program, we’re here to answer your questions and provide the support you need to complete your application. Application support for each micro-region will be available from the Lead Agencies during the application period. Legacy Artist Fellowship application support for all 17 counties will be available through SVCreates.
For Santa Barbara County Office of Arts and Culture: contact Hannah Rubalcava, Grants and Contracts Manager, hannah@sbac.ca.gov, 805-568-3990
For Fresno Arts Council, contact: Eric Martinez, Program Coordinator, eric@fresnoartscouncil.org, 559-237-9734
For San Benito County Arts Council, contact: Heidi Jumper, heidi@sanbenitoarts.org
For the Legacy Artist Fellowship, contact: Alyssa Erickson, Program Manager, SVCreates - alyssae@svcreates.org
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CAC IAF Program Guidelines are available in Spanish here. However, applications must be submitted in English. If you need application support in a language other than English, please contact the Lead Agency for your county at the contacts above
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Applications from individual artists and culture bearers will be adjudicated by peer review panels based on the following review criteria:
Creative Vision: Artist effectively communicates their personal story, artistic medium or practice, and long-term aspirations for their work.
Aesthetic Excellence: Artistic work and/or examples of cultural practice demonstrate strong alignment with the components of the Attributes of Excellence in Arts for Change, including commitment, communal meaning, disruption, cultural integrity, risk taking, sensory experience, emotional experience, openness, coherence, resourcefulness, and stickiness.
Community Engagement and Social Impact: Artist effectively communicates a practice of meaningful engagement with their community(ies), and the positive social impact their work has had locally, regionally, and/or statewide, addressing themes including but not limited to race, diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility.
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Each panel will consist of artists, arts leaders and culture bearers, and community members with arts and culture expertise who reside within one of the counties in the applicant’s micro-region. Panels will represent a range of diversity in artistic disciplines, cultural competencies, geographies, gender identities, and generations.
Panelists will review each application and score it based on the Review Criteria listed above. Panelists will then meet online to discuss and rank applications based on scores. Panel meetings are NOT open to the public.
Interested in being a panelist, fill out the Panelist Application here.
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Fellowship recipients will be required to:
Submit a W-9 form with their Social Security Number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) for payment purposes
Submit a brief report on the impact of the award after the conclusion of the Fellowship term (August 31, 2024)
Attend one online or in person convening of 2023 Fellows during the grant period
Provide, as available, links to artist website or social media for promotion of artist’s work
Central California Micro-Region 2 Partners
