QUINCY - For the past few months, Plumas Arts has been working with the Nevada County Arts Council to promote a new statewide grant program to Plumas County residents.

California Creative Corps is a workforce development opportunity for artists and cultural practitioners, arts and social service sector organizations. This grant program aims to employ artists to create awareness around public health, water and energy conservation, climate mitigation, emergency preparedness, relief, and recovery, civic engagement and social justice. This grant is being implemented throughout the entire state, with money for projects in every county.

“The grant monies are specifically for hiring artists, but the project ideas are endless,” says Plumas Arts Executive Director Kara Rockett-Arsenault. “I have been to quite a few brainstorming sessions for the grant and have heard many incredible ideas. Everything from public transportation awareness and health care coverage advocacy to issues dealing with voter awareness, wildfire recovery, the housing crisis, watershed health, and issues facing local tribes. Grants will not be restricted to any medium and can include dance, creative writing, music, sculpture, murals, digital art, videography, theatre, photography, storytelling, and more.”

Grant guidelines will be available soon, and the application period should open in early February. Smaller grants will be available for individual artists, mid-sized grants will be available for artist/organization partnerships, and larger grants will be available for multi-county partnerships. Organizations can use the money to hire an artist in residence, produce public works of art, create an awareness campaign, and more.

Plumas Arts will provide several grant workshops once the application process opens, as well as networking opportunities for agencies or organizations that have ideas, but don’t know how to connect with the artists.

Plumas Arts is also seeking about five individuals for a grant review panel to help review local grants once the application period is closed. Panelists must meet the following criteria; they must be Plumas County residents, they must be able to assess the strengths and weaknesses of multiple applications based on the grant’s program goals and review criteria, they must have the capacity to participate in group meetings. Each panelist will receive a modest stipend.

More information on the grant and the link to becoming a panelist are available at plumasarts.org/california-creative-corps. For any questions, please reach out to us at 530-283-3402 or kara@plumasarts.org.