YACM Receives 18,000 Grant Award from California Arts Council
Press Release
Date: May 5, 2020
Young Artists Conservatory of Music Announces Grant Award from
California Arts Council in Support of
Arts and Well-Being for Artists in the Schools.
State funds support expert Teaching Artists to bring music enrichment programs for public school students.
Vacaville, CA. – Today the California Arts Council announced a grant award of $18,000.00 to Young Artists Conservatory of Music as part of its Artists in the Schools program.
In response to changing conditions around COVID-19, California Arts Council has moved quickly to announce grant awards and provide Young Artists Conservatory of Music (YACM) with greater discretion surrounding the use of funds in accordance with state and local health orders. As a recipient of this grant in the past, along with other foundation donors, YACM’s Music Matters in School program has provided nearly 2000 children a year with chorus, band, or strings education on campus with highly qualified Teaching Artists for 10 years. Due to COVID-19, YACM will work closely with state and regional officials to bring adaptable arts to school children in a manner that secures the positive impact of arts education and protects their physical health.
“The Development of Children Matters. Now, more than ever, young people in insolation or experiencing anxieties around loss and uncertainty need to have experiences that promote hope. The arts foster cognition, creativity and confidence in children who must learn to imagine their positive place in the world.” (Wanda Cook, Founder and Executive Director)
Young Artists Conservatory of Music was featured as part of a larger announcement from the California Arts Council of more than 1,500 grants awarded to nonprofit organizations and units of government throughout the state for their work in support of the agency’s mission to strengthen arts, culture, and creative expression as the tools to cultivate a better California for all. The investment of nearly $30 million marks a more than $5 million increase over the previous fiscal year, and the largest in California Arts Council history.
Organizations were awarded grants across 15 different program areas addressing access, equity, and inclusion; community vibrancy; and arts learning and engagement; and directly benefiting our state's communities, with youth, veterans, returned citizens, and California's historically marginalized communities key among them. Successful projects aligned closely with the agency's vision of a California where all people flourish with universal access to and participation in the arts.
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the California Arts Council recognizes that some grantees may need to postpone, modify, or cancel their planned activities supported by CAC funds, due to state and local public health guidelines. The state arts agency is prioritizing flexibility in addressing these changes and supporting appropriate solutions for grantees.
"Creativity sits at the very heart of our identity as Californians and as a people. In this unprecedented moment, the need to understand, endure, and transcend our lived experiences through arts and culture is all the more relevant for each of us,” said Nashormeh Lindo, Chair of the California Arts Council. “The California Arts Council is proud to be able to offer more support through our grant programs than ever before, at a time when our communities’ need is perhaps greater than ever before. These grants will support immediate and lasting community impact by investing in arts businesses and cultural workers across the state.”
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Young Artists Conservatory of Music was founded on the conviction that the performing arts is the greatest means to develop human potential and social cohesion, we invest in the unlimited potential of youth through exceptional arts education and significant performance experiences. Across a broad demographic spectrum of youth, YACM programs are designed to cultivate musical talent, nurture appreciative, confident, creative, and resilient young people, while promoting regional participation in the arts.
The California Arts Council is a state agency with a mission of strengthening arts, culture, and creative expression as the tools to cultivate a better California for all. It supports local arts infrastructure and programming statewide through grants, initiatives, and services. The California Arts Council envisions a California where all people flourish with universal access to and participation in the arts.
Members of the California Arts Council include: Chair Nashormeh Lindo, Vice Chair Jaime Galli, Larry Baza, Lilia Gonzales Chavez, Jodie Evans, Kathleen Gallegos, Stanlee Gatti, Donn K. Harris, Alex Israel, Consuelo Montoya, and Jonathan Moscone. Learn more at www.arts.ca.gov.
The California Arts Council is committed to increasing the accessibility of its online content. For language and accessibility assistance, visit http://arts.ca.gov/aboutus/language.php.
