City of Davis, CA
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Artist Opportunities
FUNDING FOR ARTISTS:
Individual Artist Grants (Application process now closed: recipient list provided below)
Past Recipients of City Support
ARTIST COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT:
Individual Artist Grants - American Rescue Plan Funding
Application process was held December 1, 2022 through January 13, 2023.
Applications were accepted electronically through www.callforentry.org.
The City of Davis Arts & Culture Grants for Individual Artists is a one-time grant program, funded by the City of Davis from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). The goal of the grant is to stabilize the City’s nonprofit arts & culture sector, which saw a significant negative economic impact due to the pandemic. The grant will offer unrestricted support ($1,000), with the intention of providing financial relief to eligible working artists and cultural practitioners whose work aligns with the goals of the city’s Arts & Cultural Affairs program, and to assist with the ongoing economic and health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on our arts sector to help them on the path back to financial sustainability.
“From community wellness to mental health, local artists play an important role in enhancing our quality of life and economic vitality. We recognize the value of retaining artists who reflect our values and call Davis home.” --Davis Mayor Will Arnold.
RECIPIENTS ANNOUNCEMENT:
Awardees include: visual artists, musicians, actors, dancers, culture bearers, writers, poets, theatre professionals, teachers, photographers, gallerists and many other members of the local arts and culture sector:
David Abramson, Diana Almendariz, Jamie Angello, Kenneth Arnold, Julia Aue, Linda Bair Falk, Heidi Bekebrede, Roshelle Carlson, Nick Carvajal, Judy Catambay, Yi-Chuan Chen, Michael Clements, Dee Conway, Dianna Craig, Michaela Daystar, Katie DelaVaughn, James Drip, Will Durkee, Nizhoni Ellenwood, Jim Frink, Mara Gervais, Rae Gouirand, Jennifer Grace, Harry Greer, Wes Horn, Hadas Kol, Nat Lefkoff, Gretchen LeMaistre, Donna Lemongello, Karolina Letunova, Sarah Marie, Carlos Mendoza, Dzokerayi Minya, Sam Misner, NJ Mvondo, Diego Panasiti, Stephanie Peel, Elodie Perroud, Eric Rios, Antonia Rizzo, Rodrigo Romero, Kris Rosa, Marguerite Schaffron, Adele Shaw, Mamadou Traore, Ritwik Varma, Jennifer Wendt, Leaf Wild, J.R. Yancher, Seogmin Yoo
When opportunities for artists to produce public art arise, the City sends out either a Request for Proposals (RFP) or a Request for Qualifications (RFQ). These documents outline the requirements for application.
RECENT CALLS:
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N Street Park Public Art - Stage:
N Street Park Public Art - Stage:
This call is closed. Artist has been selected and project planning is underway.
Click HERE for more information
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F Street/Covell Retaining Wall Public Art:
F Street/Covell Retaining Wall Public Art:
This call is closed. Artist/team has been selected and project planning is underway.
Click HERE for more information
Follow the link below and select Civic Arts Commission to stay up to date on upcoming calls. Open Calls will also be listed in this section.
Sign up to receive email notifications from the City of Davis.
Arts & Cultural Affairs Fund
The Arts & Cultural Affairs Fund has been designated to support and foster creative programs and initiatives that nurture the development of a rich and sustained arts community, drive tourism, promote economic development, and contribute to Davis as a visitor destination and incubator for imaginative public programming. The fund will support emerging, innovative, creative capacity building in Davis. Up to $100,000 is allocated for the current fiscal year.
Additional funding priorities for the current fiscal year will focus on proposals that support:
- Elevating the voices of Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC), Black Lives Matter (BLM), Native communities, and other initiatives that promote cultural and social justice and equity
- Community and public health and wellness
- Economic vitality of community, local businesses, and downtown
Download and Apply:
2024-25 ACAF Guidelines + Application (Word)
2024-25 ACAF Guidelines + Application (PDF)
Contact rhartsough@cityofdavis.org for additional information and to discuss your project goals before applying.
Eligibility
In order to request funding, applicants must meet one or more of the following criteria:
- Creative/innovative activities that are available to and involve Davis residents, visitors, businesses, and organizations in the pursuit of promoting a vital arts scene.
- Programs that encourage tourism and promote overnight hotel stays.
- Arts providers requiring support to obtain venues for creative programs (including City-owned and operated venues and other locations).
- Local non-profit arts providers or programs that support creative capacity building.
- Public festivals whose core purpose celebrates Arts or Culture in our region.
- Emerging arts organizations based in, or directly serving, the Davis community.
- City-selected special projects that elevate the core mission of the arts program.
Process for Requesting Funds
Funding is available on a first-come, first-served basis, and allocated at the recommendation of a committee consisting of members of the Civic Arts Commission, City Manager’s Office, and community. Awards must be requested in writing, at least 2 months prior to planned expenditure of the funds. Exceptions to this may be made on a case-by-case basis. The committee will review and approve funding requests on a rolling basis, and annual funding will be available until funds have been depleted.
Applicant Requirements
- Applicants must be in good financial standing with the City.
- Preference will be given to emerging projects, and enhancements to existing programs.
- Projects must comply with all City permitting and legal requirements.
- It is up to the applicant to understand and comply with prevailing wage and other employment and hiring laws.
- Publicity must acknowledge support, sponsorship, or underwriting by the City of Davis.
Community Arts Grants
Unfortunately, this grant is NOT currently funded.
The Arts program received a $75,000 budget cut in the FY20/21 from the funds used to award Community Arts grants.
Please consider applying for the Arts and Cultural Affairs funding instead.
Many Community Arts Grant recipients for the 2020 cycle had to postpone events or translate original plans into smaller, or virtual offerings, and some very imaginative new methods of programming emerged.
