Doktor Kaboom! at the Performing Arts Center (photo cred. Heather Nguyen Photography)
The California Arts Council has awarded an Arts Education: Exposure grant in the amount of $15,300 to the Foundation for the Performing Arts Center and Cal Poly Arts. The funds will be used to support both the School Matinee Program and Poly Arts for Youth.
The School Matinee Program is a rapidly expanding arts education initiative that brings thousands of San Luis Obispo County students to the Performing Arts Center for free performances. More than 50 percent of these students attend Title-I designated schools, which primarily serve students from low-income households with little or no access to the arts.
This past season, the School Matinee Program brought 10,000 students to the Performing Arts Center. Thanks to ongoing support from organizations like the California Arts Council, the program will be able to expand its reach, welcoming 12,000 students to its fifteen free performances during the 2018-19 season.
“We are incredibly grateful to the California Arts Council for its continued support,” said Leann Standish, Executive Director of the Foundation. “This past year, over $2 million was cut from county school budgets. There is a need now more than ever for community-funded programs that supplement California’s core curriculum and provide quality arts education for every student.”
The $15,300 grant also supports Poly Arts for Youth, Cal Poly Arts’ education enrichment program which enables performers to engage directly with students in their classrooms and auditoriums, lead master classes, and hold community workshops.
“We are very proud to partner with the Foundation for this grant,” said Steve Lerian, Director of Cal Poly Arts. “Both of our organizations want to ensure that no student is ever turned away from the arts.”
The Foundation for the Performing Arts Center and Cal Poly Arts are two of 113 grantees awarded an Arts Education: Exposure grant. The award was featured as part of a larger announcement from the California Arts Council.
“Studies have shown that projects that offer real-world, authentic interaction with the arts have a rewarding effect on learning ability,” said Nashormeh Lindo, California Arts Council Chair. “These early life experiences can spark interests, provoke thought and build a student’s capacity for success. The path of what’s possible is widened by every opportunity to step outside the familiar.”
To view a complete listing of all Arts Education Exposure grantees, visit http://arts.ca.gov/programs/files/FY1718_ProjectDescriptions_AE-EXP.pdf.
About the Foundation for the Performing Arts Center
Established in 1986, the Foundation provides and promotes an extraordinary and accessible center for the performing arts that elevates the arts in our community, in collaboration with our partners, California Polytechnic State University and the City of San Luis Obispo. For more information on the Foundation, its mission, values and programs, please visit: http://fpacslo.org
About Cal Poly Arts
Cal Poly Arts serves the Central Coast and Cal Poly communities as a presenter of public performing arts events geared for a diverse constituency. As a presenter, Cal Poly Arts provides a broad program of high quality professional touring performances, exhibitions, and speaking engagements, while also assisting with the educational needs of students through various artist-in-residency activities and off-campus school outreach events.
About the California Arts Council
The mission of the California Arts Council, a state agency, is to advance California through the arts and creativity. The Council is committed to building public will and resources for the arts; fostering accessible arts initiatives that reflect contributions from all of California’s diverse populations; serving as a thought leader and champion for the arts; and providing effective and relevant programs and services. Learn more at www.arts.ca.gov.