$184,000 CARES Act Funds Approved for Costa Mesa's Arts 

This week, the Costa Mesa City Council unanimously approved allocating $184,000 of its multi-million dollar CARES Act funds to be directed to its nonprofit arts organizations hard-hit by the COVID-19 crisis. The federal funds were part of $554 million received by the County of Orange, and each County Supervisor apportioned $15 million for distribution to small businesses in their district. District 2 Supervisor & Board Chair Michelle Steel sent her funds directly to the cities in her district to distribute, with each city having authority to decide how to spend them. Costa Mesa, having officially adopted the motto "City of Arts" in 1984, is home to some of the most important arts organizations and venues in the County as well as being headquarters for a number of major commercial creative industries that rely upon a robust local workforce of artists and designers. "We are grateful to Mayor Katrina Foley and the City Council for their recognition that the arts are key economic drivers in their city, eligible for and deserving of the federal stimulus funding like other small businesses," commented Arts Orange County President & CEO Richard Stein. "The arts were the first to close after the outbreak of the pandemic and will be the last to re-open due to the unique challenges they face in implementing safety protocols for their artists and audiences. Some could be shuttered for more than a full year, which few businesses can survive without some aid." Details of the program will be released by the City soon. ArtsOC, which had completed preparation of the City of Costa Mesa's Arts and Culture Master Plan in 2019, drew upon that work to provide the decision-makers with information about the City's arts sector, economic impact data, as well as examples of how other communities around the nation are coming to the aid of their nonprofit arts sectors through their CARES Act funding.
5 OC Organizations Awarded NEA Grants 
Five Orange County organizations received NEA grants in the federal agency's latest rounds of funding. From the NEA's "Big Read" Program, Anaheim Public Library received $15,000 for its community-wide shared reading of Julia Alvarez's "In the Time of the Butterflies" and Orange County Public Libraries received $15,000 for its shared reading of Hope Jahren's "Lab Girl." In the Art Works category, Anaheim Ballet and Chance Theater (also in Anaheim) each received $10,000, and Arts Orange County received $25,000 to support its 2021 D ía del Ni ño festival.
ArtsOC Survey Results on COVID-19 Impact on OC Arts Community Attract Media Attention

Recently, Arts Orange County released the results of its survey of the Orange County arts community's losses due to the pandemic.
Stories about the survey results and interviews with arts leaders have now appeared in
             
RESOURCES FOR ARTISTS & ARTS ORGANIZATIONS - ArtsOC.org 
ARTS & CULTURAL EVENTS + CALLS FOR ARTISTS + AUDITIONS + JOBS + CLASSES + VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES - SparkOC.com 

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CONGRESSIONAL ART COMPETITION WINNERS ANNOUNCED FOR
DISTRICTS 39, 45 AND 48 
 
 
 
Representatives Gil Cisneros (CA-39), Katie Porter (CA-45) and Harley Rouda (CA-48) have announced the winners of the Congressional Art Competition in their districts. Their high school students' artworks will be displayed for one year in the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., along with the winners from other Orange County Congressional districts (which we previously announced) and those around the nation. The winners pictured above are: "Solemn Solitude," (top), a drawing by YESENIA DEL ROSARIO GOMEZ, a senior at Buena Park High School, in the 39th District. "Mother of Nature" by CHRISTINE KIM of Woodbridge High School (second from top) in the 45th District. And a work by ALEX TAN of Newport Beach in the 48th District (third from the top). Each winner receives prize money awarded by Arts Orange County, courtesy of a grant from AT&T.
Arts Orange County is the leader in building appreciation of, participation in and support for the arts and arts education throughout Orange County. 
It is a powerhouse in advancing Orange County's arts ecology, a trailblazer in advocating workforce development through arts education, a leader in building future audiences and a trendsetter in the world of nonprofit arts councils.

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