The City of Davis Arts & Cultural Affairs program awarded a record $95,000 to artists and arts organizations in Davis for projects taking place in 2020-2021.
The City of Davis is pleased to support artists and arts organizations through a program that provides funds for a wide variety of community-based arts programs and projects that foster excellence, diversity, and vitality in the arts. Arts grants have been awarded to the Davis community since 1973.
Applicants who meet one or more of the following criteria may apply: Davis arts groups, organizations and galleries, members of the university community who are extending on-campus activities into the City of Davis, non-profit organizations that want to sponsor an art-related program in Davis, and individual artists and arts educators who live in Davis or the surrounding unincorporated area, or whose primary artistic activity is in Davis. All projects must take place in the City of Davis.
The Arts Commission welcomes projects of all sizes. Applicants selected for funding receive from $500 to $5,000. All funded projects must be completed by June 30 of the following year (for 2020 grants, the end date is June 30, 2021).
For questions, further information please call the City Manager’s Office at 530-757-5640.
2020 Art Grant Recipients
- ACME Theatre Company / Free Comedy in the Park / $4,685
- Bike City Theatre Company / 2020 Salon Reading Series / $5,000
- Danielle Fodor / Community ArtBuild (for Earth and all her Creatures) / $5,000
- Justine Villanueva / Community Stories in Motion / $5,000
- Justin Malachowski / Davis Collaborative Design Studio / $4,875
- Joel Rapaport / Davis Independent Music Initiative / $5,000
- Davis Musical Theater Company / Free Educational Workshops / $2,500
- Davis Phoenix Coalition / Davis Pride Festival / $5,000
- Davis Repertory Theatre / 45 Plays for America’s First Ladies / $5,000
- Explorit / Painted Pollinator panels in the Garden / $2,500
- Candice Foster, Joaquin Rojas, Peregrine / Indigenous People’s Day, Celebration for the Youth / $5,000
- International House / Global Family Festivals / $5,000
- Mamadou Traore / Malinke Community Drum Circle Project / $4,200
- Anita Tong Gong / Mga Kapatid’s Pilipino Culture Night / $5,000
- Ken Kemmerling / Live Music at Davis Community Meals / $2,000
- Lyndsay Dawkins / Nature’s Theatre, A Climate Change Youth Theatre Project / $5,000
- Pence Gallery / Johnny Cash Photography Exhibit & Education Programs / $3,558
- Purple Tree Café / The Davis Hootenanny: Inclusive Music Events/ $1,400
- Adele Shaw / Second Bite: The Wisdom of the Apple / $4,332
- Stories on Stage Davis / 2019 Program / $1,000
- Ante Ursic / Davis Street Circus Festival / $5,000
- Robin Dewey / Enhancing the Team Davis Arts Program / $3,750
- Daniel Moglen / Village Dance Davis / $4,000
- Bob Wren / World Fiddle Day / $1,200
Click this link for additional information about these funded projects and the grants program.
2019 Art Grant Recipients
The Arts & Cultural Affairs program awarded $66,512 to artists and arts organizations in Davis for projects taking place in 2019-2020:
- ACME Theatre Company / Free Comedy in the Park / $4,240
- Asian American Studies / Asian American Histories in the Davis Community / $5,000
- Bike City Theatre Company / Salon Reading Series / $5,000
- Chamber Players in Davis / 2019 Season / $2,400
- Davis Community Chorale / Audience & Public Profile Development / $4,584
- Davis Dirt / Music Day 2020 / $4,000
- Davis Musical Theater Company / Educational Workshops at DMTC / $4,000
- Judy Catambay / Elmwood Drive Street Mural / $5,000
- International House / Global Family Festivals / $5,000
- Mga Kapatid / Semi-Centennial Anniversary / $5,000
- Ken Kemmerling & Donna Jury / Live Music at Davis Community Meals / $5,000
- Paint the Street, Danielle Fodor / A DIY Manual for artists and organizers / $5,000
- Pence Gallery / Make Stuff / $5,000
- Second Bite / The Wisdom of the Apple / $4,888
- Stories on Stage Davis / 2019 Program / $2,400
Resources for Grantees
Grant recipients may use the following images on fliers and other marketing materials to indicate funding has been provided by the City of Davis Arts & Cultural Affairs program:
PDF VERSION: City of Davis Arts Grant Logos for Recipients
*If you need a Grant Logo with a transparent background or other format not provided here, please contact staff.
Simple cut/paste/save for web:
Past Recipients of City Support
The City's Arts & Cultural Affairs program is proud to support and/or partner with a wide range of locally produced creative community programs:
Art of Painting in the 21st Century Conference
Asian American Histories Project
California Conference for the Advancement of Ceramics
Davis Independent Music Initiative
Davis Manor Neighborhood Council
Davis Shakespeare Ensemble & Festival
Ground and Field Theatre Festival
Music at Davis Community Meals
Paint the Street: Community Street Mural How-to Manual
Pence Gallery Community Programs
Peregrine School Community Programs
Traditional Chinese Dough Figurines
Arts Alliance Davis
The City of Davis Arts and Cultural Affairs Program is proud to work closely with Arts Alliance Davis, a group of dedicated individuals representing artists, arts and civic organizations and presenters, local businesses, and community members in Davis. The Alliance encourages collaboration, promotes the Arts to residents and visitors, and advocates for public and private support of the arts in all facets of our community. The group meets regularly to share resources, offer support and mentoring between organizations, develop partnerships to strengthen our arts community, and brainstorm about how to connect with audiences in new and meaningful ways.
Below, Tim Gaffney of Davis Media Access interviews current Arts Alliance Chair, Shelly Gilbride. (January 12, 2023):