The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts received a $20,000 grant from the California Arts Council that will help support The Wallis School Partners Program, which provides the opportunity for students from K-12 schools within Los Angeles County to attend student matinee performances featuring some of the world class artists presented on The Wallis’ stages. The program, which serves thousands of young people annually, provides opportunities for students to experience the best in the performing arts at the state-of-the-art venue, fostering growth through the arts. The Wallis School Partners Program is part of GRoW @ The Wallis, the umbrella for a robust mix of education and outreach programs at The Wallis.
“The Wallis is extremely grateful for this significant grant from the California Arts Council, which will help us continue to share our exceptional music, dance and theater programs with students from the greater Los Angeles area,” states Rachel Fine, The Wallis’ executive director and CEO. “These engaging performances promote an understanding and sharing of culture, enhance awareness of others, build cognitive skills and foster civic engagement, among other crucial benefits. The Wallis School Partners Program reflects our deep commitment to investing in the young people of our community.”
The Wallis’ California Arts Council grant was among more than 1,500 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 state’s 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,” said Nashormeh Lindo, Chair of the California Arts Council. “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. 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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