Applications are now being accepted for the City of Ventura 2018-19 Cultural Grant Funding Program. The grant program is awarded annually to support Ventura-based cultural non-profits. These funds are unrestricted and may be used for organizational support, programming, and services. The application and guidelines are available online at www.cityofventura.ca.gov/grants; applications must be received by Friday, June 29, 2018 at 5 pm.
Non-profit organizations are required to provide proof of their 501(c)(3) status or their Ventura County-based fiscal agent(s). Grants will range in size from $1,000-$20,000 and will be awarded on a competitive basis with a total of $90,000 available. Organizations whose real annual budgets are less than $10,000 are only eligible to request $1,000; all other requests may not exceed 10% of the organization’s real annual budget. Past recipients must have submitted a final report from the previous year to be eligible for future funding.
Developed in 1993, the City of Ventura Cultural Grant Funding Program supports economic development, increases tourism and enhances lifelong learning opportunities in the arts for all ages.
Art Tales Winners to be Honored at Public Reception May 17
The public is invited to attend a special reception to honor the winners of the 10th Annual Art Tales Writing Contest on May 17, at 5:30pm in the Community Meeting Room at City Hall, 501 Poli Street. Attendees will hear the inspirational pieces read by the winners. This year’s Art Tales writing contest received more than 125 works of short fiction and poems from youth, teen and adult writers, hailing from Ventura to Atlanta, Georgia.
The 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners of Art Tales are:
- Youth Poetry: 1st Macy Li 2nd Larsen Meckstroth 3rd E.K. Baer
- Youth Fiction: 1st Shawn Coyner 2nd Isabel Connell 3rd Devin Varela
- Teen Poetry: 1st Penelope Duran 2nd Sophie Stimer 3rd Ethan Adler
- Teen Fiction: 1st Cole Dodos 2nd Genevieve Werner 3rd Aaron Meraz
- Adult Poetry: 1st Mary Adler 2nd Gabrielle Oracio 3rd Sheri Ward
- Adult Fiction: 1st Gerald Zwers 2nd Carolyn J. Foegen 3rd Caitlin Trude
Four contest judges read “blind” entries to determine this year’s winners.
The art work used to inspire this year’s contestants were Tambor by William Hendricks, Clouds that Free the Spirit by Frances Johnson, and Freedom Wing by Teal Rowe.
The Ventura City Council established the Municipal Art Collection in 1999 to document the history of visual art in Ventura through the acquisition of artwork created by local artists. For more information regarding the Art Tales Writing Contest or the Municipal Art Collection, visit www.cityofventura.ca.gov/arttales.
