Art + Community Grant Program

Mariposa-based – Applicants’ residence or principal place of business must be in Mariposa County
Arts programming or practice – Applicants must demonstrate a minimum two-year history of consistent engagement in arts programming, art making, and/or service prior to the application deadline.
If applying as an individual artist, you must be 18 years of age or older.
If applying as an organization, the organization must be a 501(c)(3) or have a fiscal sponsor. Non-governmental organizations must show proof of nonprofit status under section 501(c)(3) to apply.
Fiscal Sponsorship: If working with a fiscal sponsor, the fiscal sponsor will provide fiscal oversight and administrative services, with a signed Letter of Agreement submitted with the application. The fiscal sponsor becomes the legal contract holder if a grant is awarded, and a change during the grant activity period is not permissible.

An applicant artist or organization may request between $500-2,000 for the grant period. Awardees should be aware that they may not receive the entire amount requested.

Matching funds are not required for this grant.

Applications will be reviewed by a select panel of representatives and community members. This Review Panel will evaluate applications and work samples using a 6-point ranking scale that considers the following criteria:

Artistic Merit
Project/Program Design and Implementation
Community Engagement/Relevance/Impact
Artist’s/Organization’s Professional Capacity
Accessibility

Please note, Arts Council staff are not a part of the Review Panel.

You will need the following documents to prepare your application:

Art + Community Grant Application Guidelines
Personnel List Template
Project Budget Template
Work History Form Template – Individual Artist only
2-Year Budget Snapshot Template – Organizations only

Provide a concise description of your program/project’s objectives and how they address a community-identified need or opportunity. Include a timeline outlining activities supporting the realization of the program/project’s objectives. (400 words or less)
Briefly explain what inspired you or your organization to use the arts as a tool for community upliftment in Mariposa. (250 words or less)

Describe actions taken to build trust and ongoing relationships with identified communities being served through your project or program.  Address evaluation plans, community responsiveness, and how community voices will be central throughout the project (including development, implementation, and evaluation). (400 words or less).

If applicable, identify and briefly explain how the proposed project aligns with or supports a County policy, strategy, or recommendation. (250 words or less)

Example Policies
The following list identifies relevant County plans. Read through them to find policies, strategies or recommendations that align with your grant project.

Arts, Culture and Public Planning

• Mariposa County General Plan
• Creative Placemaking Strategy
• Mariposa Creek Master Plan and Community Design and Development (Creek Parkway Phase IV)
• Mariposa County Economic Vitality Strategy

Environment and Recreation

• Recreation and Resiliency Master Plan
• Sustainable Agriculture Lands Conservation Program
• Merced River Trail Vision Plan
• Mariposa County Local Hazard Mitigation Plan

Housing and Human Health

• Integrated Mobility and Housing Strategy

Briefly describe the expertise of the artist(s) leading the project in their forms of art and cultural expression. (250 words or less)

Provide a personnel list including a brief biography, name, title, relevant experience, and role, for each key individual involved in your organization or project.
Complete a detailed project budget, including all expenses relevant to the stated project activities.
Organizations will be required to provide a 2 year organization budget snapshot.
Individual artists will be required to provide examples of similar projects or programs they’ve completed in the past 5 years.

Provide 1-3 work samples created within the past three years, relevant to this grant opportunity. Samples may include artistic work, press materials, flyers, brochures, programs, newsletters, audio, video, or other marketing pieces.

Describe how your project, programs, services, and online spaces will be accessible for individuals with disabilities, considering various challenges such as deafness, visual disabilities, developmental disabilities, and chronic illnesses. (400 words or less)

Mukethe Kawinzi is a shepherd in coastal California where she stewards a herd of Spanish cashmere range goats to feed the soil. She has farmed in sustainable and organic agriculture for five years, with a focus on small ruminants, artisanal cheesemaking, non-violent livestock handling, and regenerative grazing.

Her writing illuminates the smut and splendor of the natural world, race in rural spaces, the peculiar wit of livestock animals, and the pains and pleasures of physical labor. She is inspired by the languages and rhythms inherent to the space of the farm, colored folk who work land, and is oriented, ultimately, toward song, dance, and serenity.

In 2025 Mukethe will visit Mariposa County for a week-long residency, hosted by Megan Levad Beisner, including a public reading and interview, a high school classroom visit, and other opportunities to interact with our community.

The preservation and revitalization of Native American traditional medicine practices are essential for maintaining cultural heritage, promoting tribal health, and fostering a deeper connection to the land. Sandra’s project seeks to empower the tribal members by showcasing the wisdom of traditional medicine through guided walks led by Sandra, Chairperson for the Southern Sierra Miwuk Nation.

Mariposa Ukulele Ensemble meets once a week to practice songs and partake in a close musical community, with performances throughout the year. This program is free to the public and composed primarily of seniors and elder adults, many of whom had no prior music experience. The Ensemble provides significant benefits to participants, with professional instruction, access to instruments, and social opportunities through music, movement. and creativity.

This arts lecture series was developed to connect members of the community through the celebration of elder artists and regional arts legacy. Grant funding will contribute to the continuation of this existing program, and its expansion to wider audiences, contributing to communal mental health and creative connection. This project is in collaboration with Mariposa County Library and will culminate in a Mariposa Artist Archive.

Working in collaboration with two Mariposa filmmakers and County education partners, the Upper Merced River Watershed Council (UMRWC) will host an art and nature film festival for local youth. The year-long effort will be conducted in alignment with the organization’s Merced River Fest event held each spring.

Students will be guided and mentored through the process by local filmmakers who will help them understand storytelling through film and how to use the natural world–and their community–to express themselves artistically. This project has two components: a series of filmmaking workshops, and a youth film festival event itself to take place in May 2025.