Approval by Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors represents 18% increase in arts funding by the County over the previous fiscal year.

LOS ANGELES, CA, September 18, 2000 -- The Los Angeles County Arts Commission has announced $1,902,000 in grants to 146 nonprofit arts organizations for fiscal year 2000-2001. The grants represent an 18% increase or $295,000 over the previous year when $1,607,000 was awarded to a total of 154 groups. The Commission received an unprecedented 172 applications to the Organizational Grant Programs this year.

The biggest increase came in the category of Organizational Grant Programs III for Large Budget Organizations with budgets of more than $800,000. $815,000 was awarded to 31 groups in this category. This is an increase of 77% over the Organizational Grant Programs III awards for the previous year.

In the past three years, the grant programs for small and mid-size arts organizations have also increased substantially. The Organizational Grant Program I for Small Budget Organizations (groups with operating budgets less than $100,000) increased by 35% from 1997-98 to 1998-99 and 45% from 1998-99 to 1999-2000. Groups in this category went to a two-year grant cycle to allow them to budget and plan for artistic and administrative advancement. The Organizational Grant Program II for Mid-Size Organizations (operating budgets between $100,000 and $800,000) had a 40% increase from 1998-1999 to 1999-2000. This program's emphasis is sustainability, specifically an ability to strategize and implement change and/or adapt to changed circumstances.

Grant funds support a wide range of arts activities throughout the County, including a full-length original story ballet by Los Angeles Children's Ballet Theatre, the development of an entertainment training and communications center in Watts, family programming at the Museum of Latin American Art, a conference and concert highlighting Yiddish women's literature, artist fees for Long Beach Opera and outreach to schools and libraries by KULTURA Philippine Folk Arts.

Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair Gloria Molina said, "We are honored to work with the many organizations in Los Angeles County who are dedicated to bringing the arts to our communities' footsteps. The Los Angeles County Arts Commission's grants are an investment in our County's future. These funds ensure the arts are accessible to the many communities we serve."

The Los Angeles County Arts Commission, in addition to its grants programs, also funds the largest arts internship program in the country in conjunction with the Getty Trust and supports programming at the John Anson Ford Theatre. The Commission also produces numerous free community programs, including the Los Angeles County Arts Open House, and the Los Angeles County Holiday Celebration and a year-round free music program in conjunction with the Recording Industries' Music Performance Trust Funds through Musicians Union Local 47. The Commission provides leadership in cultural services of all disciplines for the County, not only through funding and organizational development assistance, but also by making information and resources available to the community, artists, arts organizations and municipalities. The Commission's total budget for the fiscal year 2000-2001 is $ 3,815,000.

A complete list of grantees for 2000-2001 is appended to this release.

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9/18/00