About Seeding Creativity
The Office of Arts & Culture (OAC) received funding from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) as part of its American Rescue Plan (ARP) grant program, to subgrant to communities responding to the negative economic impacts and public health emergency of the COVID-19 pandemic. OAC recognizes that individual artists have been significantly impacted and has developed this subgranting program, "Seeding Creativity," to respond to the urgent needs of this sector of the creative economy. This grant program supports 45 artists with $10,000 grants to create and/or present new work in the county during the grant period.
About Arts and Culture
The Sacramento Office of Arts & Culture (OAC) was originally founded as the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission (SMAC) in 1977 by City and County Ordinances with a mission to "advance community through art and culture." Its 3 primary programs - Grants, Art in Public Places, and Arts Education - provide resources to support artists and arts activities throughout the County's diverse communities. In 2018, an intensive year-long planning process resulted in Creative Edge, Sacramento's first Arts, Culture, and Creative Economy Plan. Creative Edge engaged thousands of stakeholders and community members to re-envision culture in Sacramento and prioritize an investment in the entire ecosystem, including equity and access as governing priorities. This was a catalyst for change in the City, and has ushered in new priorities and programs. In 2020, SMAC became the OAC, incorporating the Film Office into its portfolio, and hired Megan Van Voorhis as Cultural and Creative Economy Manager.