The Los Angeles County Arts Commission has announced $4,118,000 in two-year grants to 184 nonprofit arts organizations through its Organizational Grant Program (OGP). These grants are the first under more flexible guidelines that permitted organizations in the small and mid-sized budget categories to request support for current organizational needs rather than projects relating to specific areas of organizational growth. Notably 106, or 58%, of the 184 grantees are receiving funding to help support salaries or job creation, impacting Los Angeles County residents through increased job opportunities as well as through services.

“These grants benefit residents of all ages in all parts of our county,” said Los Angeles County Arts Commission president Ollie Blanning. “By supporting projects such as free events that whole families can attend—57% of all admissions to grantee events are free, these grants make the arts accessible to everyone.”

Arts Commission executive director Laura Zucker noted, “Arts organizations continue to play an important role in Los Angeles County’s economic recovery, not only through job creation and retention, but by driving visitors to our region.”

Lists of current grantees are at www.lacountyarts.org, click on “Grants,” then “List of Current Grantees.” The total funds awarded were the same as for the 2010-12 grants announced last year at this time. Grants to organizations range from $3,500 (Trade & Row, Redbird, La Danserie) to $208,600 (LA Opera).

An estimated 10 million people will be served by the organizations receiving grants for 2011-13. A couple of notable examples of the ripple effect of the OGP grants in the community are the funded activities of L.A. Freewaves and Pasadena Conservatory of Music.

LA Freewaves’ $14,900 grant supports “Out the Window,” creating videos exploring a sense of place in Los Angeles as viewed through bus windows and exhibiting them to a new audience on screens in 2,200 L.A. Metro Buses. (More information at http://out-the-window.org/.)

Pasadena Conservatory of Music’s $42,710 grant supports salaries for teachers of its music education outreach programs including the Young Musicians program, in its tenth year at Jefferson Elementary School, which provides weekly music lessons to the entire campus; Guitar for All, which provides multi-year study for students who have demonstrated financial need, a strong commitment to the guitar; and merit/college-preparatory scholarships.

To see more examples of how OGP grants are working in communities across L.A. County, visit the OGP Grantee photo album on the Arts Commission’s Facebook page, www.facebook.com/lacountyarts.

The 2011-13 grantees, broken down by size of organization, are as follows.

SMALL BUDGET (under $100,000) – 71 grantees totaling $748,360

MID-SIZE BUDGET 1 ($100,000-$500,000) – 70 grants totaling $1,121,550

MID-SIZE BUDGET 2 ($500,000-$1,500,000) – 28 grants totaling $1,042,650

LARGE BUDGET (more than $1,500,000) – 15 grantees totaling $1,205,440

Thirty-five (19%) of these organizations are receiving county arts grants for the first time. Of these, twenty-one  are in the small budget category, eleven are in the mid-size budget 1 category, two are in the mid-size budget 2 category, and one is in the large budget category.

In addition to the 184 arts organizations whose grants were approved by the Board of Supervisors, 166 organizations are receiving the second installment of two-year grants awarded last year. These grantees bring the total number of arts organizations receiving county funds during the current fiscal year to 350.

The Los Angeles County Arts Commission, Laura Zucker, Executive Director, provides leadership in cultural services of all disciplines for the largest county in the United States, encompassing 88 municipalities.  For more information please consult the Arts Commission online press kit: http://lacountyarts.org/page/pubnewspress