Santa Barbara County Awards Arts Grants to Twelve Nonprofits

Over $50,000 to Support Community Development through Arts and Culture

The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors has approved more than $50,000 in grant funding for the 2025-2026 Arts Making Impact (AMI) program. Twelve nonprofit organizations were selected to receive grants of up to $5,000. Initiatives that will receive funding this

year include free art classes for youth in Carpinteria and Santa Maria, storytelling workshops in Lompoc, and dance programs for seniors in Santa Barbara.

“The AMI Grant program highlights the creativity and dedication of local artists and organizations in Santa Barbara County,” said Robert Dickerson, Chair of the County Arts Commission. “Each year, while reviewing applications, the Commission is inspired by the transformative ways they bring arts and culture to our communities.”

Hannah Rubalcava, Grants and Contracts Manager for the Santa Barbara County Office of Arts & Culture added, “The AMI program demonstrates the power of the arts to unite people, elevate underrepresented voices, and strengthen communities. These projects expand access to meaningful arts and cultural experiences across Santa Barbara County.”

Arts Making Impact grants are funded by the Santa Barbara Bowl Foundation through a lease agreement with the County and are designed to enrich the lives of residents by funding collaborative, inclusive arts initiatives. Since the program’s establishment in 2012, AMI funding has reached communities across the county and helped eliminate obstacles such as transportation, material access, and availability of instruction.

The awarded projects are intended to increase community engagement in the arts and eliminate barriers to participation. The 12 organizations receiving grants are the Alcazar Theatre, Boxtales Theatre Company, Carpinteria Skate Foundation, the Grace Fisher Foundation, the Lompoc Theatre Project, Move with Purpose, Pianos on State Masq(p)arade!, Santa Barbara Black Culture House, Santa Barbara Dance Institute, Santa Maria Philharmonic Society, Youth Arts Alive, and Solvang Danish Days Foundation.

Mark Herrier, Executive Director of the Lompoc Theatre Project, said, “We are extremely grateful to have the Santa Barbara County Arts Commission’s support in our continuing efforts to bring art to Lompoc, the ‘City of Arts and Flowers’.” With grant funding, the Lompoc Theatre Project will present

Telling Our Stories, a free, six-week storytelling workshop for adults that emphasizes inclusion and cultural representation. Guided by professional storytellers, participants will craft and perform personal narratives in a culminating public event designed to strengthen community bonds, promote cultural understanding, and encourage intergenerational dialogue.

Projects will launch throughout the upcoming year, with most offering free or low-cost public events. Residents are invited to participate, support, and share in these artistic experiences.