CENTRAL COAST — Arts Council for Monterey County (Arts4MC), along with its partners — San Benito County Arts Council and Arts Council Santa Cruz County — have been selected as one of 36 recipients in a competitive grant program designed to boost economic growth and resilience across the Central Coast.
This funding, provided by Uplift Central Coast’s Catalyst Funding Program, is part of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s California Jobs First Initiative, which aims to create good-paying jobs and encourage development in various sectors.
With this $250,000 grant, the tri-county partnership will use Catalyst funding to identify and develop career pathways for visual and performing arts teachers in Monterey, San Benito and Santa Cruz counties. Through the VAPA Pipeline Project, the partnership will collaborate with local school districts, county offices of education, community colleges, higher education institutions and artists in the region.
The project will look for ways to provide training and improve skills for local teachers and artists, helping them access stable jobs with full-time salaries and benefits.
“ART work, is REAL work, and we want to ensure that our current and upcoming workforce knows that becoming a teaching artist is a viable career option, a much-needed one,” said Jacquie Atchison, executive director of Arts4MC. “We want to ensure they have a clear path to accomplish this.”
This grant comes at an important time, especially after the passage of Proposition 28, the Art and Music in the Schools Act, in November 2022, which sets aside approximately $1 billion annually for arts education in California public schools.
While Prop 28 is a win for arts, education and student advocates, the latest study by SRI Education estimates that there is a big need for more Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA) teachers — California alone needs an additional 5,457 more teachers, and the tri-county region is facing a current shortage of 285 credentialed art teachers. The Catalyst grant will bring together local experts, artists and educators to tackle this issue.
“Proposition 28 has given us the funding for arts education, and now it’s time to invest in developing our workforce,” said Jennifer Laine, executive director of the San Benito County Arts Council.
Uplift received close to $50 million in funding requests but only had $9 million available. Out of 136 applications, they chose 36 projects, providing money for initial planning activities to ensure these projects are ready for future funding from various sources.
“By supporting these important areas, Uplift is improving the quality of life for residents and creating lasting positive changes across the Central Coast,” added Bruce Stenslie, president and CEO of the Economic Development Collaborative.
To learn more or get involved in the VAPA Pipeline Project, reach out to the San Benito County Arts Council at [email protected] or 831-636-2787.